PBA basketball – Top Teams, Players, and Rivalries

Basketball has a long history in the Philippines, with the PBA basketball teams and personalities dominating much of the conversations. The country’s love affair with the game started during the American colonization. As part of the integration and the introduction of the public school system, the first American teachers and soldiers introduced the game to the Filipinos. Soon, the Filipinos started their love affair with the game that continued up until this time. The country’s connection with the sport reached maturity with the establishment of the Philippine Basketball Association or the PBA in 1975. PBA basketball is the first professional basketball league in the country and Asia and second only to the National Basketball Association in terms of longevity.

There were 12 teams in attendance during the inaugural season, and the first PBA game was played at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The first commissioner of PBA basketball was Leopoldo Prieto, the national coach in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

PBA Teams

In addition to being the first professional basketball league, PBA basketball is also known for its exciting rivalries and competition among popular teams. Therefore, understanding the game’s history is never complete without learning about top players and teams, the rivalries, and other interesting trivia. Most of the information is available on leading sites like Sports Interactive Network Philippines, or you can read the brief guide below.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

Ginebra San Miguel is one of the oldest teams in the PBA basketball league. The team is arguably the most exciting and popular right now, thanks to the charisma of its players and coaches. Among the many players who joined the team, no one is as popular as Robert Jaworski Sr. He served as one of the first top players of Ginebra and served as the playing coach. According to the Sports Interactive Network Philippines, this team earned 14 PBA championships.

Blackwater Bossing

Blackwater is a relatively new organization that Ever Bilena owns. The company is one of the founding teams in the PBA Developmental League and soon became an expansion team. It got its name from the company’s brand of men’s fragrances.

Converge FiberXers

Converge is the latest addition to the growing PBA family. This team is owned by Converge ICT, the country’s leading supplier of fiber broadband internet. The Converge team starts competing in the 2022 season after acquiring the franchise of the former Alaska Aces.

Magnolia Hotshots

Magnolia Hotshots is another PBA franchise from the San Miguel Corporation. While Magnolia may appear like a new team to some fans, it’s one of the country’s oldest and most successful teams. For many sports and basketball fans, the team is known as Purefoods and is known for winning 14 PBA Cup finals in the All-Filipino Cup. The franchise’s best PBA basketball players are Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera.

Meralco Bolts

Bolts joined the PBA in 2010 after its owners acquired the franchise of the Sta Lucia Realtors. Norman Black is the team’s current coach, with Manny Pangilinan taking complete ownership.

NLEX Road Warriors

The NLEX Road Warriors is one of the founding teams of the PBA Developmental League and won six championships. It is one of the three teams that Manny Pangilinan controls, with TNT and Meralco Bolts as the other two. Today, Yeng Guiao coaches the team, making a concrete step to becoming a championship-caliber group.

NorthPort Batang Pier

The Batang Pier is another member of the PBA and first played for the 2012-2013 season. It bought the franchise of the Powerade Tigers. However, in the coverage of Sports Interactive Network Philippines, this franchise has yet to enter the finals and win the championship.

Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters

The Fuel Masters is a basketball team owned and managed by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. It debuted in the PBA in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup. However, like the Batang Pier, the Fuel Masters has yet to score a final appearance, according to the Sports Interactive Network Philippines.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

The Elasto Painters joined the PBA in 2006 after buying the franchise of the Shell Turbo Chargers. Before joining the professional circuit, the Elasto Painters played for the Philippine Basketball League or the PBL from 1996 to 2006. During its stint in the PBL, Elasto Painters collected six championships.

San Miguel Beermen

San Miguel is one of the most experienced and decorated teams in the PBA. It is one of the three franchises of the San Miguel Corporation and the only remaining original franchise since 1975. The Beermen holds the most titles with 27 and boasts the most all-time victories at 1,200 wins.

Terrafirma Dyip

Teerafirma Dyip is a professional basketball team owned by the Terrafirma Realty Development Corporation. During the 2020 Philippine Cup, the Dyip scored a dismal 1-10 win-loss record.

TNT Tropang Giga

The Tropang Giga is a team by Smart Communications playing since 1990. Its history started in 1990 with Pepsi-Cola bought a PBA franchise. This franchise played under different names like 7 Up and Pepsi. In 1996, the franchise assumed the ‘Mobiline’, and was renamed as Talk ‘n Text.

PBA Players

The PBA has produced several top-notch players and colorful personalities throughout its history. If you ask a sports fan in the Philippines, there’s a big chance that his list of heroes and role models will include a favorite PBA basketball player. In today’s team composition and trends in the line-up, a PBA franchise will often have more than two dozen players. Like in most basketball leagues, the players assume specific roles on the floor, including guard, forward, and center. Teams will identify a starting five, and some serve as backup.

A few names stood out in PBA’s history for their specialization and skills in a particular position. For example, Alvin Patrimonio of the Purefoods was the best power forward of his generation. Ramon Fernandez is known for his role as the center. The ‘big man’ from San Miguel earned the MVP honors four times. And there’s Bogs Adornado, who is an all-around player and scorer.

Rivalries

PBA basketball games become more exciting thanks to the presence of colorful personalities and the many rivalries. For example, during the mid to late 1980s, the Ginebra San Miguel was the most exciting group to watch for their ‘never say die’ attitude. Robert Jaworski was the leading personality known for his passion and fire on the court. The team had heated rivalries with the Tanduay Rhum Masters, and Jaworski had a rivalry with Ramon Fernandez.

Soon, the rivalry extended to the Purefoods franchise, which includes famous players like Patrimonio, Codinera, and Jojo Lastimosa. During the 1990s, Ginebra and Shell formed an intense rivalry. Their rivalry resulted in the walkout of the Ginebra team during the 1990 finals.

Although several rivalries followed through the years, nothing beats the excitement and coverage in sports interactive network Philippines that attended the early rivalries during the 1980s and 1990s.

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