Canceling the 2020-2021 MPBL Season: Now Among the Options

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has announced last month that it canceled all PSC-sanctioned events for the remainder of the year although they recently made a U-turn in saying that they are open to holding some sports events as long as the national government gives them the go-signal to do so. However, with the pandemic still looking to hit humanity in the next few months with no vaccine still in sight, sports will likely take a backseat for a longer period of time and that includes the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

Last month, MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes assured MPBL fans that the league intends to finish the 2019-2020 season that was supposed to play a pair of Game Three that will determine who will face who in the MPBL Finals before the season went on a hiatus due to the pandemic. Duremdes also said that the June 12, 2020 opening of the 2020-2021 season will inevitably be moved to a later date as a result of the pandemic.  

There's still the question of whether or not the 2020-2021 season of the MPBL is going to happen as Kenneth Duremdes also hinted that some teams are sending feelers that they will take a leave of absence for next season as the pandemic has hit them hard.  Duremdes stressed out the importance of knowing from the team owners if they can run their teams because if not, the MPBL might as well, cancel next season. 

For now, the league's number one priority is to finish the 2019-2020 campaign with four remaining teams looking to decide who will ascend into the championship round and that the MPBL is looking to do so by holding behind-closed-doors games just like they did for Game Two of the North Division Finals between the San Juan Knights and the Makati Super Crunch. 

Photo is from SPIN.ph