Philippine Basketball Association

PERSONAL NOTE: Thanks to everyone for making this blog post so popular! I will try to add more material to make this blog post better for all of you. Thanks again!

(LAST UPDATE: April 16, 2011 - edited resources and added a link)

The PBA is the Philippines' premier basketball league. Many Filipino and non-Filipino folk make up the now ten teams that comprise the PBA. This blog entry is a chance to chat about PBA basketball. I want people like you to help make this blog post better. If I screw up on any info on the PBA, please let me know (in a non-threatening, non-sarcastic manner), and I will make the change will be made accordingly.

Most of my information is provided from my reading on Wikipedia.


^ from: imageshack.us - the PBA logo.

--- The Philippine Basketball Association at a Glance ---

The PBA is celebrating its 36th season for a league that started back in 1975. The Philippines has some very good basketball. Maybe the PBA doesn't have the intensity and excitement of the NBA, but the Philippine Basketball Association offers up some good basketball. Great technique is offered by the various teams of the PBA. The jerseys for most or all teams mostly feature a big logo on the front for the team they represent.

A Few Differences Between the PBA and the NBA.

This section highlights a few differences (and I mean a few) between the PBA and the NBA, just to get you to know how the PBA operates. Perhaps the biggest difference between the PBA and most other pro basketball leagues is that the teams of the PBA are named after companies and not on geographical teams. All of the teams are owned by corporations. So therefore, there are not really any "home" or "away" teams in PBA basketball as you would have between (for example) the Lakers and the Celtics in the NBA. So for example, if my hometown NBA team was referred to by its sponsor, we'd be the Toyota Rockets as opposed to the Houston Rockets since we play at Toyota Center. Many teams have had number of team names based on the teams they are owned by. One of the most interesting team names is a former PBA team called the Toyota Super Corollas. I think for any American (or perhaps even Canadian) fans would find it very cheesy to nickname a sports team after a company and certain products from a company. It is something you probably can't help if an actual company sponsors a company and trying to market a company with a sports team. Only thing really close here in the United States would be the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer.

I've read that the PBA has a set of rules that combine NBA and FIBA rules. Two different tournaments are held in the PBA. The first is called the Philippine Cup. This tournament lasts between October of the current year and goes into February the following year. Only local Filipinos can play. The Fiesta Conference is held between March and July and allows for an "import" to be on each team. These "imports" are non-Filipino players. These "imports" can be no taller than 6'1". I'm 6'0" myself, so I would qualify as an "import" if I was a basketball player. One such example of an import is Terrence Leather, who played for the (then) Talk 'n Text Phone Pals.

Starting this season, the series returned to its three-conference format. The three conferences are the All-Filipino Cup, the Commissioner's Cup, and the Governors Cup. If one team is able to capture all three championships in a single season, they will win the Grand Slam. The last team to win the Grand Slam in the three-conference format was the (then) Alaska Milkmen in 1996. Alaska defeated the (then) Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys, the Shell Turbo Chargers (former PBA team), and Ginebra.

How Many PBA Basketball Players Have I Heard Of?

I don't know the PBA. However, there are some names I am familiar with. Here are some of them:

• James Yap ("Big Game James," among other nicknames)
• Roger Yap (though I know more of James Yap than Roger)
• Kerby Raymundo
• Ren-Ren Ritualo
• Rico Maierhofer
• Ali Peek
• Robert Sanz
• Terrence Leather

If I had a chance to really study the history and such of the PBA, I'd better understand PBA basketball.

--- (Current) Teams of the Philippine Basketball Association ---

You can click on the headings to visit the official websites (if any) of each of the teams. This section features only current teams. Click on the headers to visit a related link online for each team (if offered). These can be Facebook fan pages, or things like that.

B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados.

^ from: yfittopostblogph.wordpress.com - James Yap rises and fires against the San Miguel Beermen.

Formerly the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants (or the Purefoods T.J. Giants), the Llamados are one of the most popular teams in the PBA. The only player in team history I know of for this team is James Yap. J. Yap is usually nicknamed either as "King James Yap" or "Big Game James." They inaugurated in 1988 as the Purefoods Hotdogs. Names before the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados include (in chronological order): Coney Island Ice Cream Stars, Purefoods Oodles, Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys, Purefoods Carne Norte Cowboys, Purefoods Chunkee Giants, and of course... the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. Eight championships are in their possession in the PBA.

Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: en.bloguru.com - Talk 'n Text proudly wear their blue and yellow against the stars of the PBA.

The boys in blue and yellow make up Talk 'n Text. They began in 1990 as the Pepsi Bottlers. They would be named after soft drink companies until 1996 when they were known as the Mobiline Cellulars. This is one of the better teams in all of the PBA. They have only two championships.

San Miguel Beermen.

^ from: sanmiguelbeermen.com - The Beermen (the red team) can be thought of as the Lakers of the PBA, as far as being one of the premier powerhouse programs in the PBA. Beermen's Facebook Fan Page)
Meet one of the true powerhouses of the PBA- the Beermen of San Miguel, whom have won a total of 18 PBA championships (as of the date of this blog entry). They've joined the PBA in 1975, and then was readmitted in 1986. It's safe to say that this team may well be the Los Angeles Lakers of the PBA in that they've won so many championships.

Powerade Tigers (Facebook Fan Page).

I've always known this team as the Coca-Cola Tigers. Actually, this is one of the youngest programs in the PBA. This franchise started in 2002 as the Cola-Cola Tigers, and they had a combination of red/white/black. New for this year, the Powerade Tigers are now sporting blue/white/gray.

Alaska Aces (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: alaskaaces.com.ph - The Aces (with the ball) in battle against Talk 'n Text.

The Alaska Aces have the second-most all-time number of PBA championships, winning it all 13 times. They ruled the '90s. The program has been around since 1986. The Alaska namesake is named for the Alaska Milk Corporation. They have won 13 championships and have been the Alaska Aces since 2000. Before then, they were known as the Alaska Milk Kings (inaugural season), the Hills Bros. Coffee Kings, Alaska Air Force, and the Alaska Milkmen.

Air21 Express (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: sanmiguelbeermen.com - Team picture with the Air21 Express.

Take flight with Air21 Express and their PBA basketball team. Coming into the league as the FedEx Express in their inaugural season in 2002, they would love to win their first championship of any kind. They even were known as the Burger King Titans and even the Burger King Whoppers.

Barangay Ginebra Kings (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: article.wn.com - The Barangay Ginebra Kings warming up.
Ginebra Kings' Facebook Fan Page

The Kings joined the PBA in 1979. This is EASILY the league's oldest franchise, starting out as the Gilbey's Gin Tonics in its inaugural season. They have won eight championships in their history. Their most recent was the 2008 Fiesta Conference championship.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: gmanews.tv - A lone Energy Booster swarmed by three Elasto Painter defenders from Rain or Shine.

This team joined the PBA in 2006. The Elasto Painters of Rain or Shine are ready to tear it up on the hardwood as best as they can. This team began life in the PBA as the Welcoat Dragons before the Elasto Painters came about in 2008.

Barako Bull Energy Boosters.

Energy Boosters' Facebook Fan Page
Part of the PBA since 2000, the Energy Boosters are hoping to boost their game on the hardwood. They began as the Batang Red Bull Energizers in their inaugural season.

Meralco Bolts (Facebook Fan Page).

Bolts' Facebook Fan Page
Meralco Bolts are a debutante to the PBA. The company namesake is for the Manila Electric Company. I wish this new team the very best this season.




This was one of many blog posts I've worked on, but never completed for 2010. This blog post about the PBA obviously needs a lot more input. I have only provided enough just to provide exposure to all of the teams. Hope all the PBA teams are doing well as of the date of this blog post. Here are two more links I'd like to share with you all:

* Visit the PBA's official home page at www.pba.ph.
* Visit this fan site of the PBA.
* Become a Fan (or "Like") the PBA on Facebook... click here to Become a PBA Fan on Facebook!


Thank you for reading!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)PERSONAL NOTE: Thanks to everyone for making this blog post so popular! I will try to add more material to make this blog post better for all of you. Thanks again!

(LAST UPDATE: April 14, 2011 - edited links)

The PBA is the Philippines' premier basketball league. Many Filipino and non-Filipino folk make up the now ten teams that comprise the PBA. This blog entry is a chance to chat about PBA basketball. I want people like you to help make this blog post better. If I screw up on any info on the PBA, please let me know (in a non-threatening, non-sarcastic manner), and I will make the change will be made accordingly.

