The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
league in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
and is the second oldest continuously professional basketball league existing in the world after the
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 ...
,
[Bartholomew, Rafe. ''Pacific Rims''. New American Library, 2010, p. 13.] established before the "open era" of basketball in 1990 where
FIBA
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
allowed longstanding domestic leagues, which mostly had predated the PBA, to become professional. The league's regulations are a hybrid of rules from the NBA and FIBA.
The league played its first game at the
Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...
in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
on April 9, 1975.
[ Its main office is located along Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C-5 road), ]Eastwood City
Eastwood City is an mixed-use development complex located in Barangay Bagumbayan Quezon City. Launched in 1997, it is Megaworld Corporation’s first “live-work-play” community that offers complete facilities, amenities, and establishments ...
, Bagumbayan, Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
.
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 ...
have the most PBA championships with 28 titles. Entering the 2022–23 Commissioner's Cup, the San Miguel Beermen, who defeated the TNT KaTropa
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 ...
4–2 in the 2019 Commissioner's Cup Finals, are also the defending Commissioner's Cup champions.
History
The Philippine Basketball Association was founded when nine teams left the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
The Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) was a sports association which existed in Manila, Philippines from 1938 to 1981. Throughout its existence, it staged various sports and was participated by prominent Philippine co ...
(MICAA), which was tightly controlled by the Basketball Association of the Philippines
The Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) was the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) recognized national governing body for basketball in the Philippines. It was recognized by the FIBA in 1936 until 2007 when the Samahang Ba ...
(BAP), the FIBA-recognized national association at the time. With the BAP controlling the MICAA, the league was ''de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...
'' amateur, as players were only paid allowances. This is much like what was done in other countries to circumvent the amateur requirement and to play in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments such as the Olympics. MICAA team owners were not pleased with how BAP (then led by Gonzalo "Lito" Puyat) were taking away their players to join the national team without consulting them first. On January 23, 1975, Mariwasa-Noritake Porcelainmakers' team owner, Emerson Coseteng, together with Carrier Weathermakers, Toyota Comets, Seven-Up Uncolas and Presto Ice Cream announced the formation of the PBA. The Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, i ...
, Royal Tru-Orange, Tanduay Distillery, and the U/Tex Weavers later joined the upcoming professional league. Leopoldo Prieto, the coach for the Philippines at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
, was appointed as the first commissioner and Coseteng was chosen as the first president of the league's Board of Governors. The first game of the league was held at the Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...
on April 9, 1975, featuring Mariwasa-Noritake and Concepcion Carrier.
The league's first 10 years was known for the intense rivalry of the Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, i ...
and the Toyota Tamaraws
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 ...
, still considered one of the greatest rivalries in league history. Big names such as Robert Jaworski
Robert Vincent Salazar Jaworski Sr. (; born March 8, 1946) is a Filipino former professional basketball player, head coach and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1998 to 2004. He played 23 seasons in the Philippine Bas ...
, Ramon Fernandez
Ramon Sadaya Fernandez (; born October 3, 1953) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and current commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission. Fernandez won four PBA Most Valuable Player awards and a record 19 PBA titles. F ...
, Francis Arnaiz
Francis C. Arnaiz (born June 4, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player. He is best known as a PBA player, playing for Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel from 1975-1986.
Early basketball years
Arnaiz had a love for sports and was shooting stuf ...
, Atoy Co
Fortunato "Atoy" Gan Co Jr. (born October 15, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player and coach who played 13 seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association, mostly with Crispa Redmanizers. Nicknamed "The Fortune Cookie" (a pun on his na ...
, Bogs Adornado
William "Bogs" Adornado (born May 26, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player and coach. He is one of the Philippine Basketball Association's Greatest Players and was inducted to its Hall of Fame in 2005. He was a three-time PBA Most Val ...
and Philip Cezar
Philip Dudley Cezar (born December 1, 1952) is a Filipino former basketball coach, player and politician. Known by the monikers "Mr. Stretch", "''Tapal'' King" and "The Scholar", he was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub of the Phil ...
played for those squads before the two teams disbanded in 1983 and 1984 respectively. Following their disbandment, the league moved from the Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...
to ULTRA
adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. '' ...
in Pasig
Pasig, officially the City of Pasig ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasig), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people.
It is located along the ...
. There, the league continued to be popular, as several former Toyota and Crispa players suited up for different teams.
During the mid to late 80s, Jaworski and Ginebra San Miguel
Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI, ) () (formerly, La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.) is a Philippines-based diversified beverage company majority-owned by San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
History
La Tondeña was established in 1902 by Carlos Palanca, S ...
became the league's most popular squad for their "never say die" attitude. The team had intense rivalries with the Tanduay Rhum Masters
The Tanduay Rhum Makers (1975-1987) and Tanduay Rhum Masters (1999-2001) were two basketball franchises associated with the same liquor brand that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
The original franchise, owned by Elizald ...
, which was led by Jaworski's ex-Toyota teammate-turned-rival Fernandez, and later the expansion Purefoods Corporation and younger players Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Dale Vergara Patrimonio (born November 17, 1966) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager for the Magnolia Hotshots.
Patrimonio holds several PBA re ...
, Jerry Codiñera
Jerry Herman Codiñera (born November 14, 1966) is a Filipino coach and retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is nicknamed the "Defense Minister" for his prowess at the defensive end. He is the curr ...
