THIS could be a game-changer not only for the PBA but also for other cage leagues in the world.
The pro league officially gave the nod to a novelty idea –the four-point shot that will be adopted for the 49th season kicking off Aug. 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
From being simply an attraction in the mid-season All-Star games or exhibition games, an arc will be created 27-feet away from the ring and any basket made beyond the line is equal to four points.
The 23-foot three-point area will remain.
“Nagawa na natin ito sa All-Star Game. With this rule, mababawasan ang zone defense, lalabas ang depensa at mas tutulin ang laro,” newly elected PBA vice chairman Alfrancis Chua of Ginebra said during their annual planning session at the Swissotel Nankai in Osaka, Japan.
The likes of long-range snipers Paul Lee of Magnolia, NLEX’s Robert Bolick, CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, RK Ilagan of Blackwater, and TNT’s Roger Pogoy are just some of the players who usually shoot far beyond the rainbow country.
While the four-point line is not entirely strange for the PBA, having done it in the last two All-star extravaganzas in Passi City Iloilo in 2023 and in Bacolod City this year, the league is set to be the first pro league in the world to implement the four-point line in an official match.
The Governors’ Cup, usually the season-ending meet, will be the first conference this season to be followed by the Commissioner’s Cup and will finish with the prestigious Philippine Cup, just in time for PBA’s milestone 50th anniversary in April next year.
The Govs’ Cup will also feature the return of the old two-group format that was last held in the import-less joust in 2014.
Resident Kings reinforcement Justin Brownlee and Meralco counterpart Allen Durham, along with Aaron Fuller of Rain or Shine banner the returning reinforcements
Newcomers that are out to show they belong are NBA veteran Glenn Robinson III for the Hotshots, the Bossing’s Ricky Ledo, the Road Warriors’ Myke Henry, and Jayveous McKinnis of the Fuel Masters.
The Beermen linked up with Lithuanian Tauras Jogela, while Brandon Edwards will bolster Terrafirma.
Converged opted for NBA journeyman Scotty Hopson and NorthPort chose Taylor Johns.
While the innovation will certainly breathe fresh air in the league, it could also turn the PBA into a laughingstock if it fails.
Just imagine players hoisting a lot of four-pointers that go haywire–unless they are Stephen Curry.