Most of my information is provided from my reading on Wikipedia.


^ from: imageshack.us - the PBA logo.

--- The Philippine Basketball Association at a Glance ---

The PBA is celebrating its 36th season for a league that started back in 1975. The Philippines has some very good basketball. Maybe the PBA doesn't have the intensity and excitement of the NBA, but the Philippine Basketball Association offers up some good basketball. Great technique is offered by the various teams of the PBA. The jerseys for most or all teams mostly feature a big logo on the front for the team they represent.

A Few Differences Between the PBA and the NBA.

This section highlights a few differences (and I mean a few) between the PBA and the NBA, just to get you to know how the PBA operates. Perhaps the biggest difference between the PBA and most other pro basketball leagues is that the teams of the PBA are named after companies and not on geographical teams. All of the teams are owned by corporations. So therefore, there are not really any "home" or "away" teams in PBA basketball as you would have between (for example) the Lakers and the Celtics in the NBA. So for example, if my hometown NBA team was referred to by its sponsor, we'd be the Toyota Rockets as opposed to the Houston Rockets since we play at Toyota Center. Many teams have had number of team names based on the teams they are owned by. One of the most interesting team names is a former PBA team called the Toyota Super Corollas. I think for any American (or perhaps even Canadian) fans would find it very cheesy to nickname a sports team after a company and certain products from a company. It is something you probably can't help if an actual company sponsors a company and trying to market a company with a sports team. Only thing really close here in the United States would be the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer.

I've read that the PBA has a set of rules that combine NBA and FIBA rules. Two different tournaments are held in the PBA. The first is called the Philippine Cup. This tournament lasts between October of the current year and goes into February the following year. Only local Filipinos can play. The Fiesta Conference is held between March and July and allows for an "import" to be on each team. These "imports" are non-Filipino players. These "imports" can be no taller than 6'1". I'm 6'0" myself, so I would qualify as an "import" if I was a basketball player. One such example of an import is Terrence Leather, who played for the (then) Talk 'n Text Phone Pals.

Starting this season, the series returned to its three-conference format. The three conferences are the All-Filipino Cup, the Commissioner's Cup, and the Governors Cup. If one team is able to capture all three championships in a single season, they will win the Grand Slam. The last team to win the Grand Slam in the three-conference format was the (then) Alaska Milkmen in 1996. Alaska defeated the (then) Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys, the Shell Turbo Chargers (former PBA team), and Ginebra.

How Many PBA Basketball Players Have I Heard Of?

I don't know the PBA. However, there are some names I am familiar with. Here are some of them:

• James Yap ("Big Game James," among other nicknames)
• Roger Yap (though I know more of James Yap than Roger)
• Kerby Raymundo
• Ren-Ren Ritualo
• Rico Maierhofer
• Ali Peek
• Robert Sanz
• Terrence Leather

If I had a chance to really study the history and such of the PBA, I'd better understand PBA basketball.

--- (Current) Teams of the Philippine Basketball Association ---

You can click on the headings to visit the official websites (if any) of each of the teams. This section features only current teams. Click on the headers to visit a related link online for each team (if offered). These can be Facebook fan pages, or things like that.

B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados.

^ from: yfittopostblogph.wordpress.com - James Yap rises and fires against the San Miguel Beermen.

Formerly the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants (or the Purefoods T.J. Giants), the Llamados are one of the most popular teams in the PBA. The only player in team history I know of for this team is James Yap. J. Yap is usually nicknamed either as "King James Yap" or "Big Game James." They inaugurated in 1988 as the Purefoods Hotdogs. Names before the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados include (in chronological order): Coney Island Ice Cream Stars, Purefoods Oodles, Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys, Purefoods Carne Norte Cowboys, Purefoods Chunkee Giants, and of course... the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. Eight championships are in their possession in the PBA.

Talk 'n Text Tropang Texters (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: en.bloguru.com - Talk 'n Text proudly wear their blue and yellow against the stars of the PBA.

The boys in blue and yellow make up Talk 'n Text. They began in 1990 as the Pepsi Bottlers. They would be named after soft drink companies until 1996 when they were known as the Mobiline Cellulars. This is one of the better teams in all of the PBA. They have only two championships.

