Liga Pilipinas...A New Basketball League

[skadiboy]

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New teams, new format highlight Liga Conference II opening
01/08/2009 | 05:17 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Two new squads and a new format highlight the beginning of Liga Pilipinas’ Conference II on January 14 with expansion team from Gensan MP Warriors hosting the opening ceremonies at General Santos City.

The Gensan MP Warriors, owned by world boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, and Manila are the two new teams as they join eight other teams in foiling the Cebu Niños’ back-to-back title bid.

“We broke ground in 2008 with a very successful maiden tournament. We are very happy that despite the economic crisis, many teams and their sponsors still see the value and opportunity of being part of Liga and have returned or are now part of the excitement of community basketball," said Liga Pilipinas chief executive officer (CEO) and president Noli Eala.

Other teams, representing major provinces or cities in the country, participating in the community-based regional basketball league are led by Conference I runner up Harbour Centre-Taguig Bataing Global, Laguna Trace Stallions, Ilocos Bravehearts, Zamboanga Amores, Smart-Pampanga Buddies, Quezon Red Oilers, Iloilo Mang Inasals and the Misor Meteors.

The opening game will pit the Bravehearts against the Amores while Pacquiao’s Warriors host the Stallions in the opening of the Smart Communications-backed league at General Santos City. Warriors’ manager Pacquiao will join the 10 other team owners and Liga Pilipinas officials led Eala in the brief opening ceremony.

Eala added Liga Pilipinas’ unique “tour format", which was unveiled last year, differentiates them from the other basketball leagues.

The format will have the 11 teams host one leg each of the Tour stage where they will not only play for mini championships but also for tournament points that would allow them to earn playoff berths.

The four teams will play every week in a single-round robin leg qualification stage where the top two teams battle for the leg finals. The final placing in the leg championship will get ranking points with the champion earning 10.

The runner up, third and last placers receive five, three and one ranking points. An additional three points will also be given to any team that sweeps the three-game leg qualifications.

The number of tour points will determine the teams that will enter the next stage where the Top 8 advancing to the playoffs to the National Liga Pilipinas Finals.

[skadiboy]

basin si pakyaw mo duwa sa Gensan warriors ^^

[skadiboy]

Pacquiao 'interested' to play for GenSan team in Liga basketball tilt
01/08/2009 | 07:00 PM

MANILA, Philippines - He has dipped his hands into billiards, cockfighting, and darts. He was even seen playing chess in public.

Now, boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao wants to get into competitive basketball.

Pacquiao expressed interest to be inserted into the roster of the GenSan MP Warriors, the team Pacquiao himself owns, in the coming Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II, a league official confirmed on Thursday.

"He's not yet in the official roster of the team, but coach (Ramon) Pido said it was Manny himself who called him, insisting that he be included in the line-up," Liga president and CEO Noli Eala said.

Younger brother Bobby Pacquiao, however, is included in the 16-man roster of the GenSan club.

Eala added that Pacquiao will grace the Liga opener on January 14 in General Santos City. Pacquiao's Warriors is one of two expansion teams in the new season.

The Warriors' first match will be against the Ilocos Sur Bravehearts owned by former governor Luis Singson, a Pacquiao confidant.

Eala revealed that Pacquiao first showed interest to join the Liga while Pacquiao was in the middle of training for the Oscar de la Hoya bout.

"He called me up and asked me what the process was," Eala said. "I explained to him how it would go and after a few days, Manny told me it was a go."

If Pacquiao suits up, that will jack up fan interest for the fledgling Liga Pilipinas.

On Tuesday, the league welcomed its first legitimate star after the Trace-Laguna Stallions picked up two-time NCAA MVP Sam Ekwe.


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Liga Pilipinas unwraps Jan. 14 and eyes are on Manny Pacquiao
Written by Joel Orellana / Reporter
Thursday, 08 January 2009 21:58

RING icon Manny Pacquiao will be the biggest attraction when Smart-Liga Pilipinas Conference II unfurls on January 14 in General Santos City.

But one big question is unanswered at the moment—will Pacquiao come in solely as a team owner, or as a playing-team owner?



"Will he or will he not play?"

Liga Pilipinas president and chief executive officer Noli Eala said Thursday that Pacquiao will be in attendance when his General Santos-MP Warriors take on Ilocos Sur Bravehearts in the main game of an explosive opening-day double-header of the regional league.

