By ADRIAN STEWART CO
After 16 years, the PBA All-Star Weekend is returning to the City of Smiles with a two-day event at the University of St. La Salle Gymnasium in Bacolod City.
The annual festivities will kick off this Saturday afternoon, March 23, with an Obstacle Challenge, a Three-Point Shootout (Guard and Big Men Edition) and the Greats versus Stalwart Exhibition Blitz Game.
Dave Marcelo will try to defend his Obstacle Challenge crown against fellow centers Ralph Cu, Clifford Jopia, Justin Arana, James Laput, Brandon Bates, JM Calma, Jason Perkins, Leonard Santillan, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Isaac Go, and Moala Tautuaa.
Paul Lee will try to retain his Three-Point Shootout (Guard Edition) title against Negrense James Yap, Maverick Ahanmisi, Alec Stockton, Chris Newsome, Robbie Herndon, Arvin Tolentino, Kenneth Tuffin, Andrei Caracut, Marcio Lassiter, Javi Gomez de Liaño, and Calvin Oftana.
Competing in the Three-Point Shootout (Big Men Edition) are Aklanon Keith Zaldivar, Cu, Laput, Bates, Calma, Perkins, Santillan, Tautuaa, Go, Ganuelas-Rosser, Sean Anthony, and Christian David.
Concluding the first day of festivities is the Greats versus Stalwart Exhibition Blitz Game, with the Greats Team to be led by Ganuelas-Rosser and the Stalwarts by top vote-getter Zaldivar.
Set to be played on Sunday night, March 24, is the PBA All-Star Weekend main event, featuring Team Mark of Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots’ Andy Mark Barroca and Team Japeth of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ center Japeth Aguilar.
“Kailangan namin i-defend ‘yung pagkapanalo namin last year. Although iba na ‘yung coach [Jorge Gallent], ita-try namin ‘yung best namin para mag-back-to-back,” Aguilar said.
“Kami, [ibibigay] namin ‘yung best namin kasi gusto namin mag-compete nga on a high level [of] basketball talaga, kasi gusto namin maging special ang All-Star sa Bacolod. So ‘yun, ita-try namin ‘yung best namin na manalo sa game,” Barroca said.
This will be the first PBA All-Star Weekend held in the city since 2008, where the South All-Stars defeated the North All-Stars, 163-158, in the lone All-Star Game in PBA history that went into overtime after ending the regulation locked at 149-all./ASC, WDJ