The Barako Bull Energy Boosters were a professional basketball team of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
owned by the Photokina Marketing Corporation. They entered the league in 2000 after a successful stint in the semi-professional
Philippine Basketball League
The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) was a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league was composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.
History
The PBL was formed on Ma ...
during the late 1990s under the name Agfa Color where the team won a championship in 1996. It was originally known as Red Bull Barako before the team announced its name change.
Barako Bull has won two Commissioner's Cups, in 2001 and in 2002 and the 2006 Fiesta Conference.
Willie Miller
William Ferguson Miller MBE (born 2 May 1955) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, who made a club record 560 league appearances for Aberdeen. Sir Alex Ferguson described Miller as "the best penalty box defender in th ...
became the first Barako to win the league MVP title in 2002.
The franchise took a leave of absence after the
2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup. The players were distributed to other teams via dispersal draft as their slot will be taken over by guest team
Smart Gilas
The Philippines men's national basketball team ( fil, Pambansang koponan ng basketbol ng Pilipinas), commonly known as Gilas Pilipinas, is the basketball team representing the Philippines. The team is managed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipi ...
for the Commissioner's Cup. In March 2011, Barako Bull announced that it will not be returning to the league. Eventually, the franchise was sold to the Lina Group of Companies in July 2011 upon approval of the PBA Board of Governors.
History
Philippine Basketball League
Photokina Marketing joined the
Philippine Basketball League
The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) was a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league was composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.
History
The PBL was formed on Ma ...
during the mid-90s. They played under the name Agfa Color in the early days of their PBL stint. Once, they had
San Miguel player
Danny Ildefonso
Danilo Ildefonso (born December 9, 1976) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He is currently an assistant coach for both the Converge FiberXers of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the NU Bulldogs of the UAAP. Nick ...
as one of their players along with his
NU Bulldogs
The National University Bulldogs are the collegiate men's varsity teams of National University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The collegiate women's varsity teams are called the ''Lady Bulldogs'' while the high school ...
teammate
Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade (born December 30, 1977 in Alaminos, Pangasinan) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player. He last played for the Powerade Tigers in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/specia ...
and Jonas Mariano coming back from a knee injury with Ginebra the year before.
It also saw the talent of
Cebuanos
The Cebuano people ( ceb, Mga Sugbuanon) are the largest subgroup of the larger ethnolingustic group Visayans, who constitute the largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group in the country. Their primary language is the Cebuano language, an Austro ...
Jimwell Torion
Jimwell Torion (born March 13, 1973) is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the PBA from 2000 to 2007.
Career Highlights
Torion was one of the many Cebuano cagers brought in by Photokina Marketing when it joined the PBL as Agf ...
and
Junthy Valenzuela
Junthy Valenzuela (born June 5, 1979) is a Filipino former basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), a former Barako Bull Energy Boosters, Red Bull Barako player. He was automatically pulled by Red Bull directly from the P ...
along with other provincial cagers Rene Suba and Jun Carmona.
Letran
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran, (transl: College of San Juan de Letran) also referred to by its acronym CSJL, is a private Catholic coeducational basic and higher education institution owned and run by the friars of the Order of Preachers i ...
star
Kerby Raymundo
Kerby Mariano Raymundo (born January 19, 1981) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known as The Kid, he was a former star player ...
and Filipino-American Davonn Harp later joined the squad.
Agfa Color/Red Bull would always fall short of a title as
Tanduay
Tanduay Distillers, Inc. () is a Philippine alcoholic beverage company. It is a subsidiary of LT Group, a conglomerate owned by Filipino business magnate Lucio Tan. As of 2019, it is the world's largest rum brand.
History
Tanduay traces its or ...
won several PBL championships at their expense. In 1999, they were among the best teams in the league but would lose to
Welcoat Paints
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association owned by Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. It debuted in the league in the 2006–07 PBA season after acquiring the franchise right ...
in the finals of Challenge Cup. In October, the PBA announced that Red Bull was accepted as the 10th member of the league beginning in the 2000 season.
Batang Red Bull Energizers
The franchise played their first PBA season as the Batang Red Bull Energizers. Red Bull was allowed to take six players from their PBL team and took
Kerby Raymundo
Kerby Mariano Raymundo (born January 19, 1981) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known as The Kid, he was a former star player ...
,
Davonn Harp
Davonn Harp is a Filipino-American former basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Batang Red Bull Energizers. He was one of the six players elevated by Red Bull from its PBL franchise. He played as a center. ...
,
Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade (born December 30, 1977 in Alaminos, Pangasinan) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player. He last played for the Powerade Tigers in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/specia ...
,
Jimwell Torion
Jimwell Torion (born March 13, 1973) is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the PBA from 2000 to 2007.
Career Highlights
Torion was one of the many Cebuano cagers brought in by Photokina Marketing when it joined the PBL as Agf ...
,
Junthy Valenzuela
Junthy Valenzuela (born June 5, 1979) is a Filipino former basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), a former Barako Bull Energy Boosters, Red Bull Barako player. He was automatically pulled by Red Bull directly from the P ...
and Bernard Tanpua. PBL Commissioner
Yeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Medina Guiao (born March 19, 1959) is a Filipino professional basketball head coach, politician, commentator and sports commissioner. He is currently the head coach of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketba ...
