CHICAGO -- On the heels of the cancellation of the exhibition game between Team Gilas against a slew of NBA stars Wednesday night at the Smart Coliseum, the NBA issued an official statement about the matter.
Below is the full text from the league.
Dubbed as The Last Home Stand, the exhibition tiff was supposed to highlight Team Philippines' campaign in the upcoming FIBA World Cup. Patrons paid between P750 to P23,000 to witness the event.
Among the NBA stars scheduled to play included James Harden, Tyson Chandler, Damien Lillard, DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Matt Barnes and Kyle Lowry. Blake Griffin, Paul George and Paul Pierce backd out, citing personal reasons.
But the promoters, US-based East-West Private Holdings, was unable to secure the proper NBA clearance required for events that include a game of five-on-five, a game of H-O-R-S-E or anything that features any competitive shooting or slam dunking.
The NBA has been very supportive to its Filipino fan base and had in fact made large donations to the victims of typhoon Yolanda and while the league will continue to provide access to its stars, the proper protocol as mandated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) still has to be followed.
PLDT, which sponsored the event, will provide refunds to unhappy fans who were treated to drills instead of a five-on-five game, PLDT chairman and sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan apologized for the unintended ending. (Homer D. Sayson)
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