Where Is SMB's Justin Patton?

For those who are wondering why the San Miguel Beermen are playing without an import against Magnolia today, 12 April (Sunday) in the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup eliminations, there are no clear answers.

The San Miguel has not divulged any details on why Justin Patton was not spotted during the shootaround and pregame warm-ups minutes before tip-off against the Hotshots.

Maverick Ahanmisi Challenges "K Showtime"

Maverick Ahanmisi pushed back against what he believes as a blatant disrespect toward Filipino basketball, defending the culture amid viral street games involving foreign content creator "K Showtime."

Ahanmisi said physical play has always been part of the local game but drew the line at actions he believes cross into disrespect.

Was There A Violation In The Converge Inbound Against Ginebra?

Several online reactions and criticisms came pouring out after Converge FiberXers’ lost to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 93-99, last 29 March. Most are divided over a possible inbound violation late in the game involving Coverge's Alec Stockton and Ginebra's Scottie Thompson.

Clips circulating on social media showed that with 52 seconds remaining and Converge trailing by two, Thompson appeared to disrupt the inbound pass while the ball was still in Stockton’s hands. The error led to Justin Brownlee's teardrop shot for a more confortable 97-93 Ginebra lead.

Will Pureblends Become Just Another Farm Team?

The big elephant in the room that nobody in the PBA wants to answer is the presence of 'farm teams' in the league. Even Google AI acknowledeges this, but nobody is doing anything about it. Everybody knows t except, well, except the PBA.

Pureblends owner Bryann Calantoc wants his first-ever foray in what he termed as the 'highest level of basketball in the country' to start on the right foot. He admits that there is a negative perception about NorthPort Batang Pier, before his company acquired its PBA franchise.

Quinito Henson: "FSA Doesn't Have A Place In The UAAP"

Sportscaster and media personality Quinito Henson ruffled a few feathers when he suggested that the University Athletic Association of the Philippines(UAAP) do away with Foreign Students Athletes (FSAs) in basketball games.

Henson clarified recently that "he doesn't mean to be discriminatory and he is not a racist", but the presence of FSAs have tempered the growth of local players.

Is NorthPort Really On Sale? What Happened To The Trade Moratorium?

There are several mixed signals being relayed from the PBA's front office to the trenches of NorthPort, including from the owners of Pureblends. Is the 13-year old NorthPort in the process of being sold or not?

It was reported by SPIN.ph's Gerry Ramos a few days ago that NorthPort and Pureblends agreed on the PhP 90-million sale. It was followed by a report the day after that the PBA board has discussed the proposed sale but deferred action. The reason: some financial documents needed to go under careful scrutiny.

Reggie Miller: "Four-Point Line Is Comical"

"The league will be a laughingstock" - Reggie Miller on why the NBA adding a four-point line makes him cringe. He can already picture it now.

Some desperate team jacking up shots from nearly half court, fans gasping at the spectacle while the scoreboard tilts toward the absurd.

Can A Unrestricted Free Agent Transfer To A Sister Team?

The answer to the question above is not as clear cut as many PMA fans would like it to be. However, the querry is relevant, in light of mounting incidents of obvious collusion among teams under the San Miguel and MVP blocs in total disregard of pro league rules governing sister ballclubs.

So what is the take of PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on this? His answer: "Yes, but ..."

Adidas-Puma Storied Rivalry Will Be Turned Into A Series

This should be very interesting and controversial television series, which will feature the bitter brotherly feud that sparked the creation of sports-shoe brands Adidas and Puma in the same small German town in the 1940s.

Hollywood-based film producer No Fat Ego is backing the project, which has the blessing of the family behind the Adidas empire founded by Adolf "Adi" Dassler.

Paul Pierce Believes Marriage Is For "Poor" People

NBA legend Paul Pierce has never shied away from controversial takes. He released a few statements that rubbed some people the wrong way.

However, his latest remarks on relationships and marriage have stirred up intense debate across social media. Speaking on his show "The Truth After Dark", the Boston Celtics icon delivered a brutally unfiltered critique of marriage, suggesting it offers little to no benefit for men in today’s world.

Why Do NBA Players Prefer White Women? Paul Pierce Has The Answer

NBA legend Paul Pierce is known for being an outspoken individual. This was made abundantly clear once again when the former Boston Celtics star provided an insight on why NBA players preferred dating white women.