, Jojo Lastimosa
Isabelo "Jojo" Lastimosa Jr. (born March 10, 1964) is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Purefoods Hotdogs, the Alaska Aces and the Pop Cola Panthers from 1988 to 2002. He was als ...
and Fernandez (who moved from Tanduay).
By the end of the 1980s, San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beer refers to San Miguel Pale Pilsen, a Filipino pale lager produced by San Miguel Brewery (a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation). Established in San Miguel, Manila in 1890 by the original San Miguel Brewery (renamed San Miguel Cor ...
won numerous championships that included the 1989 Grand Slam, led by coach Norman Black
Norman Augustus Black (born November 12, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the CBA, NBA, and PBA. He's the current head coach for the Meralco Bolts.
He has since settled in the Philippines. He is also ...
and former national team stars Samboy Lim
Avelino Borromeo Lim Jr. (born April 1, 1962), better known as Samboy "The Skywalker" Lim, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association and many time national player in the 1980s and 90s.
As a ...
and Hector Calma
Hector Calma (born March 2, 1960) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 8 inches, he played at the point guard position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer team of the Philippine Basketbal ...
.
In 1989, FIBA voted to allow professionals to play in their sanctioned tournaments, hence the PBA's players are now able to represent the country internationally. In 1990, the league sent its first all-professional squad to the Asian Games
The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...
, earning a silver medal. The PBA would later send three more all-pro squads to the event.
The early 1990s saw Ginebra and Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
** Thin-shell structure
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard o ...
forming an intense rivalry that included Ginebra's walkout in 1990 finals against Shell and the team's dramatic comeback from a 3–1 deficit to beat Shell in the 1991 First Conference. Patrimonio, Allan Caidic
Allan Vito Flores Caidic (born June 15, 1963) is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is considered by many to be the greatest shooter the country has ever produced, thus, earning the mon ...
, and a host of others became the league's main attraction.
By 1993, the league moved to the Cuneta Astrodome
The Cuneta Astrodome is an indoor arena that is located in Pasay, Philippines. Since the 1993 PBA season, it was better known as the home of the Philippine Basketball Association. when it left the PhilSports Arena (that was then known as ULTRA), ...
in Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
and later saw the Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 PBA season, 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Barangay Ginebr ...
win the 1996 grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
and nine titles in the decade.
From 1999 to 2000, the PBA endured controversy. Several expatriate cagers arrived on the scene (such as Asi Taulava
Pauliasi Taulava (born March 2, 1973) is a Tongan-born Filipino professional basketball player for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is the oldest active player in the league.
Standing 6 ft 9 in (2 ...
, 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 ...
and Eric Menk
Eric Conrad Menk (born August 24, 1974) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Asean Basketball League. Known as Major Pain, Menk is a four-time PBA champion ...
). Their lineage was questionable and most of them were deported for falsifying documents. The arrival of dozens of these players was a counter to the fledgling Metropolitan Basketball Association
The Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), or Metroball, was a professional basketball league in the Philippines that ran from March 7, 1998, to July 26, 2002.
History
The MBA played its first game on March 7, 1998, at the Don Narciso Ramos ...
, a regional-based professional league formed in 1998. After ABS-CBN's 2001 abandonment, the MBA faced mounting expenses and would fold within a year. Despite the MBA's disbandment and the arrival of those players to the PBA, attendance went sour for the PBA in 2002 and was even worse the following year.
In 2004, the league introduced drastic scheduling changes, when it decided to begin the season in October instead of January. The change in starting the season allowed the league to accommodate international tournaments held from June to September and it fit better with college hoops, the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
and the UAAP, whose seasons run from June to October. The league also reduced the number of conferences from three to two, renaming the All-Filipino Cup as the Philippine Cup and introducing a new import laden tournament named as the Fiesta Conference. To accommodate these changes, a transitional tournament, the 2004 PBA Fiesta Conference
The 2004 PBA Fiesta Conference, or known as the 2004 Gran Matador Brandy-PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsor (commercial), sponsorship reasons, was tournament held by the Philippine Basketball Association and the first ever edition of the PBA Fiesta ...
was held from February to July, which was won by the 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 ...
. The league also began to hold the annual All-Star weekend in the provinces, alternating from Luzon and Visayas/Mindanao provinces every year.
The league regained some popularity by this year, thanks in large part to Barangay Ginebra's three PBA championships led by Eric Menk, Jayjay Helterbrand
Anthony "Jayjay" Helterbrand (born Lamberto Romero Vicente, Jr. on October 14, 1976) is a Filipino-American basketball player for the Boracay Islanders of the Pilipinas Super League. He previously played with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of ...
and Mark Caguioa
Mark Anthony Yu Caguioa (born November 19, 1979) is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known as The Spark and as MC47 from his initials an ...
. Solid marketing and arrival of collegiate stars from the UAAP and the NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
also worked in the PBA's favor.
By 2005, the league would take on the role of Philippine national representation under Chot Reyes
Vincent "Chot" P. Reyes (born August 1, 1963) is a Filipino basketball head coach for the TNT Tropang Giga for the Philippine Basketball Association. He is also the head coach of the Philippine national basketball team, where he led the team to a ...
