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CLARK, Pampanga – Being in the PBA bubble is a sacrifice for everyone involved. Although it is a way of making a living for their families, for those inside it means giving up certain aspects of their daily lives.
Moments and milestones with families, the freedom to go anywhere, and even the simple privilege of indulging a craving anytime will have to be abandoned for at least six weeks when one person says yes to the PBA bubble.
Even PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial did not escape this sacrifice when he celebrated his birthday on the second day of competition.
He took a step on the court with the Phoenix Super LPG team already warming up for their debut game, but all of their players made sure to stop what they were doing to express their greetings. In the middle of the Phoenix-Meralco game, he was treated to an interview, a birthday greeting on the LED panel, and a birthday song.
Marcial wanted to get through it as quickly as possible. I even wanted to stop the song before it was over. He was never the type to enjoy the pomp and circumstance of a grand celebration. I just wanted today to be about the game and the teams that sacrificed to be a part of it.
“If I have a birthday wish,” he said in Filipino, “it will be that we finish the Philippine Cup safely and that the PBA at least give the Filipinos something to distract themselves from their problems even for a moment.” . We all know how important mental health is right now and if seeing PBA makes people cope a little better, then we’ve done our job. “
There was no lavish celebration for the Commissioner, not even a cake was in view at the Angeles University Foundation Arena. It could have been his birthday, but it was just another workday for him.
When he finally agreed to take office, Commissioner Marcial could not have imagined that he would face the greatest challenge the league has faced in its 45 years of existence. There were times when the PBA went through tough times, including the time just before it was tasked with leading the league, but none of those hurdles could compare to the COVID-19 pandemic that halted the Philippines Cup in dry after just one game. .
However, against all odds, Marcial and his hardworking team found a way to continue the competitions, leading him to celebrate his birthday not with the family he was born into, but with the family he chose.
“Everything you’re seeing now is due to the leadership of Commissioner Willie,” said Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro. “He has been with the PBA for so long and the knowledge he gained over the years helped prepare him to deal with this situation.”
Marcial is a life member of the PBA. He was a statistician, he worked for television production, he was the Chief of the PBA Media Office and the Special Assistant to the Commissioner. Each and every role gave him the much-needed first-hand experience to know exactly what it took to maintain the PBA bubble.
More importantly for Castro, going through all of those roles made Marcial value each person on his team.
“If you see the way he treats everyone, you will understand why people love working for the PBA and working for him,” he said.
The bubble has just entered its first week and there is still a lot of work to do. But as he has for the past three decades, Marcial will be there for the league every step of the way.
