PBL-Liga Rookie Camp gets underway at Meralco gym

Rising amateur stars and top collegiate players from all over the country will get a chance to show their worth when the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and Liga Pilipinas conduct a Rookie Camp for their first-ever joint basketball tournament next month. The camp opens Thursday at the Meralco gym beginning 8 p.m. PBL Executive Director Butch Maniego said members of the Smart-Gilas RP team coaching staff will supervise the two-hour camp. Interested participants are advised to come early at the gym for further instructions. After the rookie camp, both the PBL and Liga Pilipinas will hold their Rookie Draft on Saturday in time for the opening of their joint project on June 5. Expected to join the tournament are PBL giants Magnolia and Pharex while Liga Pilipinas will be led by perennial champion Cebu along with Laguna, Taguig and GenSan. Maniego said PBL and Liga officials are confident the number of squads will swell on draft day since they are close to convincing some team owners to take part in the tournament. – JVP/RCJ, GMANews.TV