SBP eyes 3×3 reset after SEA Games letdown 

The fallout from the Philippines’ empty-handed 3×3 basketball campaign at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games has sparked more than disappointment — it has triggered a reckoning at the highest level of the sport’s leadership.

Barely settling into his new role as president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), Ricky Vargas has made it clear that the status quo will no longer suffice. For him, the SEA Games result was not just a missed podium finish, but a loud warning that the country’s approach to 3×3 basketball is fundamentally flawed.

“We need to reset,” Vargas said bluntly, offering little attempt to soften his frustration. “Sana matuto tayo, every game is a lesson. I hope we learned. And this time, I think we have to be very dedicated about this (sport).”

At the center of the planned overhaul is a philosophical shift: 3×3 basketball will no longer be treated as an offshoot of the traditional five-a-side game. Vargas is pushing for a completely separate national pool — an eight-man lineup built specifically for the speed, spacing, and instincts unique to 3×3.

This direction would place the program entirely outside the five-on-five structure currently handled by national coach Tim Cone, underscoring Vargas’ belief that excellence in one format does not automatically translate to the other.

“We’re still thinking of what’s the best way forward,” said Vargas, who also serves as PBA chairman and TNT governor, as he acknowledged that reviving the PBA’s standalone 3×3 league remains on the table.

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#SEAGames2025 Gilas 3×3 Men loss to Malaysia , 19-21 ! Philippines finishes 4th. No podium for our 3×3 teams this year. pic.twitter.com/7WxhXZGat6

— Gilas Army (@gilasarmy) December 11, 2025

Yet even as options are weighed, Vargas’ conviction is firm: 3×3 basketball is not a sideshow. In his view, it is a discipline with legitimate Olympic medal potential — if handled correctly.

That urgency was sharpened by what he witnessed in Bangkok. A hastily assembled Philippine squad, headlined by naturalized big man Ange Kouame, fell short in a field dominated by host Thailand and powered by neighbors who have invested deeply in the format.

“Dalawa ang solution na nakikita ko. One, maybe we should revive the 3×3 of the PBA or create a team of eight people, 3×3 [lang], and let them compete all over the world, so they can be rated,” Vargas explained.

Between the two paths, his preference is already clear.

“Talagang dedicated 3-on-3 players na lang yung team na bubuuin natin. Hindi na sila lalaro ng 5×5 para hindi nalilito. Iba ang 5-on-5 kahit anong eksplinasyon gawin mo.”

The contrast with regional rivals only strengthens his stance.

“Kung makakapili tayo ng 3-on-3, hindi na sila lalaro ng 5×5. Eh, yung mga 3×3 ng Southeast Asian Games, yung Singapore, ang lakas hindi ba, tinalo tayo,” Vargas said. “But they cannot do that to us on five-on-five.”

“Talagang dedicated lang kasi sila sa 3×3.”

In the coming months, the SBP plans to cast a wide net, selecting men’s and women’s 3×3 players from the PBA, MPBL, UAAP, and NCAA — with immediacy emphasized as much as talent.

“We need to select these players. We must do it now,” Vargas stressed.

Financial realities are also part of the conversation. Asked whether elite 3×3 players could be compensated well enough to commit full-time, Vargas left the door open.

“If there are players who we think fits the team we are forming, kahit nasa PBA sila, at willing sila to change careers, then we can always talk about it.”

For Vargas, the SEA Games failure is not the end of the road, but the starting line of a long-overdue transformation — one that treats 3×3 basketball not as a fallback option, but as a discipline deserving its own identity, investment, and future.

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