Newcomer league Filbasket will soon debut in the Philippine basketball scene with the hopes of bringing back the true sprit of basketball.

The amateur league, founded by former Ateneo Blue Eagle Jai Reyes, aims to become an inclusive competition and provide basketball players who were affected by the pandemic an opportunity to play again.

“We pride ourselves in building a league that is inclusive and makes basketball and talents of the players as the main product,” said Reyes.

Filbasket welcomes commercial, corporate, and regional teams, and is also open to hosting international Filipino clubs in the future.

It will open its inaugural season with 11 teams, including those from Davao, Basilan, San Juan and Pasig. There will be teams with corporate roots as well.

Based on his experiences of playing in multiple leagues internationally and locally, Reyes aims to make the league sustainable and promote an honest culture given the rise of alleged game-fixing incidents in the VisMin Cup and PBA 3×3 league.

“We are not riding or using basketball for other goals and plans,” said Reyes. “We see that the fans are looking for real action with no bias and with parity.”

If the league is able to develop a solid fan base and generate revenue, Reyes said the league will still keep its amateur status and will adopt a profit-sharing model with the teams participating in the league. – Rappler.com