Governors and Commissioners of the PBA. Officers and members of the PBA Press Corps. Good evening. Long time no see and thank you again for those who were able to join us last night at the Alaska Aces 25th Anniversary Celebration. Tonight is an extension of the trip down memory lane as I was glad to see Bogs Adornado this evening and see him honored, much in the same way we honored him by retiring his jersey (# 33), which became the first jersey ever to be retired by a PBA team. Ofcourse, Buddy Encarnado brought back some fond recollections from his first meeting in the PBA. And Buddy, the reason I asked you that tough question before Sta. Lucia joined the PBA is because then Deputy Commissioner, Tommy Manotoc, asked me the same question in 1985. So, no hard feelings.

As I have had the pleasure of addressing the PBA Press Corps on several occasions, I would like to reiterate what I have always said and that is the importance you all play in bringing the games to the fans. Not everyone can watch a game live or even catch it on TV or radio. So the fans rely on your report of the game to understand and appreciate what transpired more than the outcome itself. You have the challenge of recreating the previous evening’s event to make it interesting and exciting. As a team owner, we rely on your coverage to keep our teams current in terms of brand awareness as we are all in the PBA for the same reason…..to raise the profile of the brand that is adorned on the jerseys of our players.

I have had the privilege of being involved with the PBA for 24 years. I’ve worked with six (and soon to be seven Commissioners). I have seen the league through the so called “glory years” of the PBA when ratings were at an all time high as well as when it dwindled to as few as 6 teams and the viability of the PBA was in question. Despite the drought of low game attendance and TV ratings, the fact remained that basketball was and is very much ingrained in Filipino culture and the PBA is the leading proxy.

Rafe Bartholomew, in his book Pacific Rims, gave us great insight to really how much basketball in intertwined with the lives of Filipinos. But we didn’t need an American Fullbright scholar to tell us this. Nevertheless, he has shared his experience with thousands here and abroad which I thank him for. So, whether it be the pro league, college hoops, company intramurals and subdivision leagues and even that infamous game between midgets and transvestites that Rafe so colorfully described, basketball is almost like religion here.

But the PBA has the biggest responsibility in terms of setting the right example. If the oldest professional basketball league in Asia deserves to have the respect of a broader audience, then it must toe the line.

Rules cannot be bent and one cannot simply “look the other way” when dubious trades are made. Selling prized talent to a richer team for the other team to make its own payroll is not good for the league. The balance of parity will be distorted and we will return to the old days of a two or three dominant teams. There are many examples of such trades that should have been scrutinized further and would have revealed there is more than meets the eye.

Of course, the salary caps (both team and individual) need to be rigorously policed. The salary cap is in place to create a level playing field so that the richer teams do not lord it over. It forces teams to figure out how best to spend a limited pool of funds amongst their roster rather than using the sky as the limit. Is it really believable that some teams can be so talent laden that 10 or even all 12 players on their bench (that would all be starters on most other teams) are within the cap and some of these players supposedly gave up max salaries to stay or move on to a given team? What about players that are offered sizeable amounts above and beyond the maximum individual cap? Where is the parity in that? If we need to review maximum amounts, then so be it. But you can’t have rules that are not enforced!

And as long as we will continue to have Fil-Am players join the ranks of the PBA, isn’t it incumbent to have bonafide individuals playing and not “posers or Fil-Shams” taking jobs away from deserving local players or giving legitimate Fil-Ams a bad reputation?

This probably isn’t the stuff you wanted to hear but is the harsh reality of what needs to be said. Does the PBA want to lead by example and be held in high esteem by the constituents it serves or does it say the hell with them and we do as it pleases?

A lot of the burden falls on our new Commissioner but it is also incumbent of all teams (and the Governors who represent the teams) to reflect on what is right. They must think league first. Is winning at all costs really the right thing to do? While I may appear righteous in these comments, it is not intended. I am simply calling a spade a spade and I can look anyone in the eye and say that from day one, the Alaska franchise has played by the rules and never attempted to circumvent the system for self benefit. I would rather lose with honor than win with shame.

Ok. So that was the heavy stuff and I don’t want to leave the evening on such a somber note. But I said what I said because I truly love the PBA and hope we can set better example moving forward and be proud of the legacy we give to the youth.

We have been fortunate in our 24 years in the PBA. As I said last night (at the Aces 25th Anniversary celebration), it was a long road before we won our first title and there were times when I didn’t think we would ever be successful. And there are times when (despite the hard work) it seems like success may not come our way again. An uncompromising work ethic built on a foundation of character driven individuals is in our DNA.

I asked Tito Talao, what is the basis for awarding the Executive of the Year Award. His response “the role the candidate played in the success of his ballclub that year, what he did to ensure they will be competitive with the rest of the PBA without sacrificing principles of fair play.”

The so-called Executive does not make the trades or draft picks. He does not coach the team. He does not make the passes, rebounds or score the points that leads his team to victory. So, really this award is for our Franchise which I humbly accept. As I said last night, I have been blessed to have a great coach in Tim Cone, complimented by an outstanding General Manager in Joaqui Trillo. Together our form of the triangle has worked as a partnership for over 20 years on a platform of mutual trust and respect that has built some amazing teams. And along the way, we’ve enjoyed some success…..but not enough!

Good enough, never is. And I still have high expectations for our team this conference, next conference year after year.

So I thank you…the members of the PBA Press Corps, for bestowing this award to the Alaska Aces Franchise.