WHILE names are increasing day by day as to who will become the possible next PBA commissioner, there’s one man who is tipped as more than qualified to assume the leadership of Asia’s pioneering professional basketball league had it not been for his involvement in a PBA team. Yeng Guiao, former commissioner of the now defunct Philippine Basketball League (PBL) is being pushed by several people to succeed the controversial Chito Narvasa as chief of the PBA.

But there’s a hitch — Mr. Guiao is currently coaching in the PBA, handling the NLEX Road Warriors, whom he led to victory Wednesday night.

Mr. Guiao felt flattered that people within the basketball community were pushing him to become the next PBA commissioner, but the fiery mentor has no plans of leaving coaching for a higher calling at this time.

“If I’m not coaching today, I would have given it much thought considering the situation the league is facing now,” Mr. Guiao told BusinessWorld. “But I love coaching and I still enjoying myself being a coach. I wouldn’t trade this for PBA commissionership.”

The strong clamor came on the heels of Mr. Narvasa’s resignation, which forced the board to name an immediate officer-in-charge to oversee the day-to-day operation of the league.

Willie Marcial, director for communications of the PBA, was delegated as OIC for 30 days, which means the league should bring in somebody on board in a hurry.

With the league facing a clear and present danger, names like sportscaster Charlie Cuna and former PBA coaches Joel Banal and Bo Perasol came out as likely successor of Mr. Narvasa, but the guy considered as the one that has the respect of all 12 teams in the league is Mr. Guiao.

Rain or Shine team owner Raymond Yu and San Miguel Beer team manager Gee Abanilla shared to BusinessWorld Mr. Guiao’s great qualities that would make him a great PBA commissioner.

“I think Yeng Guiao is the ideal commissioner of the PBA,” Mr. Yu said in a telephone interview. “He’s been a commissioner before (PBL). He can govern because he’s been a long-time politician and he knows the ins and outs of the PBA. At this point in time, what the PBA needs is somebody who’s not been away from the PBA.”

Mr. Abanilla could only agree with Mr. Yu’s observation.

“Yes, I think so,” Mr. Abanilla said when asked if Mr. Guiao would have been an ideal commissioner. “He has handled the PBL then, outstandingly and I don’t see any reason why he can’t duplicate that in the PBA. He has a great mind, compassion, vision and love for the game.”

But Mr. Abanilla, a former assistant coach of Mr. Guiao, would rather see his old mentor in the sidelines where he is performing at his best as the conflict would likely put a period on the clamor unless the MVP Group the ultimate sacrifice of releasing the six-time champion coach and allow the latter to become commissioner.

“Unfortunately, we don’t want to take away a great coach in the PBA, do we?”

For Mr. Guiao, the next PBA commissioner should have the trust and confidence of all the 12 teams in the league.

“You have the MVP Group, you have the San Miguel Group and you have the Independent Group. The next commissioner should have the trust and confidence of all these groups. It’s an advantage for someone who is being groomed as the next commissioner to be someone who’s not been away from the league for quite some time, but not necessarily a must,” added Mr. Guiao. — Rey Joble

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