June Mar Fajardo bagged another trophy to his collection as he was named Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Most Valuable Player for the eight time.

The MVP plum was given on Sunday, August 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum during the Leo Awards before the opening ceremony of the PBA’s 49th Season.

Fajardo defeated his teammate CJ Perez and now Terrafirma’s Christian Standhardinger to be called the unprecedented eight-time MVP.

The previous record that Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio held for a long time was four. But when JMF broke the record and made it five, he continually improved to get one after another.

In his speech, Fajardo jokingly said that “Sana next year uli (Hopefully next year again)” drawing laughter from the crowd in the venue.

Fajardo won the statistics, media votes, and player votes by wide margin to become the overwhelming winner of the award.

JMF also led the PBA 49th Season Mythical First Team, together with his fellow MVP candidates, CJ Perez and Christian Standhardinger, joined by Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort and Chris Newsome of Meralco to complete the group.

The Second Mythical Team on the other hand was composed of Meralco’s Cliff Hodge, TNT’s Calvin Oftana, Phoenix’ Jason Perkins, Terrafirma’s Juami Tiongson and now Barangay Ginebra’s Stephen Holt.

Holt, the top overall pick of Terrafirma last season was named the Rookie of the Year.

“The Kraken” also led the All-Defensive Team where he was joined by Newsome, Hodge, Terrafirma’s Kenmark Carino and NorthPort’s Joshua Munzon.

Completing the Leo Awardees were Jhonard Clarito of Rain or Shine who bagged the Most Improved Player plum and Paul Zamar of NorthPort received the Sportsmanship award honors.

Two days before the opening day of the PBA’s 49th Season, Terrafirma Dyip tapped the services of their former import, Antonio Hester.

Hester will be on his third tour of duty in the league and it became possible after an unfortunate injury happened to Brandon Edwards.

Edwards was the original import of the Terrafirma in the season opening conference Governors’ Cup but he suffered an ACL injury in their tune-up game against Meralco Bolts last Tuesday.

The Dyip crammed in searching for a replacement for Edwards but luckily for them, Hester was available and also excited to return to Asia’s first play-for-pay league.

"I'm super excited to be joining the squad," Hester wrote via Messenger to PBA.ph. "This was my first home in the PBA, but I'm not yet in the Philippines and will be there, soon."

Hester first saw action with Terrafirma Dyip three years ago in the same conference where he averaged 28.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.

He returned to the PBA the following season for another Governors’ Cup campaign when he replaced Eric McCree as Magnolia Hotshots reinforcement.

With Magnolia, Hester averaged 27.8 and 15.7 rebounds in eight games and led the team to the quarterfinals as the fifth seeded squad but lost to the twice-to-beat Meralco Bolts in overtime, 113-107.

Hester will join newly acquired Dyip players and former BPC winners, Christian Hardinger and Stanley Pringle to form Terrafirma’s “Big Three” that could be a vital piece to have another playoff run.

Ateneo de Manila University’s Paolo Medina made history by winning the first-ever event title in UAAP esports in what was a thrilling basketball esports showdown against its perennial rival.

Medina won in a stunning three-game series of NBA 2K24  against De La Salle University’s Kegan Yap, 2-1, at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box, Areté Ateneo, in Quezon City Thursday night.

“To be the first champion, I am very blessed. I feel I made a mark that will forever be there. I am grateful for this opportunity,” said Medina, a 22-year-old BS Information Technology student.

Medina kicked off the Blue Eagles’ campaign by utilizing the San Antonio Spurs to defeat Yap’s Chicago Bulls pick, 77-75. Yap rebounded in Game 2 with his LA Clippers pick to nab a 93-89 victory and force a decider.

Game 3 saw Medina pull off an Oklahoma City Thunder pick to upend Yap’s Los Angeles Lakers pick, ending the first quarter of the decider game with a 10-point lead, 25-15. This cushion allowed Medina to cruise-control the entire decider match, with the lead growing to as much as 20 by the start of the 4th quarter.

Ateneo’s dominance in the UAAP NBA 2K24 category was not smooth sailing at first. Medina entered the semis as Pool A’s second seed, which saw him defeat University of Santo Tomas’ Daemiel Argame in the semis in dominant fashion, 96-92 and 119-81.

"Not gonna lie, coming into the tournament, I felt very confident. But then, on the first day of the group stage, I lost my game against UST, and then later that same day, I lost against UP. So, it wasn't a cakewalk. It wasn't an easy path to the finals," Medina told the UAAP Esports media.

Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Nite Alparas expressed immense pride in Medina's performance throughout the UAAP Esports tournament.

"Honestly, sa six months na nag-training kami, parang two months ago sinabi ko sa kanya na, 'We are 100-percent ready to compete sa UAAP.' Nangyari nga, nag-champion kami," said Alparas.