, a former PBA coach, resigned his post to join Red Bull as coach in the PBA. They also got
Ato Agustin
Renato Guilas Agustin (born August 1, 1963) is a Filipino former professional basketball player, politician, and current assistant coach for the San Miguel Beermen. He played college basketball for the Lyceum of the Philippines before moving on ...
from the expansion pool.
After losing their opening game in the
2000 All-Filipino Cup to
Barangay Ginebra Kings
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
, they won two more games to improve to 2–3. But the league disqualified Raymundo from playing. It was discovered that he had falsified his documents, claiming he graduated from high school in 1996, when actually he finished his secondary studies a year later.
Mick Pennisi
Michael Alfio Pennisi (born March 13, 1975) is an Australian-Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the GlobalPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was automatically hired by Red Bull in 2 ...
also arrived as a solution to the team's lack of height. The games won by the Energizers were nullified. Red Bull finished 10th and failed to enter the quarterfinals.
In the Commissioner's Cup, Jack Hartman became Red Bull's first import but failed to show anything promising for Batang Red Bull which failed to enter the quarters once again. Before the end of the tournament, the Energizers get Raymund Tutt as replacement. Tutt scored 56 points in his PBA debut, which still stands today as the highest points scored by a Red Bull player in a single game.
Red Bull Thunder: Championship era
Tutt returned for the 2000 Governors Cup, and the renamed as the Batang Red Bull Thunder made a strong showing to finish in third place at the end of the tournament, their first trophy in the league. Davonn Harp was named Rookie of the Year at the end of the season.
During the
2001 PBA Draft, Red Bull selected former
Letran Knight and
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
star
Willie Miller
William Ferguson Miller MBE (born 2 May 1955) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, who made a club record 560 league appearances for Aberdeen. Sir Alex Ferguson described Miller as "the best penalty box defender in th ...
as its first overall pick. Former Letranite Kerby Raymundo was also allowed to return for Red Bull for the upcoming season.
In 2001, Red Bull finished seventh in the All-Filipino Conference and met eventual champion
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
in the quarterfinals. With the Thunder needing to win twice to advance to the semis, Batang Red Bull shocked the Beermen winning the first game by double-figures, but lost in the deciding game capped off by
Danny Seigle
Daniel Charles Seigle (born June 14, 1976) is a Filipino-American basketball coach and retired player. He is the head coach of the De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball team and a team consultant for the San Miguel Alab Pilipinas of the ASEA ...
's three-pointer to seal SMB's win.
Former
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
and
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
standout
Antonio Lang
Antonio Maurice Lang (born May 15, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Duk ...
bannered the Thunder in the Commissioner's Cup. After a sub-par performance in the tournament opener, Lang proved to be the right import for Red Bull. The Thunder advanced to their first finals appearance against the mighty
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
. Red Bull took the first two games of the series behind strong performances by Lang and Harp. The Beermen later tied the series at 2–2 in a physically intense battle that saw several suspensions on the Red Bull side. But in Game five, Red Bull won 79–77 after a potential game-tying basket by San Miguel import Nate Johnson was blocked from behind by Miller with no time left. In Game six, Lang recovered from a four-point outing in Game five to lead Red Bull to their first PBA championship. Lang was also named as Best Import of the Commissioners Cup.
In the Governor's Cup, Tutt returned for the team in hopes of claiming back-to-back title, but the Thunder was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Harp was loaned by Red Bull to the national team in 2002. The Thunder was eliminated by eventual champion Purefoods in the quarterfinals.
In the Commissioner's Cup, Harp returned for Batang Red Bull along with
Antonio Lang
Antonio Maurice Lang (born May 15, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Duk ...
and
Julius Nwosu
Obinna Julius Nwosu (born May 1, 1971), is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. He played briefly for the American National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs during the 1994–95 NBA season. He also had a career in the Lebane ...
. The Thunder dominated the tournament, eliminating Shell in the quarterfinals and the Beermen in the semis to face the
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
Talk may refer to:
Communication
* Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people
* Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people
* Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...
in the finals. Four games into the series, Lang was replaced by another
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
veteran in
Sean Lampley
Sean Lampley (born September 3, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
Lampley played at the University of California, leading the Golden Bears to victory over Clemson in the 1999 National Invitational Tourna ...
. Lang was even accused of game-fixing, which he denied. With Lampley, Red Bull overcame a 2–3 deficit to win an emotional Game seven for their second PBA title.
Red Bull's hope for a second title was denied in the All-Filipino as Alaska booted them out in the semis.
In 2003, The Thunder used their first round pick to select 2002
UAAP MVP
Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Amateur career
Villanueva first played for the A ...
from
Ateneo de Manila
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_affi ...
to bolster Red Bull's frontline. Red Bull went 10–1 in the early goings of the All-Filipino Cup before finishing with a 14–4 record. However, their 0–3 record in the quarterfinals eliminated them from title contention. The All-Filipino Conference also saw the suspensions of Harp and Torion for testing positive for taking illegal substances.
Batang Red Bull renamed the team as Red Bull Barako for the Invitational tournament. They managed to enter the semis but was defeated by Alaska in a one-game showdown.
