MPBL officially suspends 2020-2021 season

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is officially bidding goodbye to its 2020-2021 season and shifted their focus on the 2021 tournament.

After months of weighing in the various scenarios whether to resume or scrap the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes finally announced the league’s decision.

However, with the MPBL management already deciding to cancel the rest of the season, the remaining MPBL Lakan Cup conference finals playoff games between the San Juan Knights-Makati Super Crunch and the Davao Occidental Tigers-Basilan Steel-Jumbo Plastic will still push through.

“All these remaining games shall be held in one venue with no audience and players for the teams involved, as well as their officials, shall be quarantined in one facility throughout the series,” said Duremdes in his memo.

Included in Duremdes’ memo is their plan of creating a 2020 preseason tournament in preparation for the 2021 full season.

Initially slated to resume basketball operations this June 12, 2020, the season will be pushed back to June 12, 2021, with hopes of a league reset amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.