"Sobrang confident ako kay Paolo kase simula February nakita ko siya. Nakita ko yung growth niya, development niya as a player. Sabi ko, 'Pagaling ka nang pagaling. Nagi-improve ka, lahat ng sinasabi ko sa'yo naa-absorb mo. Tina-try mo yung new things. Hindi ka takot magkamali,” he added.

Gilias Pilipinas moved four spots higher than its previous FIBA world rankings.

The Philippine men’s national basketball team jumped from rank No. 38 to No. 34 following its success during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last July where they upset the host team and world’s No. 6 Latvia.

The Philippines and Japan were the only teams who made a leap in Asia's Top 10. The other Asian squads dropped from one to three rankings from their previous positions.

Japan moved up from No. 26 to No. 21 in the world rankings following their Paris Olympics stint.

Meanwhile, the other Asian Top 10 who went down from their rankings were No. 7 Australia (-2), No. 22 New Zealand (-1), No. 28 Iran (-1), No. 29 Lebanon (-1), No. 30 China (-1), No. 35 Jordan (-3), No. 53 South Korea (-3), and No. 56 Saudi Arabia (-3).

Overall, Team USA still holds the No. 1 position while the former No. 4 Serbia took the second spot after its gritty Olympic stint.

Germany remained at No. 3 while Olympic host France jumped five spots to become the world’s No. 4 ranked team.

Canada went two spots up to get the No. 5 position while Spain fell four places from its previous No. 2 to No. 6.

Asia’s top ranked team Australia got the No. 7 spot while Argentina stayed at No.8.

Gilas’ OQT victim, Latvia went three spots down to be ranked as No. 9 followed by Lithuania to complete the top 10 in the world.

Tough battles await Gilas Pilipinas Women when they face the best teams in the world for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournaments in Kigali, Rwanda slated from August 19 to 25.

As part of their preparation, the Filipina cagers held a training camp in Baguio in which they competed against high school boys.

“It has been great, especially our Baguio training camp. There was team bonding and we prepared well,” said coach Patrick Aquino, who steered the team to a fourth-place finish with a 2-3 record in the William Jones Cup in Taipei last July.

“We learned a lot and we were able to spot our mistakes so we are trying to improve on that,” he added.

Set to see action for Gilas are veterans Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino as well as Naomi Panganiban, Gabbi Ramos, and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Rookie of the Year Kacey Dela Rosa.

They will face No. 8 Brazil, No. 16 Hungary, and No. 25 Senegal in Group C.

TNT “Kobe” returns to defend title

Just days before the opening day of the Philippine Basketball Association 49th Season, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson officially returned to the TNT Tropang Giga to defend their Governor’s Cup title.

Hollis-Jefferson will replace Darius Days as TNT’s import.

Rondae was the original choice of TNT as he’s the one who led them to the promised land last year. But he’s not yet available until yesterday (August 14), that's why the team tapped the services of Darius Days.

In the official roster line-up of teams released last night, Rondae Hollis Jefferson is the import listed for TNT Tropang Giga.

With the return of RHJ, the TNT got a big boost as he already know the system of the team and the fans will have another chance to watch the “Kobe look-alike” import.

The Meralco Bolts and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots will be the first game of the PBA’s 49th season that will open on Sunday, August 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Coming off their first championship in the last Philippine Cup, the Meralco Bolts will face the Hotshots in the lone opening game of the Governors’ Cup at 7:30 p.m.

But before the tip-off, there will be an opening ceremony scheduled at 5 p.m. at the end of the 48th Season Awards where the top performers from last season will be honored including the announcement of the Most Valuable Player. The awarding is set at 4 p.m.

The one game to be played on the opening night will be Meralco’s import Allen Durham return game, after four years. He is looking to finally win a chip in the import-laden tournament.

On the other hand, Magnolia will parade former NBA Slam Dunk Champion, Glenn Robinson III to be their reinforcement.

It will be a busy timetable for the Philippine Basketball Association when it opens the 49th Season this Sunday, August 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In the season-opener Governors’ Cup, the league will have six playing dates for at least a month as they pave the way for two major international events that the PBA will play a major part.

The first one will be the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers while the second one will be the participation of San Miguel and Meralco in the East Asia Super League (EASL) that features a home-and-away format for the second season.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said, "Magiging six times a week na tayo because of Gilas and EASL (We will have six times a week schedule because of Gilas and EASL).”

Game schedule will still have double-headers from Tuesday-Sunday, with Monday being the rest day for the PBA.

The first game will start at 5 p.m. while the main game will be scheduled at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule might vary if there’s an out of town game. It will be set to kick off at 6 p.m.

Marcial also clarified that the six days a week playing dates will only be good for at least a month. 