After a 1–2 start in the Reinforced Conference, the Barakos hired former
Charlotte Hornet and
Chicago Bull
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
Scott Burrell
Scott David Burrell (born January 12, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the men's basketball head coach at Southern Connecticut State University. He has played internationally and was also a professional bas ...
as import. Red Bull won 10 games to finish with an 11–2 record entering the quarterfinals. They were upset by Talk 'N Text in the opening round. But the deciding game was marred by a vicious clothesline of Torion on Phone Pals' point guard
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag (born December 30, 1977) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player. He serves as an assistant coach for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. He is nicknamed "The Mighty Mouse" and "The Captain".
Early lif ...
. The incident gave Torion an eight-month suspension, later reduced to only four.
Red Bull made its third Finals appearance in 2004, losing to eventual champion Barangay Ginebra in the transitional tournament dubbed as the
2004 Fiesta Conference. The Barakos fielded in six imports during the said conference but its last import Victor Thomas won Best Import honors.
During the
2004–05 Philippine Cup, Red Bull was decimated with the departures of alleged Fil-Shams (Filipino-Americans that did not prove their Filipino blood)
Mick Pennisi
Michael Alfio Pennisi (born March 13, 1975) is an Australian-Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the GlobalPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was automatically hired by Red Bull in 2 ...
and Davonn Harp, who were deported after the
Department of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
found them to have falsified their documents.
But the event paved the way for guys like Tugade, Valenzuela and
Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Amateur career
Villanueva first played for the A ...
to shine as Red Bull recovered to place fourth in the 2005 Fiesta Cup. The former Ateneo center won the Most Improved Player honors.
Red Bull Barako: Back-to-back Finals appearances
Red Bull became somewhat of a flashback to the
Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles are the collegiate varsity teams of the Ateneo de Manila University that play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the premiere collegiate league in the Philippines. The collegiate women's v ...
squad of
UAAP 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
when
Larry Fonacier
Larry Alexander Nacua Fonacier (born May 13, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted fourteenth overall by the Red Bull Barako in the 2005 PBA ...
and
Paolo Bugia
Ramon Paolo Vlajar Bugia (born January 19, 1981) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and executive who currently serves as the team manager for the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). H ...
were drafted by the team in the second round of the
2005 PBA Draft
The 2005 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft was an event at which teams drafted players from the amateur ranks. It was the first PBA Draft to feature only two rounds of drafting and the first draft held in August due to the leagu ...
in August.
The Bulls won their third PBA title during the
2005–06 Fiesta Conference defeating the
Purefoods Chunkee Giants in six games.
Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Amateur career
Villanueva first played for the A ...
won the
Best Player of the Conference honors while Lordy Tugade was named as the Finals MVP.
During their title run, the Bulls replaced import Quemont Greer in place of a more team-oriented James Penny at the start of the quarterfinals. Red Bull swept Alaska in the quarterfinals while surviving a seven-game tussle with crowd-favorite
Barangay Ginebra Kings
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
in the semi-finals.
The championship gave Yeng Guiao his fifth PBA title, tying former
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
mentor Dante Silverio for sixth on the all-time PBA list.
Before the Philippine Cup, Red Bull acquired the services of another former Atenean, Rich Alvarez, from Alaska. While the Bulls were highly favored to win the title, they started the tournament with a 3–6 record. However, they won six of their final seven games to finish with a 9–7 win–loss card in the classification phase, clinching an outright quarterfinals berth.
Red Bull survived a five-game clash with rival Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals. This was after the crowd-favorite Kings led the series 2–1, but the Bulls won the last two games by a combined margin of more than 50 points. The Bulls faced the San Miguel Beermen in the semifinals when controversy struck the Bulls, after they staged a mini-walkout during Game Four of their series. They eventually returned to the court and lost by double figures. This led to a 400,000 peso fine on the team, 100,000 on head coach Yeng Guiao, 6,000 for player Lordy Tugade and 1,000 for a member of the team's personnel.
However, Red Bull managed to beat San Miguel Beer in seven games after a buzzer-beating shot by Junthy Valenzuela to seal a two-point victory for the Bulls, setting up a rematch of the Fiesta Conference finals series against
Purefoods. The Bulls, though, lost to Purefoods in six games, denying them of a chance to sweep all championships in the 2005–06 season. Larry Fonacier was named as the 2005–06 PBA Rookie of the Year with Villanueva named to the Mythical Five selection.
The Bulls: Semifinal eliminations
The Bulls had only one pick in the
2006 PBA Draft
The 2006 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft was an event in which teams drafted players from the amateur ranks. The draft was held at the Market! Market! in Taguig on August 20, 2006.
The Sta. Lucia Realtors choose Kelly Willia ...
and selected Ateneo shooting guard
Magnum Membrere
Benedicto "Magnum" L. Membrere III (born July 20, 1982 in Pangasinan) is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who is former team manager for TNT Tropang Giga. He was drafted nineteenth overall ...
with the 19th overall pick. The move triggered another addition to the team's dominant lineup of former players from the Blue Eagles lineup. In the middle of the elimination round, Red Bull traded 2005–2006 Fiesta Cup Finals MVP
Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade (born December 30, 1977 in Alaminos, Pangasinan) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player. He last played for the Powerade Tigers in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/specia ...
to the
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
alongside reserve Omanzie Rodriguez in exchange for future draft picks.