, when FIBA lifted the suspension of the country following the formation of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas () or the SBP is the national sport association for basketball in the Philippines, formed from the merging of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and Pilipinas Basketball (PB).
It was formed ...
despite a ninth-place finish in the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship
The 2007 FIBA Asia Championship for Men was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Asia at the men's basketball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. The tournament was held in Tokushima, Japan from July 28 to August 5, 2007.
Particip ...
. In 2009, however, the all-amateur 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 ...
team became the country's official representative in international competitions. The PBA's role in forming a national team was thus reduced to sending up reinforcements to beef up the national squad.
After the appointment of 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 ...
, son of former commissioner Rudy Salud
Rodrigo Salud (March 13, 1938 – March 7, 2011) was the third commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association from 1988 to 1992 and the founding secretary-general of the World Boxing Council. His son, Chito, was also a former commissio ...
as the commissioner of the PBA, the league returned the three-conference format starting in the 2010-11 season. This also ushered the return of the previously retired conferences, the Commissioner's and Governors' cups.
The beginning of the 2010s also saw the dominance of the 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 ...
, who nearly got the Grand Slam in the 2010–11 season and won the Philippine Cup in three consecutive years (2010–11
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 ...
, 2011–12, 2012–13
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 ...
) enabling them to permanently keep possession of the Jun Bernardino Trophy
The Jun Bernardino Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team that wins the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Previously known as the "Perpetual Trophy", it was created in 2006 and renamed in March 2007 in honor of ...
, the trophy given to the Philippine Cup champions.
On May 19, 2013, the third game of the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals between the Alaska Aces and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
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 ...
set the all-time basketball attendance record of 23,436 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose arena, sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the ...
, which broke the previous record of 23,108 set 11 days earlier that featured the semifinals series doubleheader between Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
vs. San Mig Coffee and 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 ...
vs. Talk 'N Text
TNT (formerly known as Piltel, Mobiline, Phone Pal, and still unofficially known as Talk 'N Text) is a cellular service of Smart Communications in the Philippines. By April 2000, Piltel launched its GSM brand, Talk 'N Text. Piltel also reporte ...
. This record was eventually broken on February 12, 2014, when the seventh game of the 2013-14 PBA Philippine Cup Semifinals series between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
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 ...
and San Mig Super Coffee Mixers
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 ...
set the all-time basketball attendance record of 24,883.
The 2013–14 season became historic as the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers
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 ...
became the fourth team to win the Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
. Tim Cone
Earl Timothy Cone (born December 14, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is the most accomplished coach in PBA history with t ...
, the coach of the Coffee Mixers also made history when he became the first coach to win two Grand Slams.
For the 2014–15 season, the league expanded to twelve teams, after accepting two new franchises: Kia Sorento
The Kia Sorento ( ko, 기아 쏘렌토, translit=Gia Sorento) is a mid-size crossover SUV (formerly a body-on-frame SUV until 2009) produced since 2002 by South Korean manufacturer Kia.
First generation (BL; 2002)
2002–2006
Debuted in ...
and Blackwater Elite
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 PB ...
. The league held its opening ceremonies at the Philippine Arena
The Philippine Arena is the world's largest indoor arena. It is a multipurpose indoor arena with a maximum seating capacity of 55,000 at Ciudad de Victoria, a 140-hectare tourism enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippin ...
and set an all-time Philippine basketball attendance record of 52,612. a record now held by Game 7
A game seven is the final game of a best of seven series. This game can occur in the postseasons for Major League Baseball (MLB) (League Championship Series and World Series), the National Basketball Association (NBA) (all rounds of the NBA pl ...
of the 2017 PBA Governors' Cup Finals
The 2017 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors' Cup Finals was the best-of-7 championship series of the 2017 PBA Governors' Cup, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Meralco Bolts ...
, contested between the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
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 ...
and the Meralco Bolts
The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team began in 2010 after the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) acquired the PBA franchise of the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The team is one of three ...
and attended by 54,086 in the same arena.
On February 15, 2015, in the middle of the 2014–15 PBA season, 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 ...
announced that he would step down as the league's commissioner and was succeeded by Chito Narvasa
Andres "Chito" Yuseco Narvasa, Jr. (born October 18, 1956) is a Filipino business executive and former basketball player and coach. He is best known as the ninth commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association.
Personal life
He is the son o ...
starting the 2015–16 PBA season
The 2015–16 PBA season was the 41st season of the Philippine Basketball Association. The league continued to use the three-conference format, starting with the Philippine Cup. The Commissioner's Cup and the Governors' Cup were the second and ...
. Salud was then appointed as the President and CEO of the league, when the board of governors decided to restructure the league and create the President/CEO position to manage the league's marketing, expansion and business-related matters. The Commissioner (who will also be the league's Chief Operating Officer) will handle game-related matters.
Salud, however, also stepped down as the league's president and CEO on December 31, 2015, and was replaced by incumbent PBA chairman Robert Non. The board of governors later appointed Chito Narvasa as the President and CEO. The said position was eventually dissolved before the start of the 2016 Governors' Cup.
Amid controversies during his term, Narvasa stepped down on December 31, 2017. The board appointed Media Bureau chief Willie Marcial as his replacement on January 25, 2018.
Upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
in March 2020, the league was forced to postpone their games for the 2020 season just three after holding their opening ceremonies. It is not until October that the league was able to resume the Philippine Cup at Angeles, Pampanga in a bubble setup. This was the first time that the league held only one tournament in a season.
The opening of the 2021 season was planned to open in January 2021 but was also delayed to July 2021 due to the rising cases of COVID-19 caused by the virus' Delta variant
The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...
. The games were initially played at the Ynares Sports Arena
The Ynares Sports Arena is an indoor arena located in Pasig, Philippines. The stadium has hosted the basketball games of the Philippine Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League, and Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, as well as co ...
in Pasig in a semi-bubble type setup but due to another case surge in Metro Manila in August, the games were moved to the Don Honorio Ventura State University in Bacolor Pampanga. The 2021 Governors' Cup was started in December in a semi-bubble type setup in Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig. After two weeks, the Quezon City government approved the league's proposal to play their games with a limited number of audience at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The league postponed indefinitely the scheduled games for January 2022 due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases brought by the Omicron variant
Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
.
On February 16, 2022, Alaska Milk Corporation
Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) is a manufacturer of milk products in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Dutch dairy cooperative FrieslandCampina, which acquired control (98.1%) of the company from the founding Uytengsu family in 2012.
The com ...
which owned the Alaska Aces announced that the team would leave the PBA at the end of the 2021 Governors' Cup after 35 years in the league and winning 14 championships. Alaska played their last game on March 19, 2022 with a loss to the 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 ...
in the quarterfinals. A ceremony was held shortly after the game to mark the Alaska's departure from the PBA. The team was later sold to Converge ICT
Converge ICT Solutions Inc., commonly referred to as Converge (also known as ComClark in Pampanga), is a telecommunication service provider in the Philippines. It operates fiber optic broadband networks, Internet Protocol television (marketed a ...
, to which it was named Converge FiberXers
The Converge FiberXers are a professional basketball team owned by Converge ICT. The team competes in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The franchise began after acquiring the former Alaska Aces franchise on March 23, 2022.
History ...
.
In September 2022, after another round of negotiations finished on Friday in Tokyo, the Philippine Basketball Association and the Japan B. League will keep looking for methods to maintain their relationship and mutual understanding.
When the two sides met at the B.League office next to Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, the 47-year-old league, led by Board chairman Ricky Vargas and commissioner Willie Marcial, presented a six-point discussion to their Japanese counterparts, led by chairman Shinji Shimada.
Competition format
Selection of teams
When the PBA was created, it was from the nine clubs representing different companies that seceded from the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
The Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) was a sports association which existed in Manila, Philippines from 1938 to 1981. Throughout its existence, it staged various sports and was participated by prominent Philippine co ...
(MICAA). The PBA adopted the MICAA's " franchise system" akin to North American sports, only that instead of geographic regions, teams represent companies. Several teams have disbanded and entered the league. Disbandment of a team usually occurs if its mother company regularly sustains financial losses, or for non-sporting reasons, causing it to sell the team to another company. Aside from buying an already-existing team, a company can enter the PBA via an expansion team
An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
.
An aspiring team seeking to join the PBA had to be approved by majority of the existing teams. There is a lockout provision, which enables a team to veto the entry of a franchise team whose company is a direct competitor that of one of the existing team's business.[
Previously, a company is allowed only one team, with each team having one vote in the Board of Governors; with the acquisition of La Tondeña Distillers (now ]Ginebra San Miguel
Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI, ) () (formerly, La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.) is a Philippines-based diversified beverage company majority-owned by San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
History
La Tondeña was established in 1902 by Carlos Palanca, S ...
) by 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 ...
(SMC) in 1987, this caused the SMC to have two "sister" 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 ...
and the Ginebra San Miguel (now the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
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 ...
). At this point, Ginebra coach Robert Jaworski
Robert Vincent Salazar Jaworski Sr. (; born March 8, 1946) is a Filipino former professional basketball player, head coach and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1998 to 2004. He played 23 seasons in the Philippine Bas ...
had autonomy on the decisions on his team, so the situation of SMC having sister teams was tolerated. In 1998, Jaworski ran and won for a Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
seat; this caused him to delegate coaching duties to his longtime deputy Rino Salazar. By this time, Danding Cojuangco
Eduardo "Danding" Murphy Cojuangco Jr. (June 10, 1935 – June 16, 2020) was a Filipino businessman and politician. He was the chairman and CEO of San Miguel Corporation, the largest food and beverage corporation in the Philippines and Sou ...
has seized control of SMC, and he added Allan Caidic
Allan Vito Flores Caidic (born June 15, 1963) is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is considered by many to be the greatest shooter the country has ever produced, thus, earning the mon ...
to Ginebra from San Miguel. Jaworski disapproved of this, and resigned.
