The Zamboanga Peninsula Valientes MLV are a Filipino professional
basketball team based in
Zamboanga City, which has played in multiple national and regional leagues since its interception.
History
The Zamboanga Valientes was established in 2006 by Lando Navarro as a means to give a platform for Zamboangueño basketball players.
The team has participated in various commercial and regional leagues including the
National Basketball Conference in 2006, and the
Liga Pilipinas in 2008. After Lando's death, the club would be took over by Cory Navarro and Mike Venezuela who is affiliated with MLV Accounting.
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
The team played in the
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as the Zamboanga–Family's Brand Sardines Valientes in the
2018–19 season. The team was reportedly "relaunched" as the
Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines
The Zamboanga Family's Atami Brand Sardines, formerly the Zamboanga-Family's Brand Sardines Valientes, are a professional basketball team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. Its name is due to sponsorship with Universal Canning Inc. ...
starting the
2019–20 season following undisclosed management issues.
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3
The Zamboanga Valientes was among the pioneer teams of the
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 is a professional 3-on-3 basketball league in the Philippines and is organized by the country's national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). It was formed in 2018 as a bid to get the Phil ...
league which played in the
inaugural season in 2018.
The
Family's Brand Sardines and the Valientes, which had prior shared history in the MPBL, fielded separate teams in the
2020 Chooks to Go Pilipinas 3x3 season.
For the 2020 season which was organized within a "bubble" format due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Valientes fielded an all-Zamboangeño team, with all players native to
Zamboanga City.
Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup
The Zamboanga Valientes as JPS Zamboanga City MLV fielded a team at the
Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup
The Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup, also known as GlobalPort Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup due to sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league comprises teams from the Visayas and Mindanao regions of the Phil ...
.
PBA 3x3
Zamboanga Valientes received an invitation to participate in
the inaugural season of the
PBA 3x3 league in 2021. It became the first non-franchise team to confirm its participation in the PBA league. The team took a leave of absence for the second conference of the season due to its roster being hampered by injuries.
ABL
On November 26, 2022, it was announced that the Valientes would be the Philippine representatives for the
ABL Invitational 2023.
Other
After the
2020 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 season, Zamboanga Valientes decided to begin competing in international tournaments. They competed and won the title in the 3X3 Christmas Hustle which was organized in Canberra, Australia in December 2020.
Management
The Zamboanga Valientes is supported by local businesspeople Cory Navarro and Mike Venezuela and had sanction from former Zamboanga City mayor
Beng Climaco
Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar (born September 7, 1966), also known as Beng Climaco, is a Filipina politician, and former mayor of Zamboanga City in Mindanao, Philippines. Prior to this she was councilor of the city's 1st district for two terms ...
.
Joseph Romarante is the team's Vice President.
Current roster
This is the lineup of the Valientes for the
2023 ABL season
The 2023 ABL Invitational was the eleventh season of competition of the ASEAN Basketball League. The regular season tipped off on 2 January in Singapore, before moving to 3 other host countries. The season ended with the finals played from 3rd to ...
.
Notable players
*
Ryan Buenafe
*
Mac Cardona
Mark Reynan Mikesell Cardona (born November 13, 1981) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Boracay Islanders of the Pilipinas Super League. From a successful college career with the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, Ca ...
*
Chito Jaime
*
Reed Juntilla
*
Jaycee Marcelino
Jaycee Carlos Marcelino (born October 19, 1995) is a Filipino basketball player for the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted 17th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2019 PBA draf ...
*
Eric Rodriguez
References
{{PBA 3x3
Zamboanga City
Basketball teams in the Philippines
Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 teams
National Basketball Conference teams
Liga Pilipinas teams
2006 establishments in the Philippines
Basketball teams established in 2006
PBA 3x3 teams
National Basketball League (Philippines) teams