Sports NEWS

The PBA will not impose sanctions on Phoenix Super LPG coach Louie Alas who was handed a 15-day suspension by his team for violating health protocols being observed during practice.

PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas said cancelling the season will have massive financial implications for the league and its teams.

Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Baham Mitra encouraged the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to consider doing a ‘bubble’ here when it resumes with its tournament instead of holding it abroad.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial bared that a shortened version of the halted Philippine Cup could now be a possibility if the league is able to resume as late as mid-October.

Robert Bolick joined NorthPort’s resumption of practice on Thursday at Green Meadows gym, 10 months after his rookie season was cut short by an ACL tear on his right knee.

The players’ boycott that may see the NBA bubble in Orlando burst won’t have an effect as far as the possible plan of the PBA to replicate that setup.

Should the PBA resume with the Philippine Cup later this year, Alaska Aces veteran center Sonny Thoss is not likely to join his team, a source said Thursday.

From the feedback he received, Rain or Shine mentor Caloy Garcia got almost the same assessment from his coaching staff following the return to practice session of the PBA Wednesday.

As the 12 PBA teams resumed practice session, a few teams were without key players, notably James Yap and Kris Rosales of Rain or Shine, and Mav Ahanmisi of Alaska.

TNT KaTropa believes the Laguna bubble will be a good way to assure the safety of its players even as it hopes to give the PBA an idea if the setup can work as far as plans for the resumption of the season is concerned.

Now that PBA teams have resumed practice sessions, following strict health guidelines set up by the government, keeping every individual negative from the coronavirus disease will decide if there would be a resumption of the league’s Philippine Cup.

Except for veteran guard LA Tenorio, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will start its small group practice session Tuesday at The Upper Deck in Pasig City, head coach Tim Cone said Monday.

Yeng Guiao said foreign coaches should serve as avenues for local counterparts to expand their knowledge and prosper instead of taking their spots.

Defending champion San Miguel Beer is ready to resume practice sessions, and mentor Leo Austria has already created batches and schedules of players training Tuesday at the Acropolis gym.

Phoenix Super LPG will be missing some of its players for the resumption of practice on Wednesday at the Upper Deck Sports Center in Ortigas.

The training facility, sanitized to hospital standard, awaits the first batch of Phoenix Fuel Master players starting Wednesday if no new round of stricter quarantine measures is announced overnight.

Unless the border of Qatar closes again because of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Rain or Shine superstar James Yap is flying back home on September 2.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star Japeth Aguilar said he and his teammates are raring to get back into practice after spending months discovering new things amid the COVID-19 pandemic.