MANILA, 24 February 2004 — The Philippine Basketball Association reiterated its commitment to bring back the glory of Philippine hoops as it opened its 2004 transition season, the Gran Fiesta Cup, with a fiesta-like celebration yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.
“The PBA is making changes for this year,” PBA chairman Buddy Encarnado said. But for now, the league’s biggest priority was getting off its season to a blockbuster start after a troubled 2003 campaign that saw attendance and TV ratings plummet as controversy after controversy buffeted Asia’s first professional cage league.
It made sure the transition season got off on the right foot with a two-hour extravaganza featuring a bevy of dancers, singers and a live band that temporarily turned the Big Dome floor into a concert stage.
When it was his turn to take the floor, PBA Commissioner Noli Eala expressed optimism the league, now on its 30th year, is back in full swing.
The evening turned even brighter when the 10 member teams paraded with their muses. Amid a cheering crowd of more than 10,000, Ginebra went to work in the second period and held off a third quarter Shell rally for a rousing 90-81 win.
Offseason recruits Andy Seigle and Rodney Santos steadied the team late in third period, after the team blew a 12-point second period lead, and Kings sophomore Rommel Adducul punched in putback after putback to put the game beyond reach, 82-70, and gave last year’s overworked horse Eric Menk something to smile about.
“The new guys helped us a lot. It’s nice to have veterans come off the bench and steady us. Andy, especially, came up with big blocks for us,” said Menk, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds in front of his father Al, who watched him play pro ball for the first time.
Shell coach John Moran, who promised something Filipino fans had never seen before when asked about his mysterious Shell squad, stuck to his word to literally.
Moran benched No. 1 overall pick Rich Alvarez, marking the first time since in league history that a No. 1 pick failed to play in his first game. The only other rookie to do so was Dennis Espino in 1995, but only because he sported a broken jaw he got during an out-of-the-country match against Sta. Lucia.
Ginebra entertained the crowd — with a lot of help from its new recruits. In the second quarter, Santos issued a nifty behind-the-back pass to Mark Caguioa and then sealed his status as a new Ginebra favorite by pointing to the crowd. In the third quarter, Seigle swatted a shot of his former Purefoods teammate Billy Mamaril and saluted the sophomore forward.
Santos finished with 11 points while Seigle added seven markers, 12 rebounds and three blocks. The only time Shell got the crowd roaring was at the 4:13 mark of the third and the 10:53 mark of the fourth, when the crowd began chanting the name of Alvarez. Adducul and import Rossell Ellis chipped in with 13 markers each, while Mark Caguioa and Santos chipped in 11 apiece. Seigle added seven points.