"Yung six days a week kung hindi ako nagkakamali isang buwan lang naman, tapos balik ulit tayo sa dati (The six days a week  will only last for a month if I am not mistaken. After that, we will go back to the regular schedule)," said the commissioner.

The games will only be held on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday come playoffs time.

Stephen Curry waxed hot in the Olympics men’s basketball tournament finals tallying 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from behind the arc to lead Team USA in capturing the gold medal.

The Americans became the Olympic champions for the fifth consecutive time after weathering the 26-point effort of France’s 20-year-old phenom Victor Wembanyama to grind out a 98-87 over the host team on Sunday early morning (PH time) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.

Curry’s 24-point explosion included the four 3-pointers he made in the final 2:43 of play with one sealing the game with 1:19 remaining. It put the Americans up by 93-84. He also put the final nail in the coffin by draining one more with 30 seconds left - with his signature “night night” move where he puts his hands on the side of his face.

“For me to get a gold medal is insane, and I thank God for the opportunity to experience it,” Curry said.

The Americans have now won eight of the last nine Olympic titles in men’s basketball and 17 of 21 overall.

Les Bleus on the other hand failed to get their first Olympic gold after settling for silver once again just like in the 1948, 2000 and 2020 Summer Games. All their losses came at the hands of the United States.

The scores:

USA 93 - Curry 24, Durant 15, Booke 15, James 14, Davis 8, Edwards 8, Holiday 6, Embiid 4, Tatum 2, Adebayo 2, White DNP, Haliburton DNP.

France 84 - Wembanyama 26, Yabusele 20, de Colo 12, Fournier 8, Coulibaly 6, Batum 5, Lessort 5, Strazel 3, Gobert 2, Ntilikina 0, Albicy 0, Cordinier 0.

Nikola Jokic’s triple-double led Serbia to win their first Olympic bronze medal in the men’s basketball tournament when they defeated the reigning FIBA World Cup champions Germany, 93-83.

Jokic scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished off 11 assists to secure the first bronze for their country in the Paris Games.

Vasile Micic backed-up Jokic with his 19 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 markers.

Meanwhile, Germany was led by Franz Wagner with 19 points while Mortiz Wagner tallied 16.

The game was a rematch of the 2023 FIBA World Cup finals, which was won by Germany. But this time the Serbians showed their might in the hardcourt and even erected as much as 19-points in the third period, just enough cushion to secure the victory.

Germany made a late rally in the final canto and trimmed the lead to only eight but Serbia responded with an 11-4 run to push back the lead to double digits.

After winning the medal, Bogdan Bogdanovic said that Serbia was not concerned about repeating history from last year’s World Cup.

“We had more confidence. We know what Nikola is bringing to the table for us,” Bogdanovic said. “We continued to play team basketball. We continued to play our way. And we are unafraid. Our mindset, our mentality, we had a great tournament and we wanted to close it out with a win.”

After two years of waiting, the No. 2 overall pick in the Season 49 rookie draft Sedrick Barefield is now ready to take his act to the Philippine Basketball Association.

Barefield said that he is blessed to finally get going in Asia's first-ever play-for-pay league where he is expected to play a major role in Blackwater’s campaign in the 49th Season Governor’s Cup.

He also credited the Bossing head coach Jeffrey Cariaso and his wards for making the transition smooth for him.

"Coach Jeff is doing a great job for us, and I'm just super blessed and thankful to be getting ready for this season," Barefield said.

In 2022, the Filipino-American guard already applied for the PBA draft but didn’t make it to the final list as his camp failed to produce a hard copy of his Philippine passport.

This time, the 27-year-old Barefield made sure that all the documents he needed to be eligible to play in the league had been completed already.

The tune-up games have been helpful for the Bossing as they build chemistry and camaraderie during those exhibition match-ups where they have been perfect so far with 3-0 slate.

Barefield professional basketball career

Barefield played under NBA champion coach Larry Brown with the Midwestern State University (MSU) Mustangs in the NCAA before transferring later on to Utah.

He went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, but hooked up with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G. League.

He also had stints with Lithuania, Greece, and Africa, and played briefly for the Bay Area Dragons in the East Asia Super League (EASL) and Taipei Fubon Braves in the P.League+.

With all the international accolades written in his basketball resume, Barefield is expected to help the Bossing get another opportunity to be in the PBA playoffs once again which they did two seasons ago as an eighth-seeded squad when the team was still under head coach Ariel Vanguardia.

Team USA stormed back from a potential upset against Serbia to return to the gold medal game in the Olympics men’s basketball tournament.

The Americans defeated the Serbians 95-91 at the Bercy Arena on Friday, August 9 (PH time), after bouncing back from a 17-point deficit.

Stephen Curry showcased his best of the tournament by producing 36 points on 9 of 14 shooting behind the arc while LeBron James recorded his second triple double in the Olympics (first player to do it in history) by scoring 16 points, grabbing 12 boards and dishing off 10 assists.

