GILAS Pilipinas draftee William Navarro can’t pursue a professional career in the Korean Basketball Association (KBA) based on an opinion rendered by the International Basketball Federation or Fiba.
Navarro signed up with the Samsung Thunders in the KBA despite his existing contract with the NorthPort in the Philippine Basketball Association as a result of him being picked by the Batang Pier in a special Gilas draft.
“After carefully reviewing the positions of the KBA and the SBP [Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas], Fiba issued its decision on September 12, 2022, not to allow Mr. Navarro to join the Samsung Thunders,” a SBP statement on Sunday said.
The SBP hinged its concern on Navarro’s existing and legally-binding contract with NorthPort which obliges him to “play for the national team, attend activities, practices and social and business functions; and with his undeniable agreement, be assigned only and no other team or ballclub than his (Philippine Basketball Association) drafting team, the NorthPort Batang Pier.”
Navarro played for the national youth team under Jamike Jarin in the Fiba Asia U-18 Championship in Doha 2014 and at San Beda and Ateneo under coach Tab Baldwin.
His parents are Filipinos but was born in Greece where he saw action for the junior team of the Greek professional team Panathinaikos.
“The SBP does not intend to unduly prevent players from furthering their careers with other teams here or overseas. But it is a fundamental and ethical practice for players to honor their existing contracts with their mother teams,” the SBP statement said.