San Miguel Beermen.

^ from: sanmiguelbeermen.com - The Beermen (the red team) can be thought of as the Lakers of the PBA, as far as being one of the premier powerhouse programs in the PBA. Beermen's Facebook Fan Page)
Meet one of the true powerhouses of the PBA- the Beermen of San Miguel, whom have won a total of 18 PBA championships (as of the date of this blog entry). They've joined the PBA in 1975, and then was readmitted in 1986. It's safe to say that this team may well be the Los Angeles Lakers of the PBA in that they've won so many championships.

Powerade Tigers (Facebook Fan Page).

I've always known this team as the Coca-Cola Tigers. Actually, this is one of the youngest programs in the PBA. This franchise started in 2002 as the Cola-Cola Tigers, and they had a combination of red/white/black. New for this year, the Powerade Tigers are now sporting blue/white/gray.

Alaska Aces (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: alaskaaces.com.ph - The Aces (with the ball) in battle against Talk 'n Text.

The Alaska Aces have the second-most all-time number of PBA championships, winning it all 13 times. They ruled the '90s. The program has been around since 1986. The Alaska namesake is named for the Alaska Milk Corporation. They have won 13 championships and have been the Alaska Aces since 2000. Before then, they were known as the Alaska Milk Kings (inaugural season), the Hills Bros. Coffee Kings, Alaska Air Force, and the Alaska Milkmen.

Air21 Express (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: sanmiguelbeermen.com - Team picture with the Air21 Express.

Take flight with Air21 Express and their PBA basketball team. Coming into the league as the FedEx Express in their inaugural season in 2002, they would love to win their first championship of any kind. They even were known as the Burger King Titans and even the Burger King Whoppers.

Barangay Ginebra Kings (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: article.wn.com - The Barangay Ginebra Kings warming up.
Ginebra Kings' Facebook Fan Page

The Kings joined the PBA in 1979. This is EASILY the league's oldest franchise, starting out as the Gilbey's Gin Tonics in its inaugural season. They have won eight championships in their history. Their most recent was the 2008 Fiesta Conference championship.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (Facebook Fan Page).

^ from: gmanews.tv - A lone Energy Booster swarmed by three Elasto Painter defenders from Rain or Shine.

This team joined the PBA in 2006. The Elasto Painters of Rain or Shine are ready to tear it up on the hardwood as best as they can. This team began life in the PBA as the Welcoat Dragons before the Elasto Painters came about in 2008.

Barako Bull Energy Boosters.

Energy Boosters' Facebook Fan Page
Part of the PBA since 2000, the Energy Boosters are hoping to boost their game on the hardwood. They began as the Batang Red Bull Energizers in their inaugural season.

Meralco Bolts (Facebook Fan Page).

Bolts' Facebook Fan Page
Meralco Bolts are a debutante to the PBA. The company namesake is for the Manila Electric Company. I wish this new team the very best this season.




This was one of many blog posts I've worked on, but never completed for 2010. This blog post about the PBA obviously needs a lot more input. I have only provided enough just to provide exposure to all of the teams. Hope all the PBA teams are doing well as of the date of this blog post. Click on the headings to visit the sites I've found for you all:

PBA Basketball Official.

The official home page of the Philippine Basketball Association!

PBA Fan Site.

This is an official fan site of the PBA.

Philippine Basketball Association Facebook Fan Page.

This is the official Facebook fan page of PBA basketball. Become a Fan ("Like") the PBA if you're on Facebook and love the PBA!

PBA Online Store.

I found this link where you can shop for PBA merchandise. Not sure how good it is, but it's where you can shop for PBA basketball merchandise. Prices are in Philippine Pesos (Php).


If I find more resources (or if you have any to share), I will add them in future edits.





Thank you for reading!

Become a Fan (or Like) my Facebook Fan Page and subscribe this blog (and my others) via FeedBurner (or any other aggregator in the sidebar)! Visit (or subscribe):
* Subscribe to John's Blog Space!
* Subscribe to John's Shop Space! (http://jbmshopspace.blogspot.com)
* Subscribe to John's Gran Turismo Space! (http://johnsgtspace.blogspot.com)