The PBA sees no problem with the decision of several players to skip the early parts of training due to personal reasons.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said safety is of utmost importance as those who have decided to opt-out for at least the first few weeks of training don’t want to comprise the health of their families.
“Sa atin, wala namang problema,” Marcial said in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum. “Depende sa mga teams at sa amin walang problema, importante kailangan safe.”
Among those players are Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star LA Tenorio and Phoenix Super LPG forward Jason Perkins whose wives are both pregnant.
Perkins’ teammate Jansen Rios, on the other hand, has senior citizens living at his home.
Other players are currently abroad, including Rain or Shine star James Yap, who is still in Italy with his family. Yap, however, has plans of returning home in early-September.
PBA chairman Ricky Vargas of TNT KaTropa said Ray Parks Jr. and Simon Enciso won’t make it to the start of the team’s training bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna since both are currently in the United States.
Marcial estimates that about six to eight players are out of the country.