The Barakos also added former
Shell Turbo Charger Carlo Sharma
Ram Carlo T. Sharma (born September 20, 1980 in Makati, Philippines) is a professional basketball player who last played for the Pilipinas MX3 Kings in the ASEAN Basketball League. He was drafted by Shell twelfth overall in the 2004 PBA draft.
...
into their line-up during the off-season. The addition of Sharma gave the Barakos, who only has main man
Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Amateur career
Villanueva first played for the A ...
as its legitimate low-post threat, additional ceiling and inside presence.
In the Philippine Cup, Red Bull placed third after the elimination round with an 11–7 win–loss card and an outright quarterfinals berth in which they defeated the
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1993 to 2010. Prior to joining the PBA, it played in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) from 1987 to 1992.
In 2015, a new Sta. ...
, 3–1. In the semifinals, Red Bull lost against the San Miguel in seven games that highlighted by several physical encounters by both teams during the series.
Red Bull gained the top seed in the Fiesta Conference but dealt
Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Amateur career
Villanueva first played for the A ...
to
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
for
Rommel Adducul
Rommel Adducul (born April 21, 1976) is a Filipino former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Adamson Soaring Falcons of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, UAAP.
Career
In colleg ...
. The former MBA MVP was later shipped to the
Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and exchange for
Don Camaso
Celedon Camaso better known as Don Camaso (born March 16, 1973 in Caloocan, Metro Manila, Philippines) is a professional basketball player currently playing for the Judiciary Magis in the UNTV Cup. He previously played for numerous teams in the ...
and a second round draft pick at the
2008 PBA Draft. Despite the strong performance of
Larry Fonacier
Larry Alexander Nacua Fonacier (born May 13, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted fourteenth overall by the Red Bull Barako in the 2005 PBA ...
and the emergence of
Cyrus Baguio
Cyrus Marata Baguio (born August 19, 1980) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc. of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He also formerly played in the Philippine Basketball Associati ...
, Red Bull lost to Talk 'N Text led by the strong performance of Mark Cardona in a six-game series.
With Red Bull debuting an updated version of their logo in 2007, the Barakos continued their semifinal qualification streak, finishing fourth in the eliminations of the
2007-08 PBA Philippine Cup and sweeping the
Magnolia Beverage Masters
''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...
in the quarterfinals meeting 2005–06 rival Purefoods in the semifinals. The Bulls extended the series to seven games after trading games with Purefoods, but the TJ Giants pulled away in the deciding game to eliminate Red Bull in contention for the third straight time.
Although the Barakos posted an identical 11–7 card in the
2008 Fiesta Conference, they managed to finish second to earn themselves a seventh-consecutive semifinals appearance. With
Mexico national basketball team
The Mexico national basketball team (Spanish: Selección de baloncesto de México) represents Mexico in men's international basketball competitions, The team has made five appearances in FIBA World Cup, The governing body of the team is the Asoci ...
mainstay
Adam Parada
Adam Parada (born October 21, 1981) is an American-born Mexican former professional basketball player. He played most notably as an import in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Alaska Aces. He played four years at the University of Ca ...
as their import, Red Bull faced the rampaging
Barangay Ginebra Kings
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
with a 6-game winning streak in the semifinals. Adam Parada played through injury but the Kings swept the Barakos in the semifinals to eliminate the Barakos anew.
Prior to the 2008–09 season, they lost
Mick Pennisi
Michael Alfio Pennisi (born March 13, 1975) is an Australian-Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the GlobalPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was automatically hired by Red Bull in 2 ...
who went to
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
and
Topex Robinson
Michael Christopher "Topex" Robinson (born December 25, 1974) is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player who serves as the head coach of the De La Salle Green Archers of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UA ...
who went to
Purefoods TJ Giants
The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc., San Miguel Food and Bever ...
and got rookies
Larry Rodriguez,
Jeffrei Chan
Jeffrei Allan D. Chan (born February 11, 1983) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the NorthPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). After being snubbed in the 2008 PBA Draft, he became known as one of the be ...
, and
Mark Cuevas
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Finn ...
. Disaster was booming around the franchise as they lost key players such as
Rich Alvarez
Richard Alvarez (born October 30, 1980) is a Japanese-born Filipino former professional basketball player and coach. He last played for the Kia Picanto of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was the first overall pick of 2004 PBA D ...
and
Cyrus Baguio
Cyrus Marata Baguio (born August 19, 1980) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc. of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He also formerly played in the Philippine Basketball Associati ...
. But there are also some players who went to Red Bull and started a new beginning like
Gabby Espinas
Gabriel Espinas (born January 3, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Batang Kankaloo – Caloocan of the Pilipinas Super League. A 6'4" forward, he was drafted fifth overall by the Beermen in the 2006 PBA draft. He made ...
from
Air21 Express
The Air21 Express were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) that debuted in the 2011–12 season. The team debuted as the Shopinas.com Clickers during the 2011–12 PBA Philippine Cup. In 2014, the fra ...
and Mike Holper from
Barangay Ginebra Kings
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
. They only won 5 out of 18 outings. Due to this, they were rumored as about to be disbanded which caused
Yeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Medina Guiao (born March 19, 1959) is a Filipino professional basketball head coach, politician, commentator and sports commissioner. He is currently the head coach of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketba ...
to resign as head coach during late December.
Barako Bull Energy Boosters: Leo Isaac at the helm
The newly christened Barako Bull Energy Boosters, with team manager
Andy Jao
Andy may refer to:
People
*Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
*Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and piano ...