In 2001 the Ayala Corporation
Ayala Corporation (Spanish: ''Corporación Ayala'', formerly ''Ayala y Compañía'' (Ayala & Company)) is the publicly listed holding company for the diversified interests of the Ayala Group. Founded in the Philippines by Domingo Róxas and A ...
sold its Purefoods-Hormel unit, which included the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs
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 Food and Beverage, Inc., a subsidiary of San Migue ...
team, to SMC. Later that year, RFM Corporation
RFM Corporation () is a publicly listed food and beverage company in the Philippines. RFM is a manufacturer of flour and flour-based products, milk, juice drinks and ice cream. As of June 2013, RFM had an asset base of P12 billion and a to ...
sold its Cosmos Bottling Corporation, including the Pop Cola Panthers
The Pop Cola Panthers were a professional basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1990-2001. The franchise was owned by RFM Corporation. In 2001, when RFM Corporation sold its entire stake in Cosmos Bottling Cor ...
team, to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, a subsidiary of SMC, rechristening them as the Coca-Cola Tigers
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
, and giving SMC four teams. The PBA approved this arrangement, with SMC getting two votes in the Board of Governors instead of four. In 2006, SMC sold back its Coca-Cola unit to the Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
-based Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, ...
, and sold the now renamed Powerade Tigers to Sultan 900, Inc., becoming the GlobalPort Batang Pier
The NorthPort Batang Pier is a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team that first played in the 2012–13 PBA season. The team took over the franchise of the Powerade Tigers in 2012 after it was sold to Sultan 900 Capital, Inc. Besides Nor ...
, decreasing their teams to three.
By 2010, Manuel V. Pangilinan
Manuel Velez Pangilinan, (born July 14, 1946), also known by his initials MVP, is a Filipino businessman and sports patron. He is the managing director and CEO of First Pacific Company Limited, a Hong Kong-based investment management and ho ...
has owned 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 ...
team via the Pilipino Telephone Company. Pangilinan, who had controlling ownership in 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 ...
, bought 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. ...
team, rechristening them as the Meralco Bolts
The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team began in 2010 after the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) acquired the PBA franchise of the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The team is one of three ...
. His NLEX Corporation
NLEX Corporation (formerly Manila North Tollways Corporation) is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), a company owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (). It holds the concession rights to construct, operate and m ...
then bought 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 ...
team in 2014, becoming the 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 ...
. This has made Cojuangco and Pangilinan own three teams each out of the 12 teams in the PBA by 2014.
This closed system, while unlike the open European model of promotion and relegation
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
, allows teams from other leagues to carryover some of players to the PBA, if they are given this concession, such as in 2006 when the Welcoat Dragons were allowed to carry over three players from their 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 ...
team.
The PBA also allows "guest teams", or teams not represented in the Board of Governors, to play in certain conferences. The most recent guest team is the Bay Area Dragons
The Bay Area Dragons is a basketball team in the East Asia Super League. Based in Hong Kong, the team is meant to represent Greater China.
History
The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes as a franchise team for the E ...
.
Season format
Unlike other leagues, there is no "season champion" of the PBA. Instead, the season is divided into conferences
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...
or tournaments (not to be confused with the definition of a "conference
A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic.
Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...
" in a sporting context as a grouping of teams based on geography or historical affiliation) played in sequence, wherein the teams compete for a conference cup. The winners of the conference cups do not face each other at the end of the season to determine the season champion; instead all conference champions are league champions, with the Philippine Cup being the most prestigious conference of the season.
A season is usually composed of three conferences. Since the 2010–11 season, the conferences were named Philippine
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, Commissioner's and Governors' Cups, usually ending in a best-of-seven series where the winner took the conference cup. If the same team won all of the conferences, the team was said to be the "Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
" champion. A draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
is held after the season-ending Governors' Cup. An opening ceremony
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event. , consisting of the presentation of the team's roster and their respective muses, and The Leo Awards (the awarding of several awards such as the MVP of the previous season), is held before the start of the first game of the season. The conference format is similar to Apertura and Clausura
The ' and ' tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is div ...
in Latin American football.
Each conference usually carries the same tournament format through the years. All conferences begin with a group stage, or an elimination round, akin to the regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
in North American sports leagues, where all teams face each team at least once, and the worst-performing teams are eliminated. With the number of teams increasing to 12, the top 8 teams in the league will advance, and the last four will be eliminated. The elimination round is a single round-robin format; previously, it was a double round-robin, and in some conferences, teams faced certain groups of teams more than once. After the group stage is the playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, which consists of the Quarterfinals (Best of three in the Philippine Cup, best of three in the Commisioner's Cup, with the top 2 having a twice-to-beat advantage, and the Governors' Cup, wherein the top 4 teams have a twice-to-beat advantage.), the Semifinals (Best of 7 in the Philippine Cup, and Best of 5 in the Commisioner's and Governors' Cups), and the Finals (Best of 7 Series)
During the Finals of the last conference, the PBA awards its best players in an awarding ceremony. A Rookie Draft is then held after the season for teams to select new players or "rookies". Most draft applicants have played either in the PBA Developmental League (PBA D-League), the PBA's own minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
, or from the collegiate ranks, either in the Philippines and in the United States. The Philippines has an extensive college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
culture, and this is where the PBA gets most of its players. An offseason usually a couple of months long ends with an opening ceremony
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event. to tip off the new season.
With the previous seasons since 2012 being suspended in order to allow players who are members of the Philippine national team to play in FIBA
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
tournaments, they have been lengthened. Originally set from October to July starting in 2004, the last two seasons ended more than a year after it started. There have been calls from within the league to revert to the two-conference format in use from 2004 to 2010 to shorten the season and have it in sync with the FIBA calendar again.
Game rules
The Games and Amusements Board
The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) ( tgl, Lupon sa Palaro at Libangan) is the government-ran regulatory body of professional sports in the Philippines.
