Joshua Munzon stays focused on upcoming PBA season amid NorthPort’s impending sale

The NorthPort Batang Pier’s future is up in the air after reports surfaced that Pureblends Corp. had formally expressed its intent to acquire the franchise in a deal worth around ₱90 million.

Filipino-American star Joshua Munzon, for his part, is keeping his focus on the upcoming Season 50 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), whether or not NorthPort’s sale to Pureblends Corporation pushes through.

“For me, I’m just staying ready to play basketball and be ready for whatever happens,” Munzon told reporters during the 2025 PBA Rookie Draft on Sunday, September 7. 

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While the future of NorthPort and its players remains uncertain, the management has gone about business as usual. The Batang Pier selected Chris Koon as the fourth overall pick in the Rookie Draft while also being involved in a three-team trade that saw them acquire Jeo Ambohot from the Converge FiberXers and send Evan Nelle to the Phoenix Fuel Masters.

While the players are yet to be informed of the franchise’s decision, some of NorthPort’s longtime executives have already moved on. Former team governor Erick Arejola has joined the Magnolia Hotshots as a consultant, while assistant team manager Waiyip Chong has taken his talents to Terrafirma Dyip as team manager.

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Joshua Munzon stays ready as Northport transitions to new ownership under Pureblends 🏀

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“They haven’t formally said anything to us yet, but we can kinda see the changes being made. At the same time, I think some of that stuff, we don’t control, so we just have to control what we can — and that’s just being ready to play. Come October, we are going to try to put the best product we can on the court,” Munzon added.

On a personal note, the 30-year-old enjoyed one of his best seasons with NorthPort, leading the franchise to the semifinals of the Commissioner’s Cup and contributing on both ends of the floor.

“It’s our job at the end of the day. If you are not going to be ready to play, it’s going to show. I mean, it’s more of a mental thing — whether we are playing for NorthPort or Pureblends or however it goes. We just have to be ready to compete and play on the court,” Munzon concluded.

If the takeover goes through, it will signal the end of the Batang Pier’s 13-year journey in the PBA. NorthPort entered the league in 2012 after Sultan 900 Inc., owned by Romero, bought the Powerade Tigers franchise from Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines. Over the years, the franchise became known for its grit and occasional giant-killing performances, even though a finals appearance always eluded them.

Among their most memorable runs was the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup, when NorthPort, behind star guard Robert Bolick and big man Christian Standhardinger, pulled off a stunning quarterfinal upset of top-seeded NLEX to advance to the semifinals. Standhardinger later won Best Player of the Conference honors that year, giving the Batang Pier their biggest individual accolade.

The team also produced All-Star selections in Bolick, Stanley Pringle, Sean Anthony, and Terrence Romeo at different points in its history, building a reputation for developing exciting talent despite often being tagged as a rebuilding team.