Exhibition game between Gilas, NBA All-Stars cancelled

MANILA, Philippines – In a surprising turn of events, the supposedly scheduled exhibition matchup between a select group of NBA All-Stars and Gilas Pilipinas as part of PLDT Home’s ‘Last Home Stand’ All-Star Charity Event has been cancelled.

The news was announced by Gilas head coach Chot Reyes, who told those in attendance at the Smart Araneta Coliseum that instead of an exhibition matchup, a live practice involving drills between both sides would take place.

“We’re going to see something tonight that has never been seen before: we’re going to see an inside look to how your Gilas Pilipinas team prepares,” Reyes said.

Ariel Fermin, PLDT Vice President for HOME, announced that fans unhappy with the live practice would be able to reclaim refunds for the price of admission they paid, before reminding everyone that the proceeds would still go to charity in the event that purchasers do not ask for their money back.

Charges for tickets ranged from Php 750 – Php 23, 300.

The cancellation was announced to the public a few hours after it was revealed that Blake Griffin and Paul George, two of the NBA guests that were expected to be part of the festivities, would no longer be present due to personal reasons. However, no connection between the two aspects has been reported.

Reports are saying that the cancellation of the game was determined because of a rule in the contracts of the NBA players that indicate they cannot participate in non-sanctioned NBA events.

Online, most people are furious over the game’s cancellation.

Rappler is currently in the process of getting more information on the matter. – Rappler.com