History
The Games and Amusements Board initially started its operation in 1951 with the issu ...
(GAB) has its rules for the size of the basketball court and equipment, which the PBA adapts. The PBA then uses its own set of rules of basketball
The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball. While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodie ...
, independently of FIBA
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...
and the 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 ...
. Most non-professional leagues in the Philippines (those not supervised by the GAB) primarily use FIBA rules, so called "amateur rules" in the Philippines, although some still have exceptions.
Game rules have previously been predominantly influenced by the NBA, such as the rules on illegal defenses. After PBA players have been allowed to represent the Philippines in FIBA tournaments, the PBA has adopted FIBA rules piecemeal, including allowing zone defenses, so that the Philippine national team won't be disadvantaged in FIBA competitions.
Eligibility
Eligibility to participate in the PBA is generally limited to natural born Filipino citizens born in the Philippines. There are player quotas for natural born Filipinos born outside the Philippines, while naturalized Filipinos and foreigners can only play in certain conferences. Coaching is restricted to Filipinos, although longtime foreigner residents and holders of certain visas have been granted exemptions.
Player eligibility
Natural-born Filipino citizens are generally eligible to become part of a PBA team through the PBA draft
PBA may refer to:
Places
*Province of Buenos Aires, a province in Argentina
Facilities and structures
*Pine Bluff Arsenal, Jefferson County, Arkansas, USA; a military installation near the city of Pine Bluff
*Pinnacle Bank Arena, a sports ar ...
. Foreigners as well as naturalized Filipino citizens with no Filipino parents can not join the league through the PBA draft; both who could only play as imports, and only on certain conferences.
Filipino players who are aspiring to join the PBA through the draft and are born outside the Philippines are classed as Filipino-foreigners regardless if both their parents are Filipino citizens at the time of their birth. They have to submit documentary proof of their Filipino citizenship
Philippine nationality law details the conditions by which a person is a national of the Philippines. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines and the 1939 Revised Naturaliz ...
from 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 ...
and the Bureau of Immigration Bureau of Immigration may refer to:
*Bureau of Immigration (India)
*Bureau of Immigration (Philippines)
* Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (Liberia)
*Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforc ...
prior to their rookie draft. Filipinos with foreign ancestry who are born in the Philippines are not subject to the same requirements. A team can have a maximum of five Filipino-foreigners players in its roster. Starting the draft for the 2022 season, the Filipino-foreigner cap will be increased to seven. Filipino-foreigners would only need a passport and be of Filipino heritage.
Foreigners and naturalized Filipinos can play as imports, but only on import-laden conferences. If a player who is not a natural-born Filipino plays in an all-Filipino conference, it can lead his team forfeiting the wins in games where he took part. Imports are directly hired by teams, and are not drafted. In some conferences where imports are allowed, a height limit is imposed. An import who is over the height limit won't be allowed to play. Most imports are African Americans
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, but there had been tournaments where other nationalities have played in.
Coach eligibility
Head coaching role for teams in the PBA is generally only available to Filipino citizens since foreigners who are classified as non-resident alien
In law, an alien is any person (including an organization) who is not a citizen or a national of a specific country, although definitions and terminology differ to some degree depending upon the continent or region. More generally, however, t ...
s are bared from serving the role as head coach. It is possible for a foreigner to be a head coach of a PBA team by acquiring permanent residency
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with suc ...
such as in the case of Tim Cone
Earl Timothy Cone (born December 14, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is the most accomplished coach in PBA history with t ...
and Norman Black
Norman Augustus Black (born November 12, 1957) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the CBA, NBA, and PBA. He's the current head coach for the Meralco Bolts.
He has since settled in the Philippines. He is also ...
who married Filipinos and being a holder of a Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) such as in the case of Rajko Toroman
Rajko Toroman ( sr-Cyrl, Рајко Тороман; born February 10, 1955) is a Serbian professional basketball coach.
Coaching career
Before 2016, he served as a team consultant for the Barako Bull Energy Cola and the Petron Blaze Boosters i ...
who became eligible for an SRRV after residing in the country for at least five years. The restriction on foreigners has been in place since 1991.
Other regulations
Players of the PBA sign a Uniform Players' Contract (UPC) when they sign in with a team franchise which plays in the league. The team manager of the concerned team also signs this contract. The UPC includes the bill of rights and privileges as well as obligations and responsibilities of the PBA's players and teams. Players under an active UPC cannot transfer to a team outside the PBA. Consequentially, this prohibits players from taking part in a league other than the PBA (also known colloquially as ''ligang labas Ligang labas is a Tagalog language term for playing in a sports league (oftentimes basketball) other than where a player's team is primarily playing. Translated as "outside league" (or, "league that's not ours"), ligang labas is also a description u ...
'' or "outside league"). Although occasionally, players are allowed to temporarily suit up in such games if they secure permission from both their teams and the league management, especially for participations involving charity.
Teams
All franchises are owned by corporations since the league's inception in 1975, being the successor of the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
The Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) was a sports association which existed in Manila, Philippines from 1938 to 1981. Throughout its existence, it staged various sports and was participated by prominent Philippine co ...
, an amateur league which also featured corporate teams. They are not based on geographic locale, so they do not play in a home arena. The names of the teams often changes, often depending on what product or service the owners, like to advertise. A name change could be drastic, to the point of switching industries entirely, such as in the case of the Pepsi Mega Bottlers which changed their names to the Mobiline Cellulars (now TNT Tropang Giga
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 ...
