“Nanghihinayang ako," the son of the late PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino admitted to GMA News. “Yes, may kaunting hinanakit, pero mas nanghihinayang ako."
“I did my own research about the PBL and appreciated very much yung contributions niya sa Philippine basketball. So I was ecstatic about helping the league get back to its feet when I was tapped as commissioner."
Unfortunately, that will not happen now.
Last-minute decisions by major ball clubs Cobra Energy Drink and Pharex to jump ship and join the fledgling Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBDL) ended the young Bernardino's plans.
He had wanted to revive the 28-year-old cage institution that spawned the early careers of basketball superstars such as Alvin Patrimonio, Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Jojo Lastimosa, Jerry Codinera, Benjie Paras, Vergel Meneses, Jun Limpot, Johnny Abarrientos, Marlou Aquino, Eric Menk, Asi Taulava, James Yap, Jay Washington, Joe Devance, Jason Castro and Sol Mercado, among others.
Following the first two teams' defection, FC-Ani Agrinurture and Cafe France soon did the same thing, leaving Excelroof as the only PBL squad left.
Ironically, Excelroof was the last team to win a PBL championship before the league went on a year-long hibernation.
Bernardino said he doesn’t carry any ill-will against the PBL teams, specifically Cobra and Pharex, but stressed that both might have first told him about their plans.
“I think the decent thing that they should have done was call me up. I was left out in the dark," he admitted with a tinge of sadness. “I was even the one who called up Lawrence (Chongson, the Cobra Energy Drink coach) when I learned that they already applied in the PBDL."
Just hours before the "big jump," Bernardino was delighted to announce at the weekly PSA Forum that the PBL was set to open its 2011 season on March 12 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. This was within hearing distance of Pharex team manager Jean Alabanza and PBL chairman Ding Camua, who were present at the session.
“They (PBL Board) were telling me that they wanted to make some noise din, dahil nga malapit na ring mag-start `yung season," he recalled. “So, I was surprised that in a matter of hours, biglang ang daming nangyari."
Bernardino stressed that per agreement with Sports Vision, the company tapped by PBL to handle and operate its tournament, the league would need to entice at least six teams to join for the new season to run. Nolan is a director of Sports Vision.
“That’s because we believe six teams would make a viable tournament. But anything less than that, I think it would no longer be fit to push through with it," he added.
Bernardino also stressed that he’s not against the D-League, which he said is good for the country’s basketball landscape.
“Hindi naman natin kalaban ang D-League. Maganda nga yun dahil mas maraming tournaments, mas makakatulong sa mga kabataan natin," he said.
But the gentleman that he is, Bernardino is simply charging everything to experience, no matter that his first ever attempt at following his late father's footsteps failed to take off as expected.
“We just have to be professional about it," he said. "I just wish everybody well." - KY, RCJ, GMA News
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