Quezon City: The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is now leaning toward a total cancellation of the 2025 All-Star Weekend. Commissioner Willie Marcial announced on Wednesday night, as the league resumed action post-Holy Week at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, that they could not finalize terms with top officials from an undisclosed province regarding the relocation of the All-Star festivities.
According to Philippines News Agency, the cities of Davao and Panabo were initially chosen to host this year's All-Star event scheduled from May 2 to 4. However, citing security concerns primarily due to the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, a native of Davao City, the PBA initiated discussions with another province to salvage the event.
Marcial explained that the potential new host was unavailable for the rescheduled dates of May 16-18, leading to a likely cancellation. He expressed concerns about delaying the All-Star event beyond May, as it would conflict with the league finals scheduled in July. This cancellation would mark the first time the PBA will not hold an All-Star event since the three-year pause from 2020 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response to the probable cancellation, the PBA has arranged regular Philippine Cup games during the initially planned All-Star dates. On May 2, a doubleheader will be hosted at the new Ynares Center 2 in Montalban, replacing the PBA Mindanao Game in Davao City. The May 4 schedule, initially reserved for the PBA All-Star Game in Panabo, will now feature a twinbill at the Ynares Center 1 in Antipolo, with a significant matchup between TNT and San Miguel. The league has also set regular games for the proposed new All-Star dates, with fixtures on May 16 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig and on May 18 at the Ynares Center 2.
The recent doubleheader saw contrasting outcomes for the finalists of the first two finals series this season. TNT and Ginebra commenced their PBA Philippine Cup campaigns, with NLEX Road Warriors defeating TNT Tropang 5G 91-74. Meanwhile, Ginebra triumphed over Terrafirma Dyip 101-80, thanks to a stellar performance by Japeth Aguilar.
A trade was also finalized before the games commenced, with James Kwekuteye moving to NorthPort and Abu Tratter to Blackwater. Both players will debut for their new teams when Blackwater and NorthPort face off on Friday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
