CITING the tight schedule of the Harbour-RP
team, Harbour Centre team owner Mikee Romero yesterday said
the squad, composed of Philippine Basketball League stars,
will not be able to face the all-pro national team in tune-up
matches–for now.
At the same time, Romero acknowledged the
gesture made by national coach Chot Reyes last Wednesday who
offered the personnel and time of the national team to help
the Harbour-RP team shape up for the South East Asian
Basketball Association Champions Cup next month in Jakarta,
Indonesia.
"We’re so thankful for the offer of coach
Chot but the boys are not yet ready this time," said Romero.
"There are still lots of work to be done with this team. The
players came from different teams so they’re still in the
process of adjustment."
Reyes’ gesture, according to Romero, showed
the country’s major basketball stakeholders are moving toward
one direction–to regain the country’s lost glory in
basketball.
"With the effort being undertaken by the
PBA, PBL and other leagues, I’m pretty sure we can build a
strong Philippine basketball," Romeo said.
"We don’t have to play just tune-up games.
If they want, we can practice together," Reyes said last
Wednesday in response to a suggestion made by Romero last
Tuesday during the PSA Forum that the two national squads
clash in tune-up games.
The Harbour-RP team is set to compete in
the SEABA Club Champions Cup in Jakarta on April 9-14 while
the all-pro squad is preparing for the SEABA tournament in
May, a qualifier for the FIBA-Asia tournament in July in Japan
where two slots to next year’s Beijing Olympics are up for
grabs.
The Harbour-RP team being handled by coach
Junel Baculi is out to win the country’s first international
title after the country’s suspension from international play
was lifted last month by the International Basketball
Federation, or FIBA.
"We would really love to practice and play
with the team of PBA players but the boys have a very tight
schedule. They are also practicing with their mother teams for
the PBL’s coming tournament," said Romero.
The San Miguel-PBA selection is set to
leave for Carson City for a two-week basketball camp on March
29.
The 15-man PBL selection is made up of six Harbour players,
led by JC Intal, Jason Castro and Chico Lanete, and eight
other star players from various teams–Al Magpayo and Jeff Chan
of Magnolia, Marvin Cruz and Erick Rodriguez of Toyota
Balintawak and Larry Rodriguez of Hapee Toothpaste.
