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Jason Castro, the first Filipino tapped to play in the National
Basketball League of Australia, has been given the green light to
see action with the Singapore Slingers without losing his right to
be drafted in the PBA rookie draft next year.
PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios, acting on the
request of Castro himself, granted the Harbour Center
point-guard’s wish to be exempted from attending the rookie camp,
scheduled a week after the on-going Fiesta Cup Finals.
The rookie camp not only gives fans a glimpse of
amateurs turning pros, but also gives the PBA teams a closer look at
the applicants since the PBA coaches will handle them during
scrimmages.
Barrios, likewise, excused the 21-year-old
spitfire from the Philippine Christian University, from attending
the rookie draft itself.
In his letter sent to Castro last week, Barrios
said being signed by a ball club in the NBL is “certainly an
achievement to be proud of, the Australian-based league being one of
the toughest competitions in the sport of basketball.”
The PBA, however, is asking Castro to submit to
the office of the commissioner a copy of his contract with the
Singapore Slingers as well as DVD copies of his games with the team.
In signing up with the Slingers, Castro has been
assured of a 40,000 Australian dollar (roughly P1.8 million) salary
for his seven-month stint with the NBL, excluding additional perks
as signing bonuses, won games, his team’s entry into the semifinal
and final round, among others.
That is definitely better than the P150,000 a
month stipend he is supposed to get as a PBA rookie.
Castro, who is also assured of a place in the
Slingers’ starting five, will be leaving for Singapore this coming
July to adjust himself up with his teammates for the season, which
starts September and ends March or April.
-- Eddie Alinea
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