Entering the fourth period, the Serbians still have a 13-point cushion but Curry and James together with Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant showed their poise in the final canto where they went on a 14-2 run which turned an 84-77 deficit to a comfortable 91-86 lead with 1:41 remaining in the game.

A three-point play from Bogdan Bogdanovic and a short stab by Nikola Jokic got Serbia to within two, the last time at 93-91 with 8.2 seconds remaining but Curry iced the game with his two free throws to finally put the Serbians away.

Team USA will now have a finals rematch against host country France whom they also beat in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to win their fourth straight gold in the Summer Games.

The gold medal game will be scheduled at 3:30 a.m on August 11, Sunday (PH time).

On the other hand, Serbia will battle Germany for the bronze medal at 5:00 p.m on August 10, Saturday (PH time).

The scores:

USA 95 - Curry 36, Embiid 19, James 16, Durant 9, Booker 6, Davis 4, Holiday 3, Edwards 2, Adebayo 0, White 0, Haliburton DNP, Tatum DNP.

Serbia 91 - Bogdanovic 20, Jokic 17, Avramovic 15, Dobric 9, Petrusev 9, Guduric 9, Micic 8, Milutinov 4, Jovic 0, Marikonovic 0, Davidovac DNP, Uros DNP.

The host country France is heading back to the Olympics men’s basketball gold medal game after narrowly defeating Germany in their semi-final battle, 73-69.

Germany started out strong to take a 10-point lead in the first canto of play but France tied the game heading to halftime. Les Bleus built a 13-point lead of its own with less than seven minutes in the fourth and final period. Germany cut the deficit into two in the final minute but France held on to the lead until the final buzzer.

Guerschon Yabusele led France with 17 points. Victor Wembanyama had 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting, while Rudy Gobert went scoreless in just five minutes of action.

Dennis Schröder scored a game-high 18 points for Germany and Franz Wagner chipped in with 10.

France now awaits the winner of the USA-Serbia match-up to know whom they will face in the finals of the tournament.

In France men’s basketball Olympic history, they have three silver medals in their bags - all three coming at the hands of Team USA and the latest was in 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This is the French’s 4th gold medal match appearance in Olympic basketball.

This year's gold medal game will be held at 3:30 a.m on August 11, Sunday (PH time).

Meanwhile, Germany will be battling for their first Olympic men’s basketball medal against the loser of the USA-Serbia match-up for the bronze medal at 5:00 p.m on August 10, Saturday (PH time).

The Scores:

France 73 - Yabusele 17, Cordinier 16, Wenbanyama 11, Lessort 10, Batum 9, Fournier 5, Ntilikina 5, Gobert 0, Strazel 0, de Colo 0, Albicy 0, Coulibaly DNP.

Germany 69 - Schröder 18, F. Wagner 10, Theis 8, Obst 8, Bonga 7, Voigtmann 6, Weiler-Babb 5, M. Wagner 4, Thiemann 3, Giffey 0, da Silva DNP, Lo DNP.

Quarters: 18-25; 33-33; 56-50; 73-69.

Veteran guard Alex “The Crunchman” Cabagnot has returned to the Philippine Basketball Association by signing a two-conference deal with the Converge last Monday, August 5.

The nine-time PBA champion came back to help the young FiberXers to become a much better team especially with the arrival of the 49th Season first overall pick Justine Baltazar who’s also seen as Justin Arana’s potential partner in the paint to form their own twin tower combination.

Cabagnot will also team-up with the much improved Alec Stockton whom he can train to be an elite point guard, team leader and a crunch time scorer just like him.

"I just want to help the team. I recognized having the personal accolades, you don't really admire it until you are fully retired," Cabagnot said.

"It's not for now. We're focused on hopefully, maka-playoff kami. We go to certain places that we've never been before. The milestones na iniisip ko, you will truly admire it when you're fully done,” he added.

Cabagnot’s pro basketball journey

Alex Cabagnot was the second overall pick of the now defunct Sta. Lucia Realtors at the 2005 PBA Draft. He played two seasons with the team before being dealt to Coca-Cola Tigers where he played for two years. 

The Tigers then traded him to Burger King Whoppers. He only played there for several games before being traded to San Miguel Beermen/Petron Blaze Booster where his career blossomed during his 2010-214 stint.

Though the Beermen traded him again for a while at Global Port, they once again got his services in the latter part of 2014 until 2021.

Then he was traded again and suited up for Terrafirma Dyip from 2021-2023 but he didn’t play that much as he suffered from an injury (torn achilles tendon). He was released by the team after his contract expired and became a free agent.

He then played for Goyang Sono in Korea later that year before transferring to the Taiwan Mustangs, which once played Gilas Pilipinas in an exhibition game before the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament

Last run for “the crunchman”

Cabagnot is glad that he’s back with the PBA to play his 20th season and is probably ready to hang up his sneakers at the end of the season.

