The declaration of the 50 Greatest Players of the Philippines Basketball Association has gotten closer as the new year 2025 commences. The highly anticipated 50th anniversary of the first professional league in the vast Asian continent will transpire on April 9, 2025, at the Smart–Araneta Coliseum, where active and retired players are set to congregate.

Since 25 renowned players were already revealed in the association’s 25th-anniversary celebration and another 15 were added in the controversial ceremony back in 2015, only ten players will get the chance to be included in undoubtedly the most exclusive list in the association’s long-thriving history. 

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial reiterated in an interview “Hindi ko na papalitan ang mga unang napili na mapasama sa ating Greatest list.” Consequently, Marcial has already given orders to Eric Castro, deputy commissioner, to profile what will become the selection committee to identify the remaining ten.

Although this set of people is yet to be formed, Marcial made it clear that this committee will search painstakingly among the players from 1975 to 1990 to ensure that no deserving players will be disregarded. “Tutal, ‘yung mga iba, bata pa naman. Their time will come,” Marcial added. 

When it comes to the new additions to the most coveted list, the eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo is expected to earn a spot, while another MVP titleholder Scottie Thompson is also making waves in joining the table. However, the PBA commissioner axed the assumption that MVP titleholders automatically get a spot. 

After the controversial event in 2015, where 15 players were added to the Greatest list, many fans and basketball enthusiasts pointed out the snubs who also deserve to be included. Some of these are the 13-time championship holder Abe King, Nelson ‘The Bull’ Asaytono, whose 12,668 career points is fifth on the all-time scoring board, and Dennis Espino and Arnie Tuadles, who were two of the best scorers in the PBA’s impressive history.

The legendary Robert Jaworski, who was part of the Greatest list and included in the selection committee in 2015, recommended that forthcoming lists should be institutionalized to prevent an uproar, just like what happened the last time.

As of writing, the selection process is still unknown but debates are inevitable before and after the revelation of the 50 Greatest Players.