In a recent episode of "The Truth After Dark", Pierce was asked about why NBA players "get" with white women. He responded by saying, "I honestly think that maybe they appreciate more and they apologize more."

Muyang Adding Fuel To His Suspension

The controversy regarding Phoenix big man Larry Muyang was further enflamed after a social media post by the player put the Fuel Masters in a bad light. Muyang hinted that he is happy where he is now - that, being MPBL defending champion Pampanga Giant Lanterns.

A coach and liaison officer of Pampanga then shared the post and alleged that Phoenix did not extend financial support to Muyang, who was said to have not received his salary.

Northport Governor Involved In NBTC Brawl

Don't look now, but the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is mired in another controversy involving one of their officers. Northport governor Erick Arejola was caught in a video getting involved in a full blown melee during a high school basketball game.

Footage from the incident last 5 December saw the executive charging at a person in the late stages of a semifinal game between De La Salle Zobel and Arandia College in the NBTC local qualifying tournament for Las Pinas, which is a qualifier for the South Luzon Regional Championship.

Is There A Need To Change The Number Of Fil-For Players Per Team?

The PBA has already relaxed their eligibility rules on Fil-foreign players, in an effort to lure more overseas-based prospects to its league.

However, thee haven't touch the more sensitive rule so far. This is the rule limiting the number of Fil-foreign players that a team can name to its lineup. It has been adopted to avoid power discripancy, but it was criticized as being outdated' and 'discriminatory' and its implementing guidelines 'confusing'.

John Amores' Penalty Is A Small Tap In The Wrist

Early this month, the PBA imposed a suspension on John Amores without pay in all his games in the upcoming Commissioner's Cup of the league's 49th season. This was in response to his involvement in a shooting incident in Lumban, Laguna.

Atty. Ogie Narvasa, the league's legal counsel, and commissioner Willie Marcial announced the decision on 11 October.

Is Terrafirma Dyip A Farm Team? AI said, "YES!"

The advent of AI in sports has taken a big leap recently, despite the competitive and secretive nature of the business. The latest development involves a single generative AI (GAI) model across multiple data centers — a massive feat considering the complexity of using different Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) in a single data center, let alone using servers in multiple geographic locations.

Using one of the AI variants available online, we ask this question: "Is Terrafirma Dyip a farm team in the PBA?"

Former PBA Reporter Alleged "Fat-Shaming" In TV Network

A new controversy has surfaced regarding the treatment of a PBA repporter in the hands of TV5 management because she was, take note of this, overweight. It was revealed by Ira Pablo that she was fired from covering PBA games two years ago when the management thought that she was too fat for the job, as posted by Spin.ph.

Pablo, who is the daughter of former PBA star and Shell player Vic Pablo, thought she had finally reached one of her life's objectives when she was hired as courtside reporter in 2022. But her joy turned to grief when, after reporting for some 10 games, she was unceremoniously yanked off her job and was not told officially why.

John Amores Involved In Shooting Incident

PBA John Amores just can't shed the bad boy image he acquired during his college days after his name is once again linked to the alleged shooting incident in Lumban, Laguna.

Authorities has launched a manhunt for Amores after the NorthPort player was seen shooting an individual after a basketball game. No one was hurt from the incident.

Ali Peek Supports "Farm Team" Comments

The PBA Man Mountain has spoken and he agrees about the presence of "farm teams" in Asias oldest basketball league.

Retired basketball player Ali Peek voiced his support for Converge FiberXers assistant coach Danilo "Danny" Ildefonso, who referred to the NorthPort Batang Pier as a "farm team." In the post mentioning that Ildefonso was fined PhP 20,000 for his remarks, which were deemed detrimental to the league, Peek said that he was simply stating a fact.

Time to Revisit the Salary Cap Rule

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is besieged by dwindling viewership for many many reasons. One of which is the presence of farm teams, lack of parity and one-sided trades in favor of richer teams. No wonder spectators and television viewers prefer to watch college basketball tournaments than pay attention to the lack of excitement in Asia's oldest professional basketball league.

In the last 33 conferences in the PBA, the now-defunct Alaska Aces and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters won a combined three titles. The rest of the championships were either won by a team under the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) banner or a squad with the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) group.