The NBA has already created the blueprint for basketball during the coronavirus pandemic. It is now up to the PBA if it will follow suit.

PBA bosses Ricky Vargas and Willie Marcial bared the league is looking into copying the successful NBA bubble for its season restart as teams began training again on Tuesday, August 25.

“The model is the NBA and we should just go ahead and move forward and look forward to the time that we play, whether it is the NBA way or a more innovative way,” PBA chairman Vargas said in a mix of Filipino and English during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Online Forum.

Behind its unique bubble at the Disney World Resort in Orlando, the NBA has not recorded a positive coronavirus result out of more than 300 players tested for the fifth consecutive week.

Among the venues the PBA considers for its own bubble is the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna, where the TNT KaTropa currently train.

PBA commissioner Marcial said they have also talked to several hotels in Cubao near the Araneta Coliseum.

“We do not want the popularity of the PBA to lose out also because we’re not doing anything,” Vargas said. “Our fans could be more aggressive than us and we would like to satisfy all their concerns.”

A major concern, though, for creating a bubble is money, especially since having fans watching live in-venue is highly unlikely.

The NBA reportedly spent $150 million for its season resumption, which will last until October.

“As it is, the PBA financials is also stretched. We’ve been 5 months or going on 6 months that we have been supporting the PBA operations without any revenue coming in,” Vargas said.

“Hopefully, we can get sponsors to help us out, then they will be able to help defray the cost.”

Other places the PBA is studying for its potential bubble are Clark, Subic, and Batangas. – Rappler.com