Just days after Philippines won a first gold medal in Asian Games men's 5x5 basketball in 61 years, leaders of the country's professional league are calling for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to submit its long-term program for the national team.
In a press conference held just a day after Gilas Pilipinas victoriously returned from Hangzhou, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) vice chairman Bobby Rosales said there was a need for the federation to start planning for future tournaments.
"I think the most important would be to already start planning and develop a national program," Rosales said. "And that should have been done yesterday. Because there are (FIBA) windows.
"The PBA has to address its own concerns. We would like to bring the PBA back to normalcy.
"We will have only two conferences (this season). The normalcy that we're looking at is three regular conferences. We have our own challenges also in the PBA."
The PBA struck out the Governors' Cup for the coming season, and also delayed its original curtain raiser on Oct. 15 to accommodate both the FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games.
The season opener was pushed back to Nov. 5 to allow the Asian Games players more time to recover.
On top of that, Gilas ran into some personnel issues just days before the quadrennial Games got underway.
An internal miscommunication regarding a list of players submitted to the organizers prevented four players from suiting up, leaving team manager Alfrancis Chua scrambling for replacements at the 11th hour.
Chua echoed Rosales' message, calling on the SBP to align everyone's schedules, with the next two international tournaments on the FIBA calendar being the Asia Cup qualifiers in February and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.
"I'm telling them, 'You have to plan it now,'" Chua said. "The celebration is over -- we already won the gold.
"We have to plan for what's ahead. One, you have the check the schedules -- the schedule of the PBA.
"If you're going to get PBA players (for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers), it won't work because our schedule runs through February. So what's your next step? Will you get (players) from the UAAP (and the) NCAA?
"It's no joke. You have to plan this."
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial didn't specifically rule out lending players for the tournaments, but said the SBP needs to talk to the PBA soon about what it wants before the league can make a decision.
"With regard to the OQT and the FIBA Asia Cup, we need to talk first with the SBP," Marcial said. "After we meet with the SBP, we need to talk to the governors about the plan.
"The SBP needs to present (a plan) to the governors, then we'll see what the PBA can give. But like what (Rosales) said, the PBA is really suffering. We've suffered losses, we've sacrificed a lot.
"We owe it to the team owners. Let's see what we can give, but we need the SBP to submit their program. We need to know their program so that we know how to support them."
PBA chairman Ricky Vargas added: "Just to remind everyone, this PBA break is the longest break that the PBA sacrificed for the national team. And it has directly affected our revenues."
Vargas suggested a summit involving all basketball stakeholders to get everyone on the same page, declaring: "Maybe it's time to call for a basketball summit. Every stakeholder is there. Then we decide.
"The first thing we decide is to align our calendars to be able to make the players available. That's what's important. Available to practice, available to represent the country."
There is also uncertainty about the coaching position of Gilas.
Chua implied that Tim Cone, who is currently taking a break in the United States, likely won't be available for the long term while he is tied to Barangay Ginebra.
"Tim told me, 'I want to go back to Ginebra. That's my mother team,'" Chua said. "You have to understand.
"The guy cannot coach this (Gilas) and then coach in the PBA. Where would you insert the practices? But that's the main point. How will you organize this?
"Chairman (Vargas) is right. We need a summit. We have to know the schedule."
The SBP did not have a representative at the press conference, and has yet to announce its plans going forward.
Chua also lauded the 12 players for agreeing to play without any additional compensation, adding that -- even in Hangzhou -- they did not ask for anything, not even room service.
He, however, clarified that this doesn't mean the 12 will not receive a bonus for winning the gold.
"They didn't get anything extra to play in the Asian Games. Now, if you're gonna ask if they will receive anything now, of course," stated Chua. "They won the gold."
This was in stark contrast to an unidentified player whom Cone really wanted for the Games, who reportedly had a stiff asking price in exchange for playing.
"He was asking for the moon," Vargas said, adding that the amount being demanded was greater that was was being paid to Gilas' naturalized imports.
Vargas declined to identify the player except to say that he was "needed badly" by the team.