The Blackwater Bossing is a professional basketball team owned by Ever Bilena, Inc. that is playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) beginning in the 2014–2015 season. The franchise began as one of the founding teams in the PBA Developmental League. It transferred to the PBA after being accepted as an expansion team. The team is named after the Ever Bilena's brand of men's fragrances.

History

PBA D-League

Blackwater was one of the founding teams in the PBA Developmental League (PBA D-League). It won

one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

PBA D-League championship. The team's predecessor was the Blu Detergent team in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), best known as the first Philippine basketball team of Asi Taulava.

PBA

On April 10, 2014, Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc., along with Manila North Tollways Corporation (

NLEX Road Warriors The NLEX Road Warriors is a professional basketball team owned by NLEX Corporation, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, currently playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) since the 2014–2015 season. The Roa ...

) and Columbian Autocar Corporation ( Kia Sorento) were given approval by the PBA Board of Governors to become expansion teams in the PBA. Upon entry to the PBA, the three teams will select players from a dispersal draft in July consisting of unprotected current PBA players and free agents. They will also get to pick rookies in the

2014 PBA draft The Gatorade 2014 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Rookie Draft was an event which allowed teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event was held at Midtown Atrium, Robinsons Place Manila on August 24, 2014. Draft lottery The ...

in August. Blackwater and the

became the first franchises to enter the PBA from its D-League. With the help of Gilas player Marcus Douthit, Blackwater got their first win in 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup against

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 ...

, 80–77. In August 2020, it was reported that the team would be changing its name to "Blackwater Bossing". The new branding including the team's logo and jersey design was unveiled in September 2020.

International stint

On July 12, 2018, Blackwater Elite completed a six-game sweep of the Pacific Caesar 50th Anniversary Pro Tournament in Surabaya, Indonesia. The following week, they represented the Philippines along with

in the Asia League's Summer Super 8 Invitational Tournament held in Macau.

Current roster

Players

* Dylan Ababou (2016–

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

) *

Val Acuña Hezy Val B. Acuña II (born August 8, 1986) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Sta. Rosa Laguna Lions of the Pilipinas Super League. Collegiate career Acuña played straight out of the University of the East Red Warriors in t ...

* Raymond Aguilar (2016–

) * Jason Ballesteros (2014–2016) * Raphael Banal (2016–present) *

Mac Belo Rey Mark G. "Mac" Belo (born February 12, 1993) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Early life Hailing from Midsayap, Cotabato, Belo was born on February 12, 1993. ...

(2016–present) *

Gilbert Bulawan Gilbert Domingo Bulawan (August 25, 1986 – July 3, 2016) was a Filipino professional basketball player who played for the Meralco Bolts, Barako Bull Energy Cola and Blackwater Elite of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was draft ...

(2014–2016) * Niño Canaleta (

–present) * Jerick Cañada * JR Cawaling *

Robby Celiz Robby Cruz Celiz (born September 7, 1988) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Makati OKBet Kings of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted 17th overall in the 2013 PBA draft by the Tropang Texters. H ...

* Reil Cervantes * Mike Cortez *

Mark Cruz Mark Lu Cruz (born July 27, 1992) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the GenSan Warriors of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He earned the moniker Ant Man during his days in the NCAA. College career Cruz studi ...

(

–present) * Arthur dela Cruz (

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

–

) * J.P. Erram * Bryan Faundo * James Forrester (2016–

) * Riego Gamalinda *

Frank Golla Frank B. Golla Jr. (born January 17, 1990) is a Filipino basketball player who last played for the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted 23rd overall by Blackwater in the 2014 PBA draft. Career statist ...

(2016) * Brian Heruela *

Carlo Lastimosa Carlo Dan Lastimosa (born September 3, 1990) is a Filipino professional basketball player for Pasig City MCW Sports of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted 20th overall by the Barako Bull in the 2013 PBA draft. Early ...

* Eddie Laure *

Dave Marcelo David Paul M. Marcelo (born February 22, 1989) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang Giga of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Marcelo was drafted by B-Meg in the 2012 PBA draft as the 12th overall pick. Col ...

(

–present) *

Jason Melano Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was ...

* Denok Miranda (2016–present) * Alex Nuyles * Bobby Ray Parks Jr. * Kyle Pascual *

Tristan Perez Tristan (Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed T ...

(2016–present) * (2016–2019) * Raphael Reyes * Larry Rodriguez *

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) ...

James Sena James Ryan R. Sena (born August 31, 1988) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Sena played collegiate basketball at Jose Rizal University, JRU JRU Heavy Bombers, H ...

Shej Roi Sumang Shej Roi R. Sumang (born December 12, 1990) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the NorthPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Early life and high school career He is the eldest of six children of Jess an ...

* Chris Timberlake * Juami Tiongson *

Almond Vosotros Almond Pineda Vosotros (born January 26, 1990) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang Giga of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). In 2018, he signed with Mono Thewphaingarm of the GSB Thailand Basketball Super ...

Imports

Eric Dawson Eric Lamont Dawson (born July 7, 1984) is an American professional basketball player, who last played for the Cariduros de Fajardo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for McLennan CC and Midwestern State. Co ...

(2016) *

Imad Qahwash Imad (also transliterated as Emad, Imed and Aimad ar, عماد) is an Arabic masculine given name and surname and means "support" or "pillar". Given name * Imād ad-Dīn Muhammad bin Qasim, Umayyad Caliphate general * Imad Abbas, Palestinian ...

(2016) *

Trevis Simpson Trevis JeMar Simpson (born September 5, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for Promitheas Patras of the Greek Basket League and the EuroCup. He played college basketball for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. High ...

(

) * Greg Smith (

) * Henry Walker (

)

Retired numbers

* – The team retired his jersey number in his honor during Blackwater's first game in the

2016 PBA Governors' Cup The 2015–16 PBA season, 2016 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) PBA Governors' Cup, Governors' Cup, also known as the 2016 Oppo Electronics, Oppo-PBA Governors' Cup for sponsor (commercial), sponsorship reasons, was the third and last confe ...

versus the

on July 16, 2016. He collapsed and died during the team's practice on July 3, 2016.Blackwater gives tribute to late player Gilbert Bulawan after retiring jersey no.11
Gerry Ramos, SPIN.ph, July 16, 2016

Coaches

# Leo Isaac (2014–fired 2018) # Bong Ramos (2018–fired 2019) # Aries Dimaunahan (2019 as interim coach) #

Nash Racela Raoul Cesar "Nash" Escueta Racela (born November 30, 1971) is a Filipino professional basketball coach. Nash Racela was a graduate of De La Salle University before taking on a career as a coach. He also coached the Philippine squad that parti ...

(2019–fired 2020) # Ariel Vanguardia (2020–2021 as interim coach)

Season-by-season records

:''Records from the

2022–23 PBA season The 2022–23 PBA season or PBA Season 47 is the 47th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. For the first time in two seasons, the league will return to its regular three-conference format, starting with the Philippine Cup. The Com ...

:'' *one-game playoffs
**team had the twice-to-beat advantage

References

{{PBA 2014 establishments in the Philippines Basketball teams established in 2014