BHK Journal: My PBA 49th Season Opening experience

Being a basketball fan since childhood, I always dreamt of watching PBA games live.

Good thing is that my family is very supportive of my passion. That's why they brought me to the venue every time there’s an out of time game to be held in Cabanatuan in the past, especially if my favorite team is playing.

I have seen the greatness of players from the 90’s, the physicality of the game, the passion and grit that they have, the excitement of fans and in the venue.

Growing up in that kind of basketball environment, I continued dreaming that one day, I will be part of the crowd in one of the venues in Manila.

True enough, the dream came true when I was working already and watched PBA games at different venues like Smart-Araneta Coliseum, Cuneta Astrodome, and MOA Arena in Metro Manila. And recently, a bonus came along with that dream as I have watched not just the PBA but also the FIBA World Cup 2023 held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

Another additional blessing is that I made connections to some of the people working in the first pay-for-play league in Asia.

Going back to my PBA dream, I also wished that I could watch their opening ceremony in the venue which happened in 2020 before the pandemic struck the country and almost everything stopped operations.

During the opening, I have the opportunity to take pictures with most of the players, coaches, staff, legends, commentators, and even some friends.

I savored the moment and enjoyed the game during that time and looked forward to experiencing more live games that year only to be paused by the outbreak.

Fast forward to this year, another opportunity came to witness the opening ceremony of the PBA 49th Season with its festivities, and watch the game plus the innovations introduced by the league. But there are questions that need to be answered.

Is the passion still there? Are the festivities during the opening ceremony appropriate? Are the innovations good for the game? And a lot more questions that run through the mind.

To answer the first one, yes the passion is still there as I really love basketball ever since but the excitement dwindled already.

The excitement might have gone down because I don’t really know some of the players nowadays. Maybe another thing is that I am not older than most of them, not like before where I looked up to my “idols” and dreamt of being like them when I grow up. But this time, I might have experienced more in life than these young athletes.

But the good thing is that I enjoyed talking to some of my friends and connections inside the league, saw the potential of the new breed of players and new set of broadcasters that will play vital roles in the league’s success in the future.

And it leads to our next question: Are the festivities during the opening ceremony appropriate?

Some might say the festivities were more of an entertainment like variety show than an actual basketball opening. They even wanted to scrap the parade of muses which is usually part of the tradition during the opening day of the PBA.

But for me, the entertainment is just fine because it’s like giving the fans a free concert ticket while only paying a minimal amount. It also shows that the players have more to offer than basketball - that they can show their other off-the-court talents that are usually not known even by their die-hard fans.

About the muses, it’s totally fine and that’s a tradition that we’ve got used to. At least there's old stuff that is still part of the ceremony and the entertainment part adds new flavor in the opening.

It is also good for the PBA that they acknowledged the athletes (whether medalists or not) who raised our flag in the recently concluded Paris Olympics.

Going to the game, are the new innovations good for the game?

One of the controversial innovations that the PBA introduced this 49th Season is the 4-point line. When fans heard that, they mostly bashed the idea and said that it would be bad for the game. I was not even a fan of it.

But when I watched the game, the four-point line was just there and the offense of both teams just flowed naturally. When Chris Banchero of Meralco sank the first ever four-point shot in history, the crowd roared in excitement and the basketball play continued as it was.

In conclusion, maybe sometimes we are just not used to the changes that have happened and sometimes we just need to have a change of heart. In my case, the excitement might have gone down when it comes to my PBA live game experience but my passion for the game still remains.