It appears NorthPort will no longer be the name the Batang Pier will be carrying when PBA Season 50 gets going.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the sale of the NorthPort franchise is near completion.
“Halos done deal na,” Marcial told reporters during the PBA Media Day on September 25.
According to the PBA commissioner, there should be an announcement of the deal between NorthPort and Pureblends by Monday, September 29.
“Papeles na lang,” he said. “Financials na lang. Mga deed of sale, nitty gritty na lang ng parehong legal nila. Pero sa’tin, okay na.”
If the sale pushes through, it will mark the end of the Batang Pier’s era that began in 2012 when they bought the Powerade franchise.
The franchise only reached as high as the semifinals in over a decade in the first play-for-pay league in Asia.
On opening day, Marcial expects the team to already wear their Pureblends jersey.
“Sa opening, baka iba na 'yung uniforms nila. Kaya sinabi ko 'wag muna sila kuhanan kasi mag-iiba 'yun,” said Marcial.
Asked if there’s already a product Pureblends will carry, Marcial answered in the affirmative but refused to reveal it.
“Meron na sinabi sa’kin pero gusto ko sila magsabi,” he said.
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.