).[
A team's name is often divided into two parts; the first is the company or brand name, then the product or a moniker - usually connected to the business of the company. In some cases, the brand name and the moniker can be fused. For example, 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 ...
is a team owned by the San Miguel Brewery
San Miguel Brewery Inc. is a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation and jointly owned with Kirin Holdings Co. Ltd. The company is the Philippines’ largest brewery with a market share of over 95% as of 2008. The company also operates in China a ...
of 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 ...
, makers of the popular San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beer refers to San Miguel Pale Pilsen, a Filipino pale lager produced by San Miguel Brewery (a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation). Established in San Miguel, Manila in 1890 by the original San Miguel Brewery (renamed San Miguel Cor ...
brand.
Current teams
Team popularity
In 2008, a survey by the Social Weather Stations
The Social Weather Stations or SWS is a social research institution in the Philippines founded in August 1985. It is a private, non-stock, nonprofit institution. It is the foremost public-opinion polling body in the Philippines. As an independent ...
showed that Purefoods shares the honor of the league's most popular team along 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 ...
. It appeared that Ginebra was the most popular team among men, while Purefoods was the most popular among women. Also, Ginebra was more popular in Metro Manila and Luzon and in classes ABC, while Purefoods was more popular in Visayas and Mindanao and in class D. The two teams were tied for most supporters in class E. In terms of percentage of supporters, the survey showed that, after Ginebra and Purefoods (which both got 31%), are Magnolia
''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 ...
(21%), Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
(13%), Sta. Lucia (5%), 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 ...
(4%), Talk N' Text (3%), Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
(1%), and Air 21
Air21 Airlines was a short-lived United States airline based in Fresno, California, led by Mark Morro, founded by David Miller and co-founded by David J. VanderLugt. The airline operated five Fokker F28 Fellowship 64-passenger twin engine jet a ...
(1%).
Notably, the top three teams that have the most supporters have also been considered the most talent-laden teams. They also fall under 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 ...
umbrella. With these three teams acquiring players through allegedly lopsided trades and performing strong in the past several seasons, the PBA has been considered by some to be an "SMC league".
Defunct and guest teams
The most prominent List of defunct Philippine Basketball Association teams, defunct teams were the Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, i ...
, the Toyota Super Corollas, and the Alaska Aces.
Among guest teams, most notable was the American Nicholas Stoodley team that won the 1980 Invitational Conference.
Administration
The league is currently headed by a Commissioner, and the Chairman of the PBA Board of Governors. The Commissioner handles the marketing and administration aspects as well as the technical, game related concerns of the PBA and its developmental league. The Chairman of the PBA Board of Governors is elected, together with the Vice Chairman and Board Treasurer before the start of the season among each of the league's representatives to the board.
By tradition, the incumbent Vice Chairman and Treasurer will assume the Chairmanship and the Vice-Chairmanship respectively the following season.
Commissioners
Presidents and Chairmen of the Board of Governors
Honors
Championships
Awards
The league awards outstanding Filipino players of the season in the annual The PBA Leo Awards, Leo Awards. The awards include the Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award, Most Valuable Player and the Philippine Basketball Association Rookie of the Year award, Rookie of the Year. At the end of each conference, the league also awards the Philippine Basketball Association Best Player of the Conference award, Best Player of the Conference for Filipinos and the Bobby Parks PBA Best Import of the Conference award, Bobby Parks Best Import for foreigners.
The PBA Hall of Fame was instituted in 2005 during the 30th anniversary celebration of the league.
Records
There are all-time records written in Philippine Basketball Association records, as well as distinctions like the List of Philippine Basketball Association career scoring leaders, PBA career scoring leaders, PBA 2,000 Assists Club, List of Philippine Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders, PBA 500 Three-Points Club, List of Philippine Basketball Association players with most games played, PBA 600 Most Games Club, and List of Philippine Basketball Association career rebounding leaders, PBA Top 40 Rebounders.
Rivalries
The most famous matchup was the Crispa-Toyota rivalry of the 1970s. Fans faithfully supported their favorite squads and appeared in the multitudes at the Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Dom ...
, or wherever the archrivals had met. In those days, the players were very passionate. On one occasion, they engaged in a major brawl, leading to the arrest and detention of several players from both clubs at Fort Bonifacio.
