May pagkakataon nang makapaglaro sa PBA ang mga mahuhusay na manlalaro na mula sa mga karatig bansa sa Asia na gaya nina Nikkhah Bahrami, Fadi El-Khatib, Sam Daghles, Anton Ponomarev, Kim Mingoo at Lin Chi-chieh.

Ito’y matapos na buksan ng PBA ang kanilang pintuan para sa Asian players sa darating na ika-40 taon ng asosasyon.

Layunin nila na makaakit ng Asian fans at mamayagpag din sa Asian advertising market.

“The board agreed to try it for one conference specifically and exclusively for marketing outside the country and within the Asian region,” pahayag ni PBA board chairman Patrick Gregorio.

“It’s another way of looking at the PBA as the No. 1 professional league in Asia,” dagdag ni Gregorio, na siyang pinanggalingan ng nasabing ideya.

Nakatakdang simulan ng PBA ang “Asian integration” sa kanilang season-ending Governor’s Cup kung saan ay papayagan ang bawat team na kumuha ng isang Asian player na may height ceiling na 6-foot-4.

Asian recruits will be on top of the regular imports playing in the season-ending Governor’s Cup. Ineligible are naturalized Asian players.

“It’s optional. And why 6-4? It’s the average height of Filipino players,” ani PBA commissioner Chito Salud.

“But it’s still tentative. Everything will be finalized as the Governor’s cleared things with their principals (team owners),” dagdag ni Salud.

Naniniwala si Gregorio na makatutulong ito sa liga para lalo pang mapalago ang bilang ng kanilang fans at mapatatag ang kanilang estado bilang No. 1 pro league in Asia.

“Imagine if you recruit Korean players. I heard Korean population in the Philippines has hit a million,” ayon kay Gregorio.

“We want to showcase the league in the region. We’re reaching out as we target big sponsors in the region like Samsung and LG,” giit pa ni Gregorio.

Kaugnay nito ay nagbalik sa alaala nina Blackwater team owner Dioceldo Sy at Ginebra board representative Alfrancis Chua ang hatid nang naging paglalaro ng dating Chinese star player na si Ma Jian sa PBL noong dekada 90.