, hired former
PBA Rookie of the Year Leo Isaac
Leandro "Leo" Isaac (born February 2, 1961) is a Filipino former basketball player, commentator and former head coach of the Blackwater Elite in the Philippine Basketball Association.
College career
He played for the Mapua Cardinals in the NCA ...
as its new head coach with
Ariel Vanguardia
Ariel Vanguardia (born September 29, 1972) is a Filipino professional basketball coach. He is the interim head coach for the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Coaching career
Vanguardia previously coached the We ...
of the
JRU Heavy Bombers
The JRU Heavy Bombers (also as José Rizal University Heavy Bombers) are the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball team of the Jose Rizal University.
The other senior varsity teams may also be referred to as the Heavy Bombers. Th ...
and former
Philippines women's national basketball team
The Philippines women's national basketball team is managed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
Compared to the men's national team, the women's national team receives less reception from local basketball enthusiasts. Locally based p ...
coach
Raymond Celis
Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷᛁᚾᛗᚢᚾᛞ ( ...
as chief lieutenants. They also signed new recruits
Alex Crisano
Alex Vincent Crisano (born February 26, 1976) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player.
First Years
Crisano was undrafted in 2000 but he was signed and directly hired by the Barangay Ginebra Kings. However, his stay with the G ...
and
John Arigo
John Hartley Ward Arigo (born December 10, 1978), in Charleston, South Carolina, is a Filipino-American retired professional basketball player having played for three teams in the Philippine Basketball Association over a nine-year career. He was ...
.
Despite the new name, coach, signings and image, the team floundered in the import-laden
2009 Fiesta Conference, mustering only two out of 14 wins, although one of those came from Philippine Cup champions
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters
The TNT (cellular service), TNT Tropang Giga is a professional basketball team currently owned by Smart Communications, a subsidiary of the PLDT, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), playing in the Philippine Basketball Associat ...
where the Energy Boosters rallied down by more than 20 points to win in overtime. They were eliminated in the wildcard phase by former doormats
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association owned by Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. It debuted in the league in the 2006–07 PBA season after acquiring the franchise righ ...
.
Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
and Barako Bull beat the trade deadline and agreed in a trade between
Carlo Sharma
Ram Carlo T. Sharma (born September 20, 1980 in Makati, Philippines) is a professional basketball player who last played for the Pilipinas MX3 Kings in the ASEAN Basketball League. He was drafted by Shell twelfth overall in the 2004 PBA draft.
...
and
Richard Alonzo
Richard Hernando Alonzo is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Bacoor City Strikers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
He was an undrafted player signed by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants in 2008 before being ...
.
Team manager
Tony Chua
Antonio "Tony" Chua (1965-September 26, 2009) was a Filipino Chinese businessman. His family owns Photokina Marketing Corporation, which distributed Red Bull in the Philippines; he managed and was the governor of the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, t ...
perished at the height of
Tropical Storm Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, was the second-most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, causing $1.15 billion in damages and 921 fatalities, only behind Morakot earlier in the sea ...
on September 26, 2009.
2010–11: Financial woes and disbandment
Philippine Cup
At the start of the 2010–11 season, they hired
Junel Baculi
Edmundo "Junel" Baculi is a Filipino head basketball coach who formerly coached GlobalPort Batang Pier in the PBA. In the PBL, he also coached the Hapee-PCU Dolphins and had many titles. Prior to coaching, Baculi played varsity basketball for t ...
as the new head coach of the Barako Bull. The team was involved with several trades during off season with
Barangay Ginebra
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The most popular team in the league, it is owned by Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (formerly, La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.), a subsidia ...
,
[Guiao pleased with Air21’s progress](_blank)
by Jeric Lopez, Manila Standard Today
The ''Manila Standard'' is a broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines. , it is owned by the Romualdez family. The Romualdezes, through incumbent speaker of the House Martin Romualdez, also own Journal Publications, Inc., the owner of tabloid pap ...
, September 4, 2010 Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink created, manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, owned by PepsiCo.
History
In 1988, Powerade became the official sports drink of the Olympics, alongside Aquarius, anot ...
, and new team
Meralco
The Manila Electric Company (), also known as Meralco (, ), is an electric power distribution company in the Philippines. It is Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for 22 cities and 89 munic ...
, acquiring
Sunday Salvacion
Sunday Salvacion (born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He played the small forward and shooting guard positions. Salvacion played college basketball for the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) ...
,
Jason Misolas
Jason G. Misolas is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is currently an assistant coach for the UST Growling Tigers.
PBA career statistics
Season-by-season averages
, -
, align ...
,
Khazim Mirza, and
Ken Bono
Karl Kenneth Odani Bono (born June 19, 1984) is a Filipino basketball player who last played for the TNT KaTropa of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played collegiate basketball for the Adamson Soaring Falcons in the University At ...
. The Energy Boosters picked
Borgie Hermida
John Carlos Matanguihan Hermida Jr., better known as Borgie Hermida, is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player. He is the senior team manager for the Bataan Risers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) and assist ...
in the year's rookie draft. In the first weeks of the Philippine Cup, they signed undrafted rookie
Hans Thiele
Hans Paul Franz T. Thiele is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
Professional career
Thiele was signed by the Barako Bull Energ ...
and eventually became the team's top scorer together with Salvacion. After a month with the team, Thiele was shipped to Meralco, in exchange for the team's 2013 2nd round pick and Dennis Daa.