The most heated rivalry in the PBA today is that of two teams representing the Ginebra franchise and the Purefoods franchise. The rivalry is now commonly known as the Manila Clasico. It traces its roots on the original Añejo–Purefoods rivalry of the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Other short-lived or less intense rivalries include:
* Tanduay vs Ginebra (1986–1987 rivalry)
* Ginebra–Shell rivalry (1990s rivalry)
* Purefoods–Swift rivalry (1990s corporate rivalry)
* Añejo/Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Ginebra vs San Miguel Beermen, San Miguel (late-1980s to present rivalry)
* Ginebra/Gordon's Gin vs Alaska (late-1980s–2022)
* Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
vs Magnolia Hotshots, Purefoods (late-1980s–2022)
* Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
vs San Miguel Beermen, San Miguel (late-1980s–2022)
* Red Bull vs. the San Miguel franchises (Barangay Ginebra, San Miguel and Purefoods, 2000–2007)
* Talk 'N Text/TNT Tropang Giga, TNT vs. Petron/San Miguel Beermen, San Miguel (2010–present)
* Purefoods/San Mig Coffee/B-Meg/Star/Magnolia vs. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Rain or Shine (2009–present, "New Age Rivalry or Kontrapelo")
* Ginebra vs. Meralco (2016–present)
Media coverage
The PBA has been covered by television and other media since its opening day. Their current TV and radio partner is One Sports. Games are being aired on television via 5 (TV channel), TV5, One Sports (TV channel), One Sports and PBA Rush with the latter aired in high-definition television, high definition. Radio broadcast is being aired on DWFM, Radyo5 92.3 News FM. Livestreaming via Cignal Play and Smart GigaPlay. The PBA can also be watched worldwide on Kapatid TV5, Kapatid International and IWant TFC.
*''PBA on KBS'' (1975 PBA season, 1975, 1977 PBA season, 1977)
*''PBA on BBC'' (1976 PBA season, 1976)
*''PBA on GTV'' (1978 PBA season, 1978–1981 PBA season, 1981)
**People's Television Network, GTV was renamed into MBS in 1980, henceafter the broadcast became known as the ''PBA on MBS''
*''PBA on Vintage Sports'' (1982 PBA season, 1982–1999 PBA season, 1999)
**Aired on Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation, BBC from 1982 to 1983
**Aired on People's Television Network, MBS/PTV from 1984 to 1995
**Aired on Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC from 1996 to 1999
*''PBA on Viva TV'' (2000 PBA season, 2000–2002 PBA season, 2002)
**Aired on Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC from 2000 to 2002
*''PBA on NBN/IBC, PBA on NBN and IBC'' (2003 PBA season, 2003)
**Parallel broadcasts on People's Television Network, NBN and IBC; later IBC simulcasts of the NBN broadcasts. IBC stopped airing the games in October 2003.
*''PBA on ABC'' (2004 PBA Fiesta Conference, 2004–2007–08 PBA season, 2008)
**Became known as the ''PBA on TV5'' after ABC reformatted in August 2008.
*''PBA on Solar Sports'' (2008–09 PBA season, 2008–2010–11 PBA season, 2011)
**Aired on Solar TV from October 2008 to February 2011. Also became known as the "PBA on C/S9" before CS/9 re-formatted on November 29, 2009, to Solar TV.
**Aired on Studio 23 from February 2011 to August 2011.
**Replays also air on Basketball TV.
*''PBA on One Sports'' (2011–12 PBA season, 2011–present)
**Aired on Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC from October 2011 to May 2013 under the AKTV on IBC block. The last AKTV programming block aired until May 31, 2013, due to expiration of the blocktime agreement contract between MediaQuest Holdings and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC.
**Aired on TV5 (Philippines), TV5 starting with the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals. It was moved to Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation, IBC under the Sports5 production on August 14, 2013, to September 2013. Airs on primetime (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) and late afternoon (Saturdays) starting from the 2016 PBA Governors' Cup, 2016 Governors' Cup. previously aired on late afternoon (weekends) from 2013–14 season to 2016 PBA Commissioner's Cup, 2016 Commissioner's Cup.
**Aired on TV5 since November 17, 2013. Simulcast with AksyonTV from November 2013 to July 2015.
**Simulcast in high definition on Cignal HD Channel 198 with no commercial breaks from May 2014 to 2016. Broadcast with English commentary since January 2016.
**Simulcast in high definition on Hyper (TV channel), Hyper with no commercial breaks from January 2016 to May 2016 in English commentary.
**Simulcast in high definition on PBA Rush from July 2016 to present in English commentary.
**Aired via live streaming (Cignal Play App, YouTube, Facebook) from October 2014 to present
*''Fox Sports Asia, PBA on Fox Sports'' (2013–14 PBA season, 2013–2015–16 PBA season, 2016)
**Live simulcast of Sunday doubleheaders in English commentary.
Playing venues
As teams do not represent geographic locales, the league itself rents venues for which it plays on. The PBA usually plays a doubleheader three times a week in Metro Manila arenas, and a game on Saturdays in the Provinces of the Philippines, provinces, popularly known as "out-of-town" games.
A majority of games are held in the Smart Araneta Coliseum
The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose arena, sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the ...
in Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
and the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay
Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
. When both arenas are unavailable, the alternate venues are the Ynares Center in Antipolo, Rizal, PhilSports Arena in Pasig, and the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. Occasionally, provincial games are hosted in selected venues throughout the country. Playoff games are usually held at venues in Metro Manila, most often at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. However, recent incentives to promote the league throughout the country have resulted in out-of-town playoff games.
The league has also played several times outside the Philippines, the majority in Dubai where there is a Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates, large Filipino community.
See also
* The Leo
* List of sports attendance figures - the PBA in a global context
* PBA Developmental League
* PBA Rush
* List of nicknames used in Philippine basketball, Nicknames used in PBA
* National Basketball League (Philippines)
* Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
* Pilipinas Super League
* Filbasket
* Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup
* Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3
References
External links
PBA official website
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Philippine Basketball Association,
1975 establishments in the Philippines
Basketball leagues in the Philippines
Sports leagues established in 1975
Professional sports leagues in the Philippines