ABL:PH Patriots fire Billy Ray Bates

Game Friday(Mahaka Square, Jakarta)
5 p.m. – Indonesia vs AirAsia-PH
MANILA– The toughest stretch for the AirAsia-Philippine Patriots in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League starts Friday in Jakarta without their skills coach — PBA Hall of Famer Billy Ray Bates.
Bates, the most recognizable import to ever play in the Philippines pro league, has been dropped from the team for repeated misconduct and acts detrimental to the team and the league.
“We’re sincere to help him but he’s misbehaving of late and we have no other option but to sever our ties with him,” said team manager Erick Arejola. “I already warned him before but he missed several of our practices and made acts detrimental to the image of the team.”
Bates was hired last Oct. 15 to be one of the assistant coaches of the Patriots after being elevated to the PBA Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, the Patriots hope to bounce back from a fight-marred 68-66 defeat to the San Miguel Beermen last Sunday against the Indonesian Warriors – the team they beat, 86-73, on Jan. 28 at the San Juan gym.
After Jakarta, the Patriots, co-owned by Tony Boy Cojuangco and Harbour Centre CEO and president Mikee Romero, will proceed to Vietnam to face the Saigon Heat on Wednesday. They will cap their three-game road schedule with an exciting duel with co-leaders the Westports Kuala Lumpur Dragons on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur.
Both the Patriots and the Dragons have similar 7-2 records while the Beermen has a 7-3 mark.
The Patriots, however, will be without import Anthony Johnson, Erick Rodriguez and Ardy Larong when they face the Heat as they will serve their one-game suspension for being involved in the melee last Sunday. (PNA)