The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is set to add more international flavor to its mid-season conference as the Macau Black Bears Sports Club joins the Commissioner’s Cup as a special guest team.
PBA officials and the Macau-based squad formalized the partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement signed on February 6 in Macau. Board Vice Chairman Alfrancis Chua and PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial personally met with Black Bears executives to seal the deal.
This will be the third time a foreign guest team competes in the Commissioner’s Cup, following the participation of Bay Area Dragons in Season 47 and Hong Kong Eastern in Season 48.
Marcial said the same rules applied to previous guest teams will be imposed on the Black Bears.
“Parehong kondisyon na ibinigay sa Bay Area at Hong Kong Eastern ang ipapataw sa Macau Black Bears,” Marcial said.
The Black Bears are no strangers to Asian basketball, having competed in the ASEAN Basketball League and currently playing in the East Asia Super League and Asian Tournament.
Their lineup includes Damian Chongqui, Omari Peek-Green, Phoenix Shackelford, and 7-foot-6 center Sam Deguara, with Garrett Kelly as head coach.
The Commissioner’s Cup opens on March 11, with the Black Bears expected to bring added competition and global appeal to the tournament.