NBL, WNBL Make History In Their Own Right As PH's Newest Pro Hoops Leagues

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SPORTS | September 2, 2020

(Image Source: ABS-CBN News/NBL Philippines)

Aspiring young male and female professional basketball players from different parts of the country will have new and engaging opportunities to showcase their skills and prowess in the courts and prove their worth in the local hoops scene as the National Basketball League (NBL) and its female counterpart Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), both new to the fray, become the newest official professional basketball leagues in the Philippines that would surely provide future hoop stars more platforms to fulfill their hopes and aspirations of making it big through the country's most popular sport since the inception of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
However, the journey of the two upstart leagues seeking to become professional was not easy considering that they need to comply with the standards and guidelines required by the Games and Amusement Board (GAB). Upon meeting such requirements including health and safety protocols and further verification from the agency's professional games division among others involved, both NBL and WNBL were given the green light and have secured the desired license from the GAB to go pro as announced in a virtual press conference. This development has marked a new chapter in the two-year history of the NBL, more particularly the WNBL.

Led by president Celso Mercado and commissioner John Jayson Aquino and highly touted as the Home Of The True Homegrown or Ang Tahanan Ng Tunay Na Homegrown in Filipino, the NBL puts the spotlight of aspiring male basketball players aged 18-29 years old and hailing from different parts of the country who want to make a name for themselves in the Philippine basketball scene and hone their skills in hopes of becoming a professional basketball player. The first two seasons of the league saw the Paranaque Aces and Taguig Generals clinched their way to the NBL championship crown, respectively. WNBL, on the other hand, bears the same premise but headlines future female stars who want to showcase their skills and inspire others who want to live and fulfill their dreams. The PSI Lady Defenders conquered WNBL's inaugural season last year. The league, believe it or not, has also nurtured several members of the Philippine national women's basketball team including Janine Pontejos and Afril Bernardino and it is no question that the steady rise of women's basketball is a major factor in the birth of the country's first women's professional basketball league

A month ago, the Chooks-To-Go Pilipinas 3x3 League became the second professional basketball league in the Philippines after securing a license from the Games and Amusement Board (GAB). Its inaugural season, including the Philippines' successful hosting of two major international 3x3 basketball events, propelled the country to the FIBA 3x3 rankings and fueled the nation's hopes of making it to the Olympics. Chooks 3x3 is set to start its new season on October 2nd and will take place in a "bubble" setting inside the Visions Academy Gymnasium in Calamba, Laguna once preparations for the setup are complete. Meanwhile, NBL and WNBL are slated to start their respective seasons soon and will be held in a bubble-esque setting as well. Regardless of what will transpire, we wish the NBL and WNBL the best of luck in the new history-making chapter of their lifespan and hope that we will see more young and hungry basketball stars conquer the stage and make the basketball-crazy nation proud in the foreseeable future.