Remember when the ABA started stealing guys from the NBA and everyone just laughed it off as a gimmick? Oh, look at the red, white, and blue ball. Look at the three-point line. How cute. But then the ABA guys started winning, they forced a merger, and suddenly you realized the entire basketball landscape shifted while you weren't looking.
We might be having an ABA-NBA moment in the Philippines right now.
The East Asia Super League (EASL) officially announced that the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is its newest Philippine partner. Stepping into the international ring for the 2026-27 EASL season will be the reigning MPBL champions, the Abra Weavers.
This isn’t just a fun little exhibition tour. This is a massive "Wait, what?" moment for Asian basketball. Here is why this matters, and why the old guard should be sweating a little bit.
1. The Abra Weavers are the Ultimate MPBL Flex
Look, the Weavers only joined the MPBL in 2024. In basketball terms, they are essentially a startup. But instead of taking their lumps, they quickly established themselves as an elite squad and captured the championship in just their second season. They are the shiny new toy that immediately started dominating the sandbox.
MPBL founder—and eight-division boxing world champion—Manny Pacquiao put it perfectly: “The Abra Weavers have shown what is possible when a team represents its community with ambition, discipline and pride”. They didn't just win a trophy; they proved that the MPBL's city and provincial format can produce high-level, elite basketball.
2. The PBA’s International Problem
Let’s just call a spade a spade. The PBA teams—the San Miguels, TNTs, and Ginebras of the world—have essentially treated the EASL like I treat my gym membership in January: they show up, sweat a little, and then completely fall apart by the time the playoffs roll around. PBA squads have consistently failed to make deep runs in the EASL. They get matched up against the Korean, Japanese, or Taiwanese powerhouses and suddenly look like they are playing in quicksand.
So, what happens if Abra goes in and actually makes a run?
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3. The "Main League" Conversation
This is the elephant in the room, and it is carrying a massive megaphone.
Joe Ramos, the CEO of the MPBL, dropped this quote in the announcement: “After being tested and proven at home, Abra are ready for the international stage”. He is not just hyping up his team. He is placing a massive chip on the center of the table. The Weavers aren't just carrying the name of their club; they are carrying the reputation of the entire MPBL.
If Abra goes into the EASL and holds their own—if they advance, make the playoffs, or even just look more competitive than the PBA powerhouses have over the last few years—Filipino basketball fans are going to start asking a very uncomfortable question.
Are we absolutely sure the MPBL isn't ready to take over as the main basketball league in the Philippines?
For decades, the PBA has been the undisputed heavyweight champion of Philippine hoops. But the MPBL has the provincial tribalism, the crazy home-and-away crowds, and now, they have a legitimate seat at the international table. If Abra carries the MPBL flag and actually gets results against Asia's elite? The paradigm completely shifts.
The 2026-27 EASL season tips off in the first week of October. I am not saying the PBA is going away anytime soon. But I am saying that if Abra strings together a few wins, the Philippine basketball conversation changes forever. Watch this space.
Related Article: MPBL Controversy: Mindoro's 12 minutes drought is normal?
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