“It’s kind of surreal because I thought I wasn’t get to finish. I had some offers in other countries – Mongolia, Taiwan. And I said, sana makatapos, my 20th year sa PBA. God is good and I’m here now,” said Cabagnot.

“Sana makatapos ng 20th year ko injury-free, smiling, and playing,” Cabagnot added.

Team USA advanced to the semifinals of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament by dominating Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.

The Americans made a 21-2 run and erected a 29-point lead before halftime scoring a total score of 63 points against the 36 of Brazil.

LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Jrue Holiday led the run that held the Brazilians without a field goal in a four minute stretch.

Brazil continued to struggle in the second half of play as Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker took over on what they had started earlier. 

Team USA has once again flexed their depth as they have six players reaching double digit points led by Devin Booker’s 18 points putting his best scoring game in the Olympics while Anthony Edwards added 17. The other players who reached double digits were LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards.

James, the team’s captain and leader in assists during the pool phase once again showed his leadership by quarterbacking for the Americans as he dished off nine assists to go along with his 12 points and three steals before heading out the game after receiving an inadvertent elbow from Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo early in the fourth period.

Meanwhile, Caboclo paced the Brazilians with 30 points but the quarterfinals will be the end of the Olympic journey for Brazil who qualified to the tournament by winning the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament in Riga.

USA will then meet Serbia in the final four that will begin on Friday, August 9 (Manila Time).

France clinched a ticket to the Paris Olympics men’s basketball tournament final four by defeating the previously unbeaten Canada on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time) at the Bercy Arena.

Guerschon Yabusele, who was inserted to the starting line-up together withIsaia Cordinier picked up the slack for a subdued Victor Wembanyama, helping establish an early 23-10 advantage in the first quarter and France never relinquished until the end.

Yabusele led the way for the host team with 22 points and Cordinier added 20 markers. Evan Fournier scored 15 points and Mathias Lessort notched 13 as Wembanyama was limited to seven, while still hauling down 12 rebounds.

On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 27 points for Canada while RJ Barrett contributed 16 markers.

The win set up a rematch against Germany in the semi-finals that is scheduled on Thursday, August 8.

Serbia banked on Nikola Jokic in overtime to eliminate Australia 95-90 and book a ticket to the Olympics men’s basketball tournament semifinals held at the Bercy Arena in Paris on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time).

In the first half of play, the Serbians trailed by as much as 24 points but surged back in the second half to have a toe-to-toe game against Australia.

Serbia almost took the game in regulation but Patty Mills, with two seconds left in the game clock made his fade-away jumper to tie the game at 82 and forced the game into overtime.

Jokic hit the go-ahead basket with a minute and seven seconds remaining in overtime before hitting his signature fadeaway shot over the outstretched arm of Duop Reath with 25 seconds left in the extension.

The Boomers had a chance to equalize or just trim the lead to one but Josh Giddey made an inbound error that led to two free throws for Bogdan Bogdanovic that eventually sealed the game.

Nikola Jokic led the way for Serbia with his almost triple-double performance tallying 21 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing off nine assists and having four steals while Patty Mills led the Boomers with 26 points.

Serbia is now waiting for the winner of the USA-Brazil match-up for their semi-finals battle.

In a grueling best-of-seven series in the game of basketball, two-day breaks will always have a huge factor.

First, the breaks rest the tired bodies of the players who grind it all out for 48 minutes of play, making it 53 if the game goes to overtime. The breaks could also give some players the time that they needed to recover from their injuries.

Secondly, those days can also give the coaches the time to huddle and prepare a better game plan for their next game.

As the mentors always say, a seven-game series will always be a long one so a longer preparation will always benefit both teams.

The coaches can also study the game better and they can put a new perspective on their X’s and O’s while preparing their players and everyone on the team to be all out, not just for one game but all throughout the series.

If everybody is healthy and equipped physically, mentally, psychologically, and even emotionally, they can produce a quality ballgame or series that will benefit the league that they are playing and it will bring more interest to the fans of the game.

Finally, when the supporters get excited they will be into the game and the teams battling inside the hardcourt can also feel their energy. And when that factor electrifies the coliseum, the game will be more exciting to watch and the quality of the game will not just be better but it can also be the best.

The 32-year-old PBA rookie Caelan Tiongsion is ready to bring his bountiful overseas experience to his new team Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and prove that it’s never too late to pursue his dreams.

During Monday's Media Day at the Le Parc Event Hall of the Metropark in Pasay City, Tiongson told the sportswriters, “You guys saw a 32-year-old rookie last year emerging as a top newcomer, so I don't know if you're forgetting about that so fast, but yeah, I'm excited." 

