All about imports

In the PBA season,the three conference format makes a match awaited returned after five year absences.The first conference is the Philippines or All Filipino cup which began Last Sunday.The second will allow each team to recruit a 6'4 import.And the third leg will reintroduced a handicapping system where the top four teams of the previous conference play an import with a heigth limit set at 6-2 the next four at 6'4 and the last two at 6'6

With two of three conference feature imports,you wonder if an NBA first roud draft pick will be among the coming visitors.Its been five years since the PBA welcome an NBA first round choice-coincedentally,The last time when the league broke down the year into three conferences.

In 2004-2005,the PBA stage a transition fiesta conference where the import at ceiling was 6'8 and the regular Fiesta Cup conference had no limit at all.There were 50 imports who answered the PBA's call in those two conference and of them Chicago 1994 first round pick Dickey Simpkins.

Since the PBA open shop in 1975,There have been 40 NBA first rounders to sign up imports.The last 10 were Sherell Ford(Pop Cola 1988),Kenny Payne(Ginebra 1998),John Morton(Shell 1999-2000),Mario Bennet(San Miguel Beermen 2002),Chris Morris(Purefoods 2002) Johnny taylor(Sta Lucia Realty(2002)
Rhoderick Rhodes((Fedex 2002)Scott Burrel(Red Bull 2003)cedric Cebalos(San Miguel Bee(2003) and Simpkins (Alaska 2004-2005)

The Philippines Star