After the Energy Boosters finished 3–11 in the Philippine Cup, the team got involved on trades that shipped their core players
Reed Juntilla
Reed Friar Juntilla (born June 22, 1984) is a Filipino professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. Juntilla last played for the Zamboanga Valientes of the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup.
Career
Juntilla played for Mail and More Com ...
,
Sunday Salvacion
Sunday Salvacion (born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He played the small forward and shooting guard positions. Salvacion played college basketball for the De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) ...
and
Mark Isip
Mark Gracer P. Isip (born December 10, 1980 ) is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player. Isip played college basketball for the FEU Tamaraws, where he is currently an assistant coach. He was then drafted sixth overall by the ...
on different teams.
Leave of absence
On January 20, 2011, the management of the Energy Boosters announced that they will take a leave of absence for the upcoming
Commissioner's Cup to make way for the
Smart Gilas
The Philippines men's national basketball team ( fil, Pambansang koponan ng basketbol ng Pilipinas), commonly known as Gilas Pilipinas, is the basketball team representing the Philippines. The team is managed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipi ...
Philippine national team. The application was eventually approved during the team owners meeting on January 24. The players of the squad will be put on a conditional dispersal draft on February 7, then after the Commissioner's Cup is finished, all of these players will return to Barako Bull, if the team will eventually return. The owners announced on March 20 that they do not intend to return to the season-ending Governors Cup. In a letter sent to PBA Commissioner
Chito Salud
Angelico Tiu Salud (born June 17, 1962), better known as Chito Salud, is a Filipino lawyer and sports executive who currently serves as team governor of the Converge Fiber Xers in PBA. He was the first president and CEO of the Philippine Basketb ...
, the owners of the Barako Bull franchise mentioned their ongoing legal battle against TC Pharmaceuticals Industries, Co. the manufacturer of
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
in Thailand, and the death of one of their owners,
Tony Chua
Antonio "Tony" Chua (1965-September 26, 2009) was a Filipino Chinese businessman. His family owns Photokina Marketing Corporation, which distributed Red Bull in the Philippines; he managed and was the governor of the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, t ...
during the onslaught of
Typhoon Ketsana
Typhoon Ketsana, known in the Philippines as Tropical Storm Ondoy, was the second-most devastating tropical cyclone of the 2009 Pacific typhoon season, causing United States dollar, $1.15 billion in damages and 921 fatalities, only behind Typhoo ...
in 2009 as the main reasons why they will leave the PBA.
Financial problems
Barako Bull was in the financial binge since 2009 after team management admitted that they are having difficulties in making the payroll of the team. The team even requested for a co-sponsorship with
Harbour Centre
__NOTOC__
Harbour Centre is a skyscraper in the central business district of Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada which opened in 1977. The "Lookout" tower atop the office building makes it one of the tallest structures in Vancouver an ...
for the duration of the
2010 Fiesta Conference to ease their financial difficulties.
Alex Crisano
Alex Vincent Crisano (born February 26, 1976) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player.
First Years
Crisano was undrafted in 2000 but he was signed and directly hired by the Barangay Ginebra Kings. However, his stay with the G ...
and
John Arigo
John Hartley Ward Arigo (born December 10, 1978), in Charleston, South Carolina, is a Filipino-American retired professional basketball player having played for three teams in the Philippine Basketball Association over a nine-year career. He was ...
even escalated the issue regarding their delayed salaries to then Commissioner
Sonny Barrios
Renauld N. Barrios, better known as Sonny Barrios, is the seventh commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association and the current executive director of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. Before serving as commissioner, he took on the role in a ...
.
[PBA commissioner wants Barako players paid in lump sum](_blank)
Rey Joble, GMANews.tv, February 2, 2011 After Crisano went public with his accusations, team management did not renew his contract after the 2009–10 season ended and had difficulty in getting his back pay. Current members also expressed their grievances that their salary and their bonuses were not yet paid since December 2010, with some players as late as August 2010.
Commissioner Chito Salud gave guidelines to Barako Bull for them to pay their standing obligations with the team members in lump sum.
Attempted sale to Phoenix Petroleum
In March 2011,
Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.
Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. () is the first independent oil company to be listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange after the Oil Deregulation Law was passed in 1998. It is the first company from Davao City to be listed in the Philippine ...
, a petroleum company from the Visayas-Mindanao area expressed interest in acquiring the Barako Bull franchise. For the sale to push through, an approval from the PBA Board of Governors is needed (7 out of 10 votes). However, the sale did not push through after Barako Bull failed to get the necessary number of votes. Reportedly, the
San Miguel Corporation
San Miguel Corporation, abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified congl ...
, which owns three teams (San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra and B-Meg Derby Ace) in the league shows concerns should the sale will push through, since they also own a petroleum company,
Petron Corporation
Petron Corporation is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines, supplying more than a third of the country's oil requirements. It operates a refinery in Limay, Bataan with a rated capacity of . From the refinery, Petro ...
, which is a direct competitor of Phoenix Petroleum. One of the SMC teams, the
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
, was renamed to
Petron Blaze Boosters
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
before the start of the
Governors Cup.