The seventh pick overall in the recent draft was referring to Stephen Holt, who made an impact last season and helped the Terrafirma Dyip reach the Philippine Cup playoffs.

"I took good care of my body really seriously and feeling ready for the challenge for sure," added Tiongson.

The 6-foot-5 forward will be joined by the eighth pick overall Felix Lemetti, a 6-foot-1 US NCAA Division 1 point guard, who saw action for the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

Tiongson previously played for the recent William Jones Cup champions, Strong Group Athletics.

He retired from pro basketball in 2019 to attend important family matters in the United States, before making a comeback as he played for the Taoyuan Leopards in the Taiwan T1 League.

Known for - his hustle and defense, Tiongson is ready to prove that he can still pursue his dreams at the age of 32.

Justin Brownlee secured another championship to his accolades after Pelita Jaya reigned the 2024 Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) after subduing Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta, 73-65, on Sunday, August 4, at the Indomilk Arena. 

The well-loved Gilas Pilas naturalized player and Barangay Ginebra import did not have a huge offensive night but he made his presence felt by producing 14 points, including eight in the third quarter alone, together with five rebounds. 

Indonesian team naturalized player Anthony Beane paced the squad with 23 markers, spiked by six triples, while former PBA import KJ McDaniels contributed 14 and seven boards.

Forward Muhamad Arighi had 13 points as well, spiked by three triples, off the bench as Pelita Jaya won its second IBL title after seven years.

With the crown tucked under his belt, Brownlee is expected to fly back to Manila soon to rejoin Barangay Ginebra as he looks to lead his team in the upcoming PBA Season 49, which kicks off with the Governor’s Cup. 

The Philippine Basketball Association Season 49 will open their season with an import-laiden conference. 

Imports are essential for the league as they bring dynamics to each team that they play for and local players will have a glimpse on how to play with international players. In the Governors’ Cup, the usual third conference of the league that allows each team to get one reinforcement, will be the first conference to be held by the PBA this year.

This year, the conference will have a 6’6” height limit for imports - a little difference from the 6’5” limit from last year.

They will also bring excitement to the fans as some of the imports are former NBA players whom they can only watch from television before but now they can have a chance to watch them live in the basketball venues.

Everything set aside, here’s a preview of the imports who will play for the Philippine Basketball Association 49th Season Governors’ Cup.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel: Justin Brownlee 

Justin Brownlee, the six-time PBA champion and three-time best import will once again don the Ginebra jersey for another tour of duty.

Brownlee will not only bring his PBA championship pedigree in the upcoming season but also his international experience too.

The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player just recently won another championship when he helped the Perlita Jaya capture the Indonesian Basketball League title.

He also showed his brilliance in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament where he led Gilas upset the host team and world’s No. 6 ranked Latvia.

With all the accolades Brownlee have and the new pieces that Ginebra get in the pre-season, they now have the big chance to get back the Governors’ Cup title - one that they lost last season against TNT Tropang Giga who was then reinforced by NBA veteran Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Blackwater Bossing: Ricky Ledo

Ricky Ledo, a former NBA second round pick in 2013 will reinforce the Blackwater Bossing.

Ledo was drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks but he didn’t play with the team. His draft rights were later traded to Philadelphia, and finally to Dallas.

He played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2013 and for the New York Knicks in 2015.

Incidentally, a number of former PBA imports were part of that 2013 draft class including Shabazz Muhammad (San Miguel and Strong Group Athletics), Glen Rice Jr (TNT), Tony Mitchell (Magnolia, NLEX), and Jamaal Franklin (Converge).

The 31-year-old Ledo can play multiple positions. He has great dribbling skills and shooting prowess and he has proven it in one of his games in China where he almost tallied a triple-double when he scored 54 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished off 9 assists.

Now that Blackwater has Ledo on their side partnering with No. 2 pick overall Sedrick Barefield, and two-time MVP James Yap passing the baton to the youngsters, Bossing can become a force to reckon with.

Converge FiberXers: Scotty Hopson

The league might have one more Scotty to watch out for in Scotty Hopson, a 34-year-old NBA undrafted player and a journeyman who played internationally will bring his experience to the Converge FiberXers.

Hopson had short stints for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma Thunder. He also played in Greece, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Croatia, Lebanon, Australia and China.

He last played for Boston Celtics G.League affiliate, Maine Celtics.

Hopson is not just an athletic player but also an all-around one with a deadly perimeter jumper and nice stroke beyond the arc. He is also a hard worker when it comes to defense.

The 34-year-old reinforcement might be the eldest among the new imports coming to the PBA but his experience will make a big impact to the young line-up of the FiberXers led by 2024 first pick overall Justine Baltazar and steady inside presence of 2023 Rookie of the Year, Justin Arana.

Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots: Glenn Robinson III

Glenn Robinson III, the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk champion will bring his solid basketball resume to Magnolia Hotshots.

