More than enough stories have
been reported regarding how much the COVID-19 pandemic became one of the
greatest challenges of the entire sporting world. Spectators in venues were
limited then banned outright. Games were delayed then cancelled. League seasons
were drastically shortened, and annual sporting meets like the 2020 Tokyo Summer
Olympics were pushed back a year. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) shared
in these travails, being forced to truncate their season to just one conference
in the Philippine Cup last year. As the general situation seems to be repeating
this 2021, the national pro basketball league has announced a salary cut, a move
supported by the teams and players.
The Philippine Star reports that the PBA has gone for a 20-percent pay
cut on its players as the COVID pandemic continues to menace the pro basketball
league over a year later. This was the culmination of a proposal to reduce
salaries back in 2020, the pandemic’s first year, when the season was reduced
to a very short Philippine Cup. Ultimately the PBA decided not to slash pay
then, only to go ahead now, considering that the 2021 season is again uncertain
due to the ongoing NCR Plus community quarantine.
Once the salary reduction that
would begin in May was announced, it was met with understanding and support
from the PBA’s teams – players and coaches. Speaking on behalf of the league
participants, the respective head coaches of Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra,
Chot Reyes and Tim Cone, voiced their assent to having pay slashed. “Simply,
like the rest of our countrymen, we do what we have to do to survive,” notes
Cone for instance. “Everyone is faced with difficult decisions, the same with
the PBA,” The cut applies to all team coaches, assistant coaches, players,
managers and team personnel.
The PBA has been mired in
increasing expenditures throughout the pandemic with no games held in order to
recoup costs. Reducing salaries was a temporary step towards keeping bills
paid, and they will return to normal rates as soon as the government approves
5-on-5 scrimmages for teams to get some practice in before they start this
year’s season, which again might comprise just the all-Filipino player
Philippine Cup. About the only PBA people not affected by the pay cuts are the
utility workers, something San Miguel Beerman Chris Ross lauded the league for in
Twitter.
Image courtesy of Inquirer.net Sports
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