Sale of franchise to Lina Group
Another buyer, the Lina Group of Companies, which also owns the
Air21 Express
The Air21 Express were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) that debuted in the 2011–12 season. The team debuted as the Shopinas.com Clickers during the 2011–12 PBA Philippine Cup. In 2014, the fra ...
, announced that they intend to buy the struggling franchise for more than P50 million after the Board of Governors gave Barako Bull until the end of the 2010–11 season to sell its franchise otherwise, they would lose the franchise. The sale was eventually approved by the board on July 8.
PBA has new broadcast partner for 37th season
GMA News Online, July 8, 2011 The team will be renamed as Shopinas.com Clickers.
Final roster
This was the final roster used by the franchise:
Season-by-season records
:''Records from the last 3 seasons:''
*one-game playoffs
**team had twice to beat advantage
Awards
Individual awards
PBA Press Corps Individual Awards
All-Star Weekend
Notable players
PBA's 25th anniversary all-time team
*Ato Agustin
Renato Guilas Agustin (born August 1, 1963) is a Filipino former professional basketball player, politician, and current assistant coach for the San Miguel Beermen. He played college basketball for the Lyceum of the Philippines before moving on ...
– one of the selected players from the expansion draft in 2000; played for Red Bull from 2000–2001
*Vergel Meneses
Vergel Corpuz Meneses (born January 14, 1969) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player and a politician, serving as mayor of the municipality of Bulakan, Bulacan. He previously played in the Philippine Basketball Association and ser ...
– played for Red Bull in the 2004–05 season
Other notable players
*Nelson Asaytono
Nelson Asaytono (born January 25, 1967) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player who played for Purefoods, Swift/Sunkist/Pop Cola, San Miguel Beer, and Red Bull in the PBA during his 17-year career.
Collegiate / Amateur career
Asa ...
– played for Red Bull from 2002–2006
*Lowell Briones – played in 2001 for the team
*Glenn Capacio
Glenn Capacio (born May 15, 1964, in Palo, Leyte) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the former head coach of PBA team GlobalPort Batang Pier and was also the former head coach ...
– selected from the expansion draft in 2000; played in the 2000 season. Current Head Coach of Global Port Batang Pier on the PBA
*Davonn Harp
Davonn Harp is a Filipino-American former basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Batang Red Bull Energizers. He was one of the six players elevated by Red Bull from its PBL franchise. He played as a center. ...
– selected from the PBL squad; played for team from 2000–2004 before leaving the country due to citizenship issues
*Noli Locsin
Luis Manuel B. Locsin (born October 19, 1971), better known as Noli Locsin, is a Filipino retired professional basketball player. Dubbed as "The Tank", He is best known for his playing years with the Ginebra San Miguel franchise in the Philippine ...
– played for Red Bull in 2002
*Vince Hizon
Vince is a given name, it is the anglicisation and shortened form of the name Vincent, as well as a surname.
It may refer to:
Given name People
* Vince Agnew (born 1987), American football player
* Vince Cable (born 1943), British politician ...
– played from 2001–2004
*Willie Miller
William Ferguson Miller MBE (born 2 May 1955) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager, who made a club record 560 league appearances for Aberdeen. Sir Alex Ferguson described Miller as "the best penalty box defender in th ...
– the first player to be selected first overall in the draft by franchise history; played from 2001–2003 and won the 2002 PBA Most Valuable Player Award.
*Kerby Raymundo
Kerby Mariano Raymundo (born January 19, 1981) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known as The Kid, he was a former star player ...
– selected from the PBL squad; played for the team from 2000–2002.
*Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade (born December 30, 1977 in Alaminos, Pangasinan) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player. He last played for the Powerade Tigers in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/specia ...
– part of the 2005–06 Fiesta Conference champion team where he was awarded the Finals MVP.
*Jimwell Torion
Jimwell Torion (born March 13, 1973) is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the PBA from 2000 to 2007.
Career Highlights
Torion was one of the many Cebuano cagers brought in by Photokina Marketing when it joined the PBL as Agf ...
– selected from the PBL squad; played for team from 2000–2006
*Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Amateur career
Villanueva first played for the A ...
– played for team from 2003–2007; won Best Player of the Conference and Most Improved player honors during his Red Bull stint.
*Larry Fonacier
Larry Alexander Nacua Fonacier (born May 13, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted fourteenth overall by the Red Bull Barako in the 2005 PBA ...
– played for team from 2005–2007 and was the 2005–2006 Rookie of the Year.
*Junthy Valenzuela
Junthy Valenzuela (born June 5, 1979) is a Filipino former basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), a former Barako Bull Energy Boosters, Red Bull Barako player. He was automatically pulled by Red Bull directly from the P ...
– played from 2000–2008
*Mick Pennisi
Michael Alfio Pennisi (born March 13, 1975) is an Australian-Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the GlobalPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was automatically hired by Red Bull in 2 ...
– played from 2000–2008; the last player from the original lineup to play for the team before being traded.
*Rich Alvarez
Richard Alvarez (born October 30, 1980) is a Japanese-born Filipino former professional basketball player and coach. He last played for the Kia Picanto of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was the first overall pick of 2004 PBA D ...
– played from 2005–2008
*Cyrus Baguio
Cyrus Marata Baguio (born August 19, 1980) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc. of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He also formerly played in the Philippine Basketball Associati ...
