PHILIPPINE Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial on Tuesday belied reports Alaska is quitting the league.
And what it took to confirm that the Aces are staying in the PBA was one simple question that Marcial asked to Alaska governor Richard Bachmann.
“I asked Governor Dickie Bachmann about the report and he just laughed about it,” Marcial told the online edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum where he guested along with his deputy and PBA Operations Head Eric Castro.
Alaska also released a statement affirming its commitment to maintain its PBA team.
“Alaska is eager for the season to resume and will be ready for battle,” the statement said. “More important, Alaska is staying the course to show that our team will always contribute to the welfare of the league.”
There were some reports that the Covid-19 pandemic pressed down on Alaska’s operations and that its PBA team has to be sacrificed to save the company. The same reports say that a fried chicken company that has been generously sponsoring basketball teams and events is taking over the franchise.
But these again turned out as mere rumors or speculations.
“For the past seven years, I’ve been hearing that Alaska is leaving, and it never happened,” Marcial told the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Go-For-Gold, Amelie Hotel, Braska Restaurant and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and powered by Smart.
Alaska owns 14 PBA championships and is one of four grand slam teams, having swept the three-conference league in 1996. The Aces’ last title was the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup.
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