Apprentice program will bring down PBL

The owner of the hottest team in the Philippine Basketball League is not buying the apprentice program being initiated by the Philippine Basketball Association in support of the national team.

Mikee Romero of back-to-back champion Harbour Centre yesterday said the program, which would allow PBL players to see action in the PBA on an interim basis, might prove detrimental to the amateur league.

Under the program, PBA teams that will lose key players to the national team will be allowed to fill up the vacuum by hiring PBL players even without them going through the draft.

The PBL teams will then be allowed to tap players from the collegiate ranks to fill up their rosters. Romero said while helping the national team is everybody’s concern, the program may not serve its purpose.

"The apprentice program could be detrimental to the league. Baka mamatay ang liga (The league might die)," added the youthful team owner in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Pantalan Restaurant.

Instead of raiding the PBL of its top players while the country’s best are playing for the national team, the PBA could turn to its deep pool of free agents – rookies or otherwise.

There are more than a hundred free agents in the PBA, those who joined the draft but were never picked, those who were drafted but were never enlisted, or those simply with no team to play for.

"By all means we should have our best players in the RP team. But the PBA has a deep free agent pool," said Romero, echoing a previous sentiment aired by PBL chairman Virgilio Angeles.

Angeles, of Toyota Otis, said taking away JC Intal, Ken Bono, Jason Castro, Marvin Cruz, Mark Borboran or JR Quinahan from their current PBL teams because of the program would only benefit the PBA.

Angeles said the PBL is committed in helping the national team but said he was disappointed that the team owners were not even consulted as the program was drawn up.