PBA scraps height limit for Commissioner’s Cup imports

Sports

TOWERING former NBA superstars such as Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins now have a chance to strut their wares in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

PBA chief Willie Marcial has announced that teams for the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup of the league’s 49th season will be allowed to tap imports of unlimited height.

The new policy opens the door for players like Howard, who has been aching to play in the PBA.

At one point, Howard, an eight-time NBA All-Star and a one-time NBA champion, criticized the PBA for imposing height limits on imports. Howard has been playing as reinforcements for teams that represented the country in international competitions.

Cousins, a four-time NBA All-Star, also recently saw action in the country when he reinforced the Zamboanga Valientes in the The Asian Tournament.

Howard and Cousins are both listed at 6-foot-10.

Some basketball fans have also been clamoring for the scrapping of height limits to really test the skills of Filipino big men.

Pundits believe that taller imports will test the mettle of PBA players like June Mar Fajardo, who has been dominating the league, enabling him to win an unprecedented eight MVP awards.

Aside from scrapping the height limit for imports, the Commissioner’s Cup will also feature a foreign guest team in Hong Kong Eastern.

Marcial said the Hong Kong-based team has already agreed to become the 13th team in the mid-season conference, which will start on November 27.

The Governors’ Cup, which features imports not taller than 6-foot-6, is nearing completion with the semifinal round set to begin on Wednesday, October 9.(CCM)