pba imports complain in new york times article

[baludoy]

very interesting read

Imports tell NY Times PBA far too tough

First posted 06:17am (Mla time) April 24, 2006
By Francis Ochoa
Inquirer



Editor's Note: Published on page A36 of the Apr. 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE PHILIPPINE Basketball Association is no longer getting the type of imports it used to. And those who manage to get here are finding the situation far too tough.

"You might get off the plane on Friday, and if you don't play good you could be gone next week," said James Hodges III, an agent based in Atlanta, in an interview with the New York Times. Hodges also played as an import in the PBA in 1996.

The article in the Times revealed the pressure US players feel in the PBA, citing as an example ex-DePaul University standout Quemont Greer and NBA veteran Darvin Ham.

Greer played for Red Bull in the last Fiesta Conference. With Greer at the forefront averaging over 27 points a game, the Barako made it past the elimination phase and survived the knockout rounds.

Red Bull, though, won the title with James Penny, who replaced Greer in a decision by coach Yeng Guiao that turned out to be a stroke of genius.

But even then, Penny, 29, found the situation a bit
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awkward.

"Usually, when something like this happens the team is struggling," Penny told the Times. "You don't come in and try to replace somebody who's the leading scorer in the league with his team being in second or third place. It's kind of iffy to me."

Ham, highly touted before actually slipping into a uniform and playing here for the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals, had it worse. He played three games, the Phone Pals were eliminated and he felt that he became a target in the league.

He said in the Times article that playing in the PBA was like "'hooping in handcuffs' because he had jet lag and he was unfamiliar with his teammates and persecuted by referees."

"They try to put the pressure on the import," Ham said. "It's a team sport. Everyone should be held accountable. I think the imports suffer for the lack of performance the [locals] might put out."

Worse, Ham felt slighted at being described as a "no extraordinary player" in the PBA website.

"I averaged a double-double over here with like 16 and 12," he said, referring to points and rebounds. "These articles the PBA is putting online are like propaganda."

The Times talked to a handful of PBA coaches, including Purefoods assistant mentor Ronnie Magsanoc, grand slam coach and current TV analyst Norman Black and PBA head coach Joel Banal.

Magsanoc told the Times that imports are expected to do "pretty much everything," including scoring, rebounding, defending and being the team leader on the court.

"You're almost like a hired gun," Black said. "You better get the win, and if you don't win, you better get your numbers."

If you don't you're shipped out.

The Times also noted that imports can be replaced at any point in the tournament, meaning, "it would be possible, for example, to hire Latrell Sprewell for Game 7 of the association's finals."

Banal told the Times that such a move isn't unfair, but a wise management decision.

"They deserve to win if they can convince him to come," he told NYT.

Despite the fickle-mindedness of team owners and coaches here, imports would rather try their luck in the PBA than, say, in the NBA's developmental league and the CBA.

[bardigones]

hmmm. so what's all the fuss?

[kimpOy]

that's the way it goes...they (imports) are generous paid naman di ba...
Darvin Ham, hey dude even i can get double double he..he

[nicolodeon]

I think the issue here is that these foreign players think highly of themselves, therefore that have this "I am indispensable" mindset. Is anybody in professional sports indispensible? I think not. Well, with the exception of an elite few probably. These players keep forgeting that they are, after all, under contract and, if I'm not mistaken, there's a clause in their contract that specifies what is expected of them and that if they do not perform as they are expected to perform, they'd be shipped out.

In my line of work, I've dealt with a lot of foreigners - and I've seen this a couple of times before: foreigner thinks he's indispensible, performance does not meet what is expected of him, gets the boot then proceeds to have a mild hissy fit.

[Chip]

Some people think the world owes them a living..
truth is, kaya nasa pinas sila kasi either laos na sila or hindi pa sila kilala- tapos may primma donna attitude pa? tsk tsk

[ILuvDetailing]

valid points peeps, but IMO I think that the PBA will be better off without imports, sometimes teams and fans expect too much from them, its like hey we pay you big $$$s bring us a championship which I think is riduculous. Basketball is a team game, one guy can't bring you a championship. The last time I saw a PBA game, it was all one-on-one specially with some of the imports, wheres the team concept? wheres the passing game? Wheres the outside shooting? Develop our young players instead of paying big bucks to imports, that would be the most logical thing to do.

[nicolodeon]

That's the problem: every fan of the PBA and every local player expects too much from their imports. Heto na naman yung mentalidad ng ibang Pinoy na "pag imported, mas magaling, mas maayos".

[baludoy]

lifted from the original NYT article by r. bartholomew

Players put up with the teams' reputation for being fickle employers because they pay well, Hodges, the agent, said. The league maximum salary of $12,000 a month is more than twice what players receive in the United States playing for the N.B.A. Development League or the Continental Basketball Association.

not bad for several month's work plus diyos pa turing sa kanila dito

[Altis6453]

I think the PBA has outgrown imports. I distinctly remember that the original reason why they were hired by teams was because it gave other players the opportunity to "learn" something. Well, the world is smaller than what it was today and with a plethora of training camps and tournaments abroad, I think we can develop our players that can compete with those of other countries.

[kimpOy]

nakaka miss kasi sila tony harris, carlos briggs, lamont sthrothers, dexter shouse
players who can talk the talk and walk the walk