PBA New Commercial for 2013 Season

Here’s the new full-length commercial for the PBA 2013 season, which debuted during the league’s opening ceremonies on Sunday.

The video features PBA players in the Ube Republic, Gatas Republik, Barako Brigade, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Batang Pier, Bansang Meralco, Petroniverse, Bayan ng Rain or Shine, San Mig Coffee Planet, and TNT Nation.

Sa’n Ka?! Kampihan Na!

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Air 21 Express , Alaska Aces , Barako Bull , Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings , Globalport , Meralco Bolts , PBA , Petron Blaze Boosters , Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters

San Mig Coffee Mixers sent Josh Urbiztondo to Barako Bull for a First Round Pick

With an eye toward the future, the San Mig Coffee Mixers sent starting point guard Josh Urbiztondo to Barako Bull in exchange for a first round pick next year.

San Mig Coffee team executive Rene Pardo confirmed the news to InterAKTV in a telephone interview.

“We don’t have a first and second round picks next year, so we have to give something to gain something,” said Pardo, who added that it was Barako Bull which initiated the trade.

Barako Bull coach Junel Baculi confirmed that the team asked for Urbiztondo’s services because rookie guard Eman Monfort was injured.

“He dislocated his finger and he will be sidelined for the next three months,” said Baculi.

At Barako Bull, Urbiztondo joins a guard corps that includes veteran Celino Cruz and rookie Lester Alvarez.

Roger Yap, another former guard from the Purefoods franchise, has also been signed by Barako Bull.

The Energy Colas own four first round picks next year, owing to trades the franchise undertook when it was still known as the old Air 21 Express. To sweeten the pot, Barako Bull will give San Mig Coffee the option to pick which of its four first rounders to give in exchange for Urbiztondo.

“We have the option of picking which among the four picks will be given to us,” said Pardo.

With Urbiztondo’s departure, the ballhandling duties for the Mixers will fall on Mark Barroca, Jonas Villanueva, and newly-signed Chris Pacana.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Barako Bull , Josh Urbiztondo , PBA , San Mig Coffee Mixers

PBA Official Fan Group Names

With the success with AKTV’s “Kampihan Na!” campaign for the PBA, the league is taking it to the next level by embracing official fan group names for each of its 10 teams for the new season, which opens September 30.

The names, which came from the teams’ supporters themselves, will help fans identify more closely with their favorite teams and their fellow fanatics.

Below is the official list:

1. Air 21 – Ube Republic
2. Alaska – Gatas Republik
3. Barako Bull – Barako Brigade
4. Ginebra – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
5. GlobalPort – Batang Pier
6. Meralco – Bansang Meralco
7. Petron – Petroniverse
8. Rain or Shine – Bayan ng Rain or Shine
9. San Mig Coffee – San Mig Coffee Planet
10. Talk ‘N Text – TNT Nation

Sa’n ka?! Kampihan na!

-InterAKTV

Air 21 Express , Alaska Aces , Barako Bull , Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings , Globalport , Meralco Bolts , Petron Blaze Boosters , Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters

Barako Bull Acquires Ballesteros from Meralco

Barako Bull beefed up its frontline Tuesday by acquiring 6-foot-7 center Jason Ballesteros from Meralco in exchange for veterans Carlo Sharma and Sunday Salvacion.

Ballesteros, a former member of the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national program, spent most of his rookie season on the bench for the Bolts, but Barako Bull coach Junel Baculi believes he can develop into a key contributor.

“I still believe in the saying, you can’t teach height, so it’s hard to pass up a 6-foot-7 player like Ballesteros,” Baculi told InterAKTV. “He’s a project player. We will see if our coaching skills will be able to turn him into an effective player.”

Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio said the deal gives the Bolts two players who can step in and contribute right away. Sharma, he said, will help fill the void created by the departure of Asi Taulava, who has signed with the San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League.

“We need someone who can be an efficient defender at the post and give Jay-R Reyes some quality minutes, that’s why we got Sharma,” Gregorio said in a telephone interview.

“We have to remember to that June Mar Fajardo will be playing this season so we need someone who can defend him at the post. As for Salvacion, he will shore up our small forward spot because Mark Borboran always gets hurt lately. He will open up the floor for us.”

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Barako Bull , Carlo Sharma , Jason Ballesteros , Meralco Bolts , PBA , Sunday Salvacion

Barako Bull trade wish list: Maliksi, Baguio and Yeo

Barako Bull lost its second leading local scorer and crunch time closer when it traded Willie Miller as part of a monster five-team deal completed last Friday.
Coach Junel Baculi makes it no secret that his team are looking at trade options to fill Miller’s big shoes.
Barako Bull coaching staff has crafted a wish list composed of high-flying, talented wingmen: Allein Maliksi of Ginebra San Miguel, Cyrus Baguio of Alaska and Joseph Yeo of Petron Blaze.
“Hindi naman masama mag-wish di ba? Wish list lang naman yan so we have included these names on our list,” Baculi told InterAKTV in a telephone interview.
Of the three, acquiring Baguio appears to be a long shot.
“Malamang hindi bitawan ng Alaska yan,” said Baculi.
The other two players, however, could be available with the right offer.
Maliksi, who began his career with Barako Bull last season, plays the No. 3 spot for Ginebra, sharing the same position with Dylan Ababou, Elmer Espiritu, and Filipino-American rookie Chris Ellis.
Yeo, on the other hand, is part of a congested swing rotation for Petron, which also includes former SMART-Gilas Pilipinas standouts Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter, rookie Alex Mallari, Joseph Yeo, and Wesley Gonzales.
Baculi said he will leave the wheeling and dealing of players to Barako Bull management.
“We’ve already told them what we need. We need someone who can replace Miller because he’s a big part of our squad. We need a closer and a scoring big guard,” he said.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Allein Maliksi , Barako Bull , Cyrus Baguio , Joseph Yeo , PBA