By Neil Bravo
Digos City has earned the rights to host the biggest annual spectacle of the Philippine Basketball Association next year.
On Wednesday, PBA Commissioner Chito Salud announced that Digos City will be the host of the PBA All-Star Weekend on May 1-6 next year.
The offer to host the All-Stars was broached by the local government of Davao del Sur led by
Governor Douglas Cagas and son Congressman Mark Cagas.
Digos thus becomes only the second Mindanao venue to host the week-long PBA spectacle after Tubod in Lanao del Norte also hosted the event at the Mindanao Civic Center in 2012 before Boracay had its turn in 2011.
This year’s All-Stars was hosted by Laoag City in Ilocos.
“We already have an agreement with Gov. Douglas Cagas, who made the announcement that they will host the PBA All-Stars during our provincial game there last week,” said Salud.
“Because of that, we no longer entertain any offer until such time they say they cannot do it.”
Last season, the PBA All-Star Weekend was held in Laoag City.
Digos City is a regular venue for PBA out-of-town games. The most recent visit by the league came last Saturday, when the Meralco Bolts defeated Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 95-88.
Meantime, Salud revealed that with the continued influx of top young talent into the PBA, the league has decided to retain the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors versus Veterans format for the 2013 All-Star Weekend.
Salud announced the All-Stars details at a press conference Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The league has also decided to bring back the Legends Game, where top players from yesteryears are teamed with current stars as a treat prior to the main game.
In the Laoag All-Stars, top talents from the original incarnation of the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team made up most of the RSJ squad along with eventual Rookie of the Year winner Paul Lee. This year’s squad is expected to feature top rookies June Mar Fajardo of Petron, Cliff Hodge of Meralco, Chris Ellis of Ginebra, and Calvin Abueva of Alaska. (With reports from wires)