GenSan is one of the two new teams in the tournament, the other is Manila.

Adding spice to Liga Pilipinas is Nigerian center Sam Ekwe, who will suit up for Laguna Stallions when they face last season’s last-placer Zamboanga in the opening salvo after a simple opening ceremony.

“Manny will be there to watch his team and, hopefully, get a chance to play,” Eala said. “He is listed in the official lineup, which would surely spice things up. His presence is an added boost to the league.”

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president and Smart chairman Manny Pangilinan will also grace the tournament intended to tap new talents for the developmental squad being formed by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman.

Other participating teams are Smart-Pampanga, Harbour Centre-Taguig, Quezon Red Oilers, Manila, Cebu, Iloilo Mang Inasals and Misamis Oriental Metors. The tournament is bankrolled by Smart and supported by Nature Spring Water, Molten and Accel.

The conference will feature 11 pocket tournaments and all clubs will be given a chance to host three teams from where they play a qualification single-round robin to determine the ranking from first to fourth places.

Eala explained that there will be corresponding points for each placing with the leg champion getting 10 points, five points for the second place, three points for the third place and one point for the fourth place. A bonus of two points would also be given to the team that would sweep a pocket event

[rey04]

kinsa may nakakita ni Pacquiao miduwa ug basketball? unsa man inyu comment, does he really know how to play the game or just a late boomer on basketball?

[k-bai]

unza nman result sa liga?

[hoopster21]

Laguna leans on Ekwe feat; Ilocos spoils Pacman debut
Updated January 16, 2009 12:00 AM
The Philippine Star

General Santos City – The Trace Laguna Stallions and Ilocos Sur Bravehearts beat their respective foes in contrasting fashions to win the opening games of the Gensan leg of the Smart-Liga Pilipinas Conference II here in the Lagao Gymnasium.

Playing his first game with the Stallions, lottery pick Nigerian Sam Ekwe immediately registered the first double-double performance in the community-based league with 12 points and 17 rebounds to lead Laguna to a convincing 84-73 victory over the Edding Zanorte Babami in Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Ekwe, the former two-time MVP of the NCAA, teamed up with former FEU star Arvie Mangahas in a first quarter blitz as Laguna led Zanorte or formerly the Zamboanga Amores from start to finish.

The Stallions led by as many as 11 points early in the second period as they dominated the boards 47-33. Zanorte tried to keep it close through the efforts of former RP pool candidate Jonathan Pareno and point guard Cris Concepcion as Laguna led 40-30 at the turn.

In the main game, the Ilocos Sur spoiled the basketball debut of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as the Bravehearts defeated the MP Gensan Warriors, 63-59, to disappoint a big hometown crowd.

Pacquiao, who started the game for the host team which he himself owns, scored his only basket with a fastbreak layup at the 6:52 mark of the first to give Gensan their first lead at 4-3.Dodong Tadena and Dondon Mendoza led the Warriors to a 27-22 halftime lead behind its tough pressure defense.

[Kazekage]

wala ni tv coverage?

[KE-25]

Bobby Paquaio of MP Warriors scored 10pts against Zanorte on Jan 17 2009. There was also an outreach program basketball clinic for 11 to 14 year old boys and girls held at the apopong gym of general santos city on the same day.
Next leg will be at Pampanga as per Noli Eala. Cagayan de Oro leg will be postponed due to weather conditions.... Week after that, the team will be in Ilocos Sur, home of the Bravehearts.

[thadzonline]

wonder what happened to their TV coverage.. KE-25 involved ka with any team?

[venezia]

wonder what happened to their TV coverage.. KE-25 involved ka with any team?

> No KE-25 isn't but I am =) I just came back from Gensan for the first leg of Liga 2009. I'm doing the basketball clinics (outreach programs) for the group.

>Fact: MP Warriors is owned by Manny Pacquaio. He played during the first day and scored 2 points. He however, did not play on the second day and was a no-show at the gym. His bro Bobby however, scored 10 pts. and was the star of the show.

>MP Gensan Warriors logo shows an icon in red doing a left hook (boxing term)

>Basketball clinic was held at the apopong gym which was open air and donated by the man himself, Manny Pacquaio. There were about 36 attendees ranging from 5yrs to 14 yr old boys.
The Clinic was done by Butch Antonio and Noli Eala was there as well to close this event at 12:30pm

Hmmmm....unsa paman ha..... I'll ask Noli later where and when the footage will be shown