Idea hatched from video game spices up All-Star Game

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Paul Lee (above), successful in exploiting a four-point shot during the All-Star Game, does not think the feature will be added to regular games soon. — AUGUST DELA CRUZ

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) revived the All-Star Game to remember on Sunday night, mostly because of some gimmicks outside of the standard basketball game.

Dunks that are worth three points add flavor to the action above-the-rim while scratching the timeout player results in fast-paced action. But the court stripe 27 meters away from the center of the rim proved to be a more powerful game-changer.

The line is the four-point line, an All-Star idea that, it turns out, was hatched from the youth room.

“One evening, I was watching my son play NBA 2K. I saw him designing his own court and noticed that there was an additional arc,” PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro told the Inquirer the morning after the revelries at the City of Passi Arena.

“I thought, why not add four shots? I talked to league officials [Mauro] Bengua Jr. and Joey [Guanio], and they said why not? It’s an All-Star [Weekend]and we thought we could experiment,” he added.

The experiment, for the purpose of a midseason extravaganza, was quite successful—both as a new treat for fans and as a real game tool.

“The game is more fun because you still have a chance even when you’re down. The game swings a lot,” Castro said.

Castro felt that with players taking the game farther and farther from the rim, adding a line was a no-brainer.

“Our range of players has expanded. We can see the likes of Robert Bolick and Paul Lee,” he said.

King of three points

Lee actually benefited the most from the new line. Crowned the Three-Point king the night before, the Magnolia guard finished with 32 points built on a seven-for-13 shooting clip from the fourth quarter to help Team Japeth escape Team Scottie by the skin of their teeth, 140-136.

Coach Tim Cone, who called the shot for Team Japeth, also felt that the new shot added spice to the main event of All-Star Weekend.

“I told the guys at halftime that I was like 40 years ago when the three-point shot started,” he told the Inquirer as he accommodated fans’ selfie requests.

“Everybody goes crazy about it. And now, everybody goes crazy about the four-point shot. It brings back memories,” he said.

Four-pointers create dangerous leads and incentivize back teams who strategize around them. It also gives the player an added weapon to fish out of the pocket.

“I think they took a page out of the NBA and [realized] how bad the All-Star Game was and they don’t want to repeat it,” Cone said.

Trailblazing move

“When it comes, guys want to compete,” added the experienced mentor. “It’s in his DNA to compete. He makes a conscious decision before the game that he’s going out to play on both sides of the ball.

Castro hopes that below, the trial of the four-point line will usher in a new era for Asia’s pioneering pro league.

“I hope the board will consider it later,” Castro said of the stripes being used in regular season games, although the feature has not been well received in terms of being used in regular games.

“I don’t see this happening,” said Lee, a sentiment echoed by Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, who is in charge of Team Scottie. “Maybe in the All-Star Game, you can implement it as a special treat for the fans. But I still don’t see it implemented in regular games.

However, the All-Star Game allows a shot to make a point about changing the game. And to say the least, his debut four-pointer was a great step.

“At least we were the first league to actually try it in the game. Like when we implemented four referee substitutions,” Castro said. INQ

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