Among all the PBA imports right now, Robinson is the most experienced when it comes to playing in the NBA. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors where he became a teammate of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Robinson played a total of 304 games in his NBA career. He was even inserted to the starting lineup 105 times.

This might be the first time that Robinson will play as an import but his NBA pedigree might be all the Hotshots need to win another chip for the team.

The last time that Magnolia won a championship was in the 2018 Governors’ Cup when Romeo Travis reinforced them to the promised land.

With Robinson coming to the picture with a mix of steady veterans and quality youngsters added to the team, the Hotshots might have a great chance of getting their 15th championship ring.

Meralco Bolts: Allen Durham

Allen Durham, the three-time best import is back with the Meralco Bolts after four years.

Durham led the Bolts to three finals appearances before only to succumb to eventual champions Barangay Ginebra in those three outings.

The 36-year-old import will try to lead Meralco to the promised land and end his unfinished business with a championship ring in mind.

This time, Durham already had a championship tucked under his belt when he won a championship with the Ryuku Golden Kings in Japan B. League where he became the finals MVP.

The Bolts also won their first PBA title in last season’s Philippine. Cup.

With Meralco and Durham having championship pedigree already, they are now expected to have another ring - this time as one unit.

NLEX Road Warriors: Myke Henry

For a team that has yet to win a PBA title in its history, can Myke Henry be NLEX’s Strongest Man?

Henry, a former Memphis Grizzlies player, will be donning the NLEX Road Warriors jersey as the team’s reinforcement.

Henry last played with Sartria Muda in the Indonesian Basketball League where he averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebound and 3.3 assists per game. 

He also played in Team USA’s 3x3 in the 2016 World Championship.

A player with highflying skills and quick release shooting, Henry is expected to make his defenders work hard in guarding him.

The arrival of Henry partnered with the services of a scoring machine in Robert Bolick and a hustle player with veteran smarts in Sean Anthony, the Road Warriors became a better team and can become a playoff contender once again.

Northport Batang Pier: Taylor Johns

Taylor Johns, a seasoned journeyman who will bring his experience to the Northport Batang Pier.

Johns has experienced playing in Slovenia, Greece, Israel, Finland and Slovakia before.

His last stint was in IIndonesia Basketball League (IBL) with the Kesatria Bengawan Solo, whom he helped reach the playoffs but was let go before the postseason. The club eventually lost to Satria Muda Pertamina.

Johns averaged 15.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 1 block in 26.5 minutes of play per game in the IBL.

The 30-year-old import is known to be a good pick and roll player. That can play a vital role in the Batang Pier campaign as their newly acquired guard Jio Jalalon can blossom in the same kind of set up just like what he did when he’s still with Magnolia. 

Now that Johns has entered the building, only time will tell if Coach Bonnie Tan has found the right combination of players that he needs to make Northport enter the playoffs.

Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters: Jayveous McKinnis

A young Jayveous McKinnis will try to ignite the Phoenix Fuel Masters into playoff contention once again..

In his last stint with Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus League Division 1, the 24-year-old forward averaged 15.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

McKinnis might be young but having Coach Jamike Jarin on his side to guide him and veteran teammates like Jason Perkins, RJ Jazul and RR Garcia together with sets of youngsters led by Ken Tuffin, he is expected to make his PBA debut to be a good one.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters: Aaron Fuller

Aaron Fuller, a returning import that will now play for his new team, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters but with his former Coach in NLEX, Yeng Guiao.

Fuller also played with Blackwater and TNT before but his stint with Coach Yeng seemed to bring out the best in him as he averaged 31.1 points and 16.6 rebounds per game.

His defense, hardwork and inside presence will definitely help ROS campaign to have another playoff run this season.

Fuller also helped the Elasto Painters win the Kadayawan Invitation Basketball in Davao where they swept the four-day tournament.

San Miguel Beermen: Jordan Adams

Jordan Adams, the former Memphis Grizzlies will be the import of the powerhouse San Miguel Beermen.

The Beermen brought in Adams to take over the import spot that previously belonged to Lithuanian Tauras Jogela in an early import change.

After his Memphis campaign, Adams played in the NBA G. League before he journeyed overseas where he saw action in Syria. Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Adams came from his fresh stint with the Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) where he suited up for the Dewa United Banten. 

He was part of the 2024 IBL All Stars and even won the 3-point shootout competition.

Knowing that Adams can shoot nicely from beyond the arc, it will be an advantage for SMB as they still have a threat inside the paint in JuneMar Fajardo. The seventh-time MVP can just easily kick-out a pass to Adams or with another gunner Marcio Lassiter especially since the PBA has introduced the four-point line.

Terrafirma Dyip: Brandon Edwards

Brandon Edwards, a product of NCAA Division 1 program UT-Arlington will bring his decade of vast experience of playing professionally to the PBA.

