With the NBA and its players mired in a bitter labor dispute, basketball superstars have begun looking overseas for opportunities during the lockout.

On Saturday, the idea of the world’s best basketball players competing outside the United States took a step closer to reality after FIBA announced that it was giving clearance for NBA players to sign with overseas teams during the lockout.

New Jersey Nets all-star point guard Deron Williams already signed a deal with Turkish team Besiktas, which is also trying to woo NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. And with Bryant and a bunch of other NBA superstars strutting their wares before SRO crowds in Manila two weeks ago, would it be possible for some of them to find themselves playing professionally in Philippine shores?

Patrick Gregorio, the Talk ‘N Text representative to the PBA Board of Governors, welcomes the idea of NBA players suiting up as imports in Asia’s oldest professional league.

“Think global, basketball is global, so we’re welcoming the idea of having NBA players as imports,”  Gregorio told InterAKTV.

Chot Reyes, the head coach of the Tropang Texters, didn’t close the door on the possibility of tapping marquee NBA players, especially if management gets behind the idea. The four-time PBA Coach of the Year was instrumental in putting together the event that brought Bryant, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and other NBA stars to Manila.

“A lot of people thought this is not going to happen and then we made it happen,” said Reyes of the event, dubbed the Ultimate All-Star Weekend. “So having some of them playing as imports isn’t impossible after all.”

“But having some of these players playing as PBA imports will cost a lot of money, definitely.”

Reyes earlier denied a report by SI.com, Sports Illustrated’s official website, that Bryant, Durant, and Rose were paid $400,000 each to play in the two-game series in Manila, although he was earlier quoted as saying that the cost of the event was “between expensive and very expensive.”

For other teams that don’t have pockets as deep as Talk ‘N Text, money is the number one issue when it comes to the possibility of bringing in star players from the NBA.

“Hindi natin kaya ‘yan,” said Rain or Shine board representative Mamerto Mondragon when asked about the idea.

Powerade board representative JB Baylon shared similar sentiments.

“I think the issue is not about them playing here, but whether we can afford them or not,” he said.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud said having NBA players as imports would mean revising current league rules.

“We have to change the salary cap rule for imports, and the height limit,” he said.

Currently, reinforcements playing in the league are paid about $14,000 a month, which would be way below the asking price of basketball’s top stars. The league also institutes a height limit on imports to keep the local competitive.

Salud also said that there might not be a consensus among PBA board members about changing the rules to allow NBA stars, as it would put the league’s less wealthy teams at a disadvantage.

“Not all teams would agree on that because of financial matters,” he said.

But while he has his doubts about NBA stars seeing action as imports in the PBA, he’s eager to host another exhibition match featuring the world’s best hoopsters in the Philippines.

“One thing that’s definite: NBA stars playing here is a big hit and we’re more than willing to stage another kind of event in the future,” said Salud. “Sana maulit ito.”

source: Reynaldo Belen -InterAKTV