‘El Presidente’ doesn’t want PBA commish seat

WITH PBA commissioner Chito Salud stepping down from his post, a marquee list of names have been rattled off as potential replacements. Scratch off PBA legend Ramon “El Presidente” Fernandez’s name from that list as he reiterated that he has no interest in accepting the job if it were offered to him.

Fernandez, who is now based in Cebu, said that he is not inclined to uproot himself away from the Queen City of the South and the various business ventures that he has established here.

“Unless they allow the PBA commissioner to be dressed in just shorts and a polo, I don’t think I would accept that position,” Fernandez said in jest.

After a moment, he turned serious and said that the main reason why he would not take that position is because he has had enough basketball to last a lifetime.

“I have had enough of basketball. I’ve played in the PBA for over two decades. Tama na siguro yun. (I think that’s enough),” said Fernandez, a regular fixture at games in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc., especially during game days of his alma mater, the University of San Carlos Warriors.

Fernandez along with Robert Jaworski and Chito Loyzaga were among the early candidates speculated to replace Salud, who is set to resign from the position after this season. Fernandez’s name was brought up owing to his experience as commissioner of the defunct leagues Metropolitan Basketball Association and the United Regional Basketball League.

Though he has pulled his name out from the list, he had some words of advice to those tasked with appointing the next PBA commissioner.

“I think the next commissioner should be someone who is independent-minded. We all know that there are two factions in the PBA—the MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) group and the San Miguel group. The next commissioner should be someone who will not be identified with either of those,” added the Maasin, Leyte-native who ended his pro career as the all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocked shots.

Pressed to name someone who he thinks would make a good candidate for the soon-to-be-vacated PBA commissioner spot, Fernandez readily mentioned coaching great and former UAAP commissioner Joe Lipa.