By Nelson Beltran Updated November 25, 2008 12:00 AM

The PBA is likely to deviate from its North versus South format in this season’s All-Star Game with league officials mulling on holding instead a series of games featuring the national pool against the best of the rest boosted by imports.

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios is open to the idea to be formally proposed by Air21’s Lito Alvarez in the coming PBA board meeting. “It’s not far-fetched. Coach Yeng Guiao has been looking for games before they compete in the SEABA championship. We’re holding the All-Star event in April and SEABA will be held the following month,” Barrios told The STAR. “It’s not a bad idea. If there’s a public clamor, we’ll seriously look at that,” Barrios added.

Dagupan and Lucena are two cities who have expressed intention to host the annual event where the South team emerged triumphant in Bacolod last season. Featuring the RP team in the All-Star festivities is actually nothing new. This was done in 1998 pitting the Centennial RP team of coach Tim Cone versus a PBA selection reinforced by imports Ronnie Coleman of Pepsi, Devin Davis of Alaska, John Best of Shell and Lamont Strothers of San Miguel among others.

The Nationals beat the Derrick Pumaren-mentored RP Selection twice, first in Cebu then at the Astrodome.

Meanwhile, Barrios has summoned Rain or Shine’s Sol Mercado and Coca-Cola’s Asi Taulava to hear their sides on their involvement in an incident that marred the end of their game Sunday at the Astrodome.

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