Yugos to invade PBA?

There’s a big possibility that the Yugoslavian national junior team will play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Asian Invitationals starting July 20.

Don’t sell the Yugoslavian kids short. They may be in their teens but expect the juniors to show up the elders in the PBA.

In Europe, players start taking basketball seriously in their teens. They don’t wait for when they’re in their 20s. That’s because there isn’t a strong college basketball league to play in. Arvydas Sabonis, Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc and Tony Parker began playing top-level hoops when they were in their teens so they earned their spurs early. Look where they are now–bankrolling big bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

If the Yugoslavian juniors come, I wonder if wunderkind Darko Milicic will be in the roster. Milicic, 17, is a 7-foot, 245-pound lefthanded center who’s rumored to be joining the NBA draft next month. If he applies for the draft, the word is Milicic could be the No. 2 overall pick behind LeBron (King) James. That’s right, a Yugoslavian junior is now one of the world’s top basketball prospects. And there’s more from where Milicic comes from.

Businessman Jack Rodriguez, a former La Salle varsity cager, has offered to bring in the Yugoslavian juniors. Last Sunday, Rodriguez was at the Big Dome watching a PBA game with a guest–a tall, youthful Yugoslavian junior player.

The word is PBA Commissioner Noli Eala likes the idea of a European team playing in the Invitationals. There’s a lot that Filipino players can learn from the European style of basketball–lessons that will come in handy in future international tournaments.

It may be a blow to the ego if the Yugoslavian kids whip the living daylights out of the PBA’s grizzled pros. But that’s basketball. Yugoslavia is the reigning world basketball champion and it shouldn’t be surprising if the country’s juniors aren’t as wet behind the ears on the court as kids of their age usually are.

There will be nine teams playing in the Invitationals–split into five in one group and four in the other. They’ll figure in a single-round elimination then the top two teams in each group slug it out in the one-game knockout crossover semifinals. Survivors advance to play in a best-of-3 finals.

The top five teams at the end of the All-Filipino double round eliminations are automatically seeded into the Invitationals. A last ticket for a sixth PBA team will be up for grabs among those who don’t finish in the top five. A qualifying tournament will be held to determine the sixth PBA entry in the Invitationals.

It’s possible–although highly unlikely–that the All-Filipino champion may not be among the five automatic qualifiers in the Invitationals. If that happens, the title team will join the qualifying tournament.

The innovation of a qualifying tournament–to be held during the All-Filipino best-of-7 finals–is a treat for fans. It’s like staging a tournament within a tournament. And it will keep the teams that don’t make it to the finals, busy. No early vacation for non-qualifiers.

Aside from the six PBA clubs, the Philippine team will also play in the Invitationals. Coach Aric del Rosario will test the mettle of his boys against the PBA’s men.

Two slots are reserved for foreign teams. The Japan Basketball League was invited to send a team but has begged off due to the SARS scare. An invitation was also sent for a Korean squad to play. As Samsung is the Invitationals major sponsor, it will probably arrange for a Korean team to play.

In 1982, a South Korean team–led by hotshot Lee Chung Hee–came to play in the PBA Second Conference Invitationals and took third place. So it won’t be the first time that South Korea will compete in the PBA if the Koreans come this year.

Former Talk ‘N’ Text coach Bill Bayno said if the PBA agrees, he could coach a US All-Star team that he’ll assemble for the Invitationals. He said a handful of Fil-Ams–for PBA coaches to scout–and a few NBA veterans would beef up the team.

Simon Fraser University of Canada is also interested to send its varsity to play in the Invitationals. Simon Fraser produced legendary Canadian star and now national coach Jay Triano. And there’s another US team that’s waiting in the wings, on standby for the PBA’s call.

Judging from the enthusiastic response of teams itching to play here, the coming Invitationals may be the start of a yearly event that could rival the Jones Cup of Taipei as Asia’s No. 1 high-caliber goodwill international hoops tournament.