Edwards spent much of his career in Europe. He started in Spain, then took his wares to Green, then Finland, Israel and France.

The 32-year-old reinforcement has also played in Asia when he suited up for the Macau Black Bears in the 2019-20 ASEAN Basketball League but the stint was cut short due to the pandemic.

He played for 12 games in the ABL and posted averages of 18.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 36.0 minutes of action.

Edwards recently played in Kosovo, where he helped Klubi i Basketbollit Trepça win the 2023-24 Superliga crown.

As he brings his talent to the Philippines, he is now expected to help the Dyip go to the next level and make them a playoff contender specially with the arrival of Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle through a blockbuster trade with fan–favorite Ginebra.

TNT Tropang Giga: Darius Days

Darius Days, a 24-year-old former NBA player will reinforce the TNT Tropang Giga to defend their Governors’ Cup title.

With former Rondae Hollis-Jefferson not being available for the TNT to defend their crown, the Tropang Texters tapped the services of the former Houston Rockets player.

He is the third former Rockets that will play for TNT after Terrence Jones and KJ McDaniels.

Days might not be explosive in his NBA stint but he tallied monster numbers in NBA D.League where he averaged 29.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assist, and 1.3 steals per game when he played with the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) Vipers. He also averaged 3.7 3-pointers per outing.

TNT didn’t get much in the recent PBA Rookie Draft but having the services of Darius Days gave the Tropang Giga the boost that they needed as defending champions.

Now that we know who the imports are in the upcoming Governors’ Cup, whose reinforcement do you think will make the largest impact in their respective team?

The answer will be found out as Asia’s first and oldest pay-for-play basketball league resumes action on August 18th.

Team USA dominated the South Sudan Bright Stars 103-86 in the group phase of the Olympics men’s basketball on Wednesday, July 31 at the Pierre Mauro Stadium in Paris, France.

There was no repeat of their pre-Olympic game where South Sudan almost made an upset against the Americans as the game ended at 101-100. Team USA had to overcome a 16-point deficit, with LeBron James scoring the game winning lay-up.

The Americans showed their might this time as they started the game with a 6-0 run and never looked back until the end to secure their quarterfinals ticket in the Paris Games.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo led the Americans in scoring with 18 points, 14 of which came from the first half of play. He also grabbed seven rebounds, swatted two shots, dished off one assist and tallied one steal.

Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Derick While all finished in double figures in scoring too.

It was also the return of Jayson Tatum in the starting line-up after not playing a single minute in their opening game against Serbia.

On the other hand, Noni Omot led South Sudan with 24 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals while Carlik Jones added 18 markers, seven dimes, three boards and one steal.

Team USA will still be facing Puerto Rico on August 3 to cap off their group stage assignment while the Bright Stars will face Serbia in a must win situation to advance to the next round.

France prevailed in their nail-biting Olympic men’s basketball clash against Japan 94-90 in a game that went to overtime.

In the closely contested ballgame, the No. 9 ranked Les Bleus was trailing by four points in the dying seconds of game until Matthew Strazel threw a desperation three-pointer that went in and was fouled by Yuki Kawamura of the ranked 26 Japan Akatsuki Five. Strazel converted the bonus free throw that tied the game at 84 and forced overtime.

During the extension, Victor Wembanyama scored eight of the 10 overtime points of France to overcome his game struggles and led Les Bleus to victory.

Wembanyama started the game with eight points, then had his woes for the rest of the game before overtime came. The San Antonio Spurs superstar still led the French team in scoring with 18 markers, added 11 boards, six assists, two steals and two block shots.

Strazel who bailed them out with his four-point play in the regulation that forced overtime tallied 17 markers and three dimes.

Meanwhile, Yuki Kawamura led the Akatsuki Five in scoring with 29 markers. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished off six assists, and tallied one steal.

Los Angeles Lakers Rui Hachimura added 24 points (7/11 on 2-point shots, 3/5 on 3-point area, and 1/2 on free throws) for the Japanese team. He also grabbed three boards in his 28 minutes of play before his ejection after receiving his second unsportsmanlike foul with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter.

France now has a 2-0 slate in their group while Japan went down to 0-2.

The Akatsuki Five next assignment will be on August 2 against Brazil while the host team Les Blue will face Germany on August 3 to cap off their match-ups in the Group Phase.

Team USA has dominated their Olympic opponents both in the men’s and women’s division

The Americans led by NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant defeated Serbia 110-84 in their opening game of their group stage.

LeBron James tallied 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Durant scored the game high 23 points coming off a perfect field goal from the first half of play.

On the other hand, Nikola Jokic paced the Serbian team with 20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

The win placed Team USA on top of Group C after one set of games. Their next opponent will be the uprising and first time Olympian South Sudan team on July 31.