More PBA overseas tiffs mulled

The Philippine Basketball Association is holding three more official games abroad following the huge success of the Talk n Text-Shell tiff in Jakarta, Indonesia Sunday.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala said they’re now finalizing details of their visit to Guam in May and journeys to Jeddah and Dubai later during the wildcard phase of the season-ending tourney.

Gracing the PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn Pavilion Hotel yesterday, Eala also said the country is now almost assured of hosting the 2007 FIBA-Asian men’s basketball championship.

The FIBA-Asian men’s cage meet is the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In a talk with FIBA president Carl Ching Menky recently, Eala said the head of the world’s governing body assured his support to the country’s hosting of the Olympic qualifying meet as well as the two pocket tournaments the PBA is putting up in the middle of the Fiesta Conference as part of the RP team’s preparation for this year’s FIBA Asian championship.

According to PBA operations chief Rickie Santos, no less than First Gentleman Mike Arroyo has been pushing for the holding of PBA games in Jeddah and Dubai to bring joy and excitement to Filipino contract workers there.

"The Talk n Text-Shell showdown in Jakarta turned out a mostrous success not only in terms of gate attendance but much more on sponsorships," said Santos, quoting chief organizer Agus Mauro – the commissioner of the Indonesian Basketball League.

Talk n Text dished out a well-balanced game, overcoming Wesley Wilson’s 39-point explosion as the Phone Pals ripped the Turbochargers, 97-88, in the game that drew a crowd of over 5,000.

Aside from these four games abroad, the PBA has also scheduled 21 provincial games in the double-round classification phase of the tourney.

The first out-of-town game is set Saturday in Tacloban, pitting the grandslam-seeking Barangay Ginebra Kings versus the Alaska Milk Aces.

Meanwhile, Sta. Lucia Realty hopes to show its true potential as it introduces Raheim Brown in place of Richard Jeter versus Alaska Milk at the resumption of the 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum today.

Brown was Sta. Lucia’s first choice after original import Nate Williams was sent home for failing a drug test. The former Florida Atlantic player, however, couldn’t come for the Realtors’ first game versus the Coca-Cola Tigers Friday since he’s still tied up with a ballclub in Argentina.

In their first game, the Realtors played with interim import Jeter who looked lost on the playing court, bleeding for only six points. The team suffered a 65-76 defeat at the hands of the Tigers.

Coca-Cola seeks to ride the momentum of that victory as it disputes the early solo lead in the tourney with San Miguel Beer, 82-73 victor over Alaska Milk also on opening day Friday.

Chris Burgess made good impression in his debut with the Beermen coming up with 22 points and the same number of rebounds.

Brown arrived in the country with Filipino US-based agent Mike Gonzalez Monday.

Listed as a 6-foot-10 player, Brown obviously is a scorer as he averaged 21 points while shooting 54 percent from the two-point zone and 31 percent from the three-point area in Argentina.