– played from 2003–2008
*Celino Cruz
Celino Salazar Cruz (born July 22, 1977) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. A deadly left-handed shooter, he is best known for his clutch plays. Cruz played eight seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). After pl ...
– played from 2003–2008
*Carlo Sharma
Ram Carlo T. Sharma (born September 20, 1980 in Makati, Philippines) is a professional basketball player who last played for the Pilipinas MX3 Kings in the ASEAN Basketball League. He was drafted by Shell twelfth overall in the 2004 PBA draft.
...
– played from 2005–2009
Imports
*Thaddeus Delaney – franchise's first-ever import in the 2000 Commissioners Cup
*Jack Hartmann – import in the 2000 Commissioners Cup
*Raymund Tutt – played for Red Bull in 2000 and 2001 seasons; holds franchise record of 56 points in one game
*Antonio Lang
Antonio Maurice Lang (born May 15, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at Duk ...
– played for Red Bull in 2001 and 2002 seasons; led Red Bull to the 2001 Commissioners Cup titles and was named as the Best Import of the said tournament
*Joseph Bunn
Joseph Ray Bunn Stallins (born May 18, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. At 6'6" tall and 232 lbs. (105 kg) in weight, he played at the power forward and center positions.
Professional career
Bunn played colleg ...
– played for Red Bull in 2002
*Julius Nwosu
Obinna Julius Nwosu (born May 1, 1971), is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. He played briefly for the American National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs during the 1994–95 NBA season. He also had a career in the Lebane ...
– played for Red Bull in 2002; led the team to the 2002 Commissioners Cup title
*Sean Lampley
Sean Lampley (born September 3, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player.
College career
Lampley played at the University of California, leading the Golden Bears to victory over Clemson in the 1999 National Invitational Tourna ...
– played for Red Bull in 2002
*Scott Burrell
Scott David Burrell (born January 12, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the men's basketball head coach at Southern Connecticut State University. He has played internationally and was also a professional bas ...
– played for Red Bull in 2003; led the team to 10th straight wins upon his arrival
*Victor Thomas
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
– played for Red Bull in 2004; named Best Import of the 2004 Fiesta Conference
* Dalron Johnson – played for Red Bull in the 2005 Fiesta Conference
*Earl Barron
Earl Daniel Barron Jr. (born August 14, 1981) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is a video and player development assistant for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college bas ...
– played for Red Bull in the 2005 Fiesta Conference before joining the Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...
in the 2005–06 season
* Quemont Greer – played for Red Bull in the 2005–06 Fiesta Conference
*James Penny
James Penny (died 1799) was a merchant, slave ship owner, and prominent opponent of the abolition of slavery in Liverpool, England. He defended the slave trade to the British Parliament. The famous Penny Lane has been associated with him although ...
– replaced Greer in the 2005–06 Fiesta Conference, led the team to the title
*Adam Parada
Adam Parada (born October 21, 1981) is an American-born Mexican former professional basketball player. He played most notably as an import in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Alaska Aces. He played four years at the University of Ca ...
– played for Red Bull in the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference
The 2008 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference, also known as the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, was the last conference of the 2007-08 PBA season. The tournament began on March 29 with a game betwe ...
* Cornelius McFadgon – played for Barako Bull in the 2009 PBA Fiesta Conference
The 2009 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference or known as the 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, was the last conference of the 2008-09 PBA season. It started on February 28 and finished on July 17. ...
* Sammy Monroe – played for Barako Coffee in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference
The 2010 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference was the last conference of the 2009-10 PBA season. It started on March 21 and finished on August 18, 2010. The tournament is an Import-laden format, which requires an import or a ...
Coaches
PBL
*Jimmy Mariano
Jaime L. Mariano OLY (are post-nominal letters granted by the World Olympians Association (WOA) to registered athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games (born April 19, 1941), also known as Jimmy "Mr. Cool" Mariano, is a Filipino former b ...
*Nat Canson
Nathaniel Canson, also known as Nat Canson, is a Filipino former basketball player and coach.
A University of the East Warrior, Canson played for Crispa, Meralco, Manilabank, San Miguel, 7-Up and Toyota in the MICAA. After his stint with the ...
* Gil Lumberio
PBA
*Yeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Medina Guiao (born March 19, 1959) is a Filipino professional basketball head coach, politician, commentator and sports commissioner. He is currently the head coach of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketba ...
(2000–2009)
*Leo Isaac
Leandro "Leo" Isaac (born February 2, 1961) is a Filipino former basketball player, commentator and former head coach of the Blackwater Elite in the Philippine Basketball Association.
College career
He played for the Mapua Cardinals in the NCA ...
(2009–2010)
*Junel Baculi
Edmundo "Junel" Baculi is a Filipino head basketball coach who formerly coached GlobalPort Batang Pier in the PBA. In the PBL, he also coached the Hapee-PCU Dolphins and had many titles. Prior to coaching, Baculi played varsity basketball for t ...
(2010–2011)
References
{{PBAdefunct
Basketball teams established in 2000
Basketball teams disestablished in 2011
2000 establishments in the Philippines
2011 disestablishments in the Philippines
Defunct Philippine Basketball Association teams
Former Philippine Basketball League teams
Red Bull sports teams