It has been half a century since the Philippine Basketball Association played its first game in April 1975. What started out as a rebellion against the overuse of MICAA players by the BAP has become an enduring symbol of Filipino culture. As the national basketball federation abused players to the point that they could not play for their mother teams for entire years, the only way the team owners could escape was by turning pro. Basketball was not yet an open sport then, and pros were forbidden from international competitions.
The PBA has undergone so many changes in the last 50 years. From a speedy, rough and tumble league to a blueprint of professionalism in Asia. There are not that many of us who still remember those early days. Truth be told, this writer still gets approached by the children – and even grandchildren – who grew up watching the games on television with their elders. Honestly, I sometimes have mixed feelings about it when I realize their age and mine.
The league has undergone so many format changes, rules, regarding eligibility, and even scheduling. The traditional All-Filipino Conference used to be played in the middle of the year. Eventually, it became obvious that it did not allow for the availability of the best possible imports, who were playing in various tournaments overseas. With the current calendar, teams now have a much wider selection of reinforcements to meet their needs. There have been so many magnificent performances by foreign players, a few of whom have stayed or returned to give back to Philippine basketball, like Norman Black, Bobby Parks, Sean Chambers and Daryl Smith, who lived in Cebu until his untimely death after a game there in 2008. There have been two imports per team, high handicaps, and other measures to ensure parity. Some of those who have spent time here have been NBA champions to journeymen who considered the country a second home.
The PBA has had it ups and down as well, with only six teams at one point in the 1980’s, to the robust line-up of 12 franchised it has maintained. The fuel crisis of that decade did the most economic damage, forcing smaller family corporations like Crispa and Galerie Dominique to give up their teams, and even international companies like Toyota to leave the country. It took the league a while to regain its strength. By 1989, a very strong rookie draft class buoyed it up. The following year, new teams, Pepsi, and Pop Cola joined the mix. Teams have come and gone, but it has been business as usual.
Asia’s first pro league has set other historical milestones, as well. The first all-professional basketball team to compete internationally was the PBA selection in the Asian Games in 1990, pre-dating the American Dream Team. That also ended the isolationist attitude of the league as the Philippines was no longer the juggernaut of the continent. As basketball opened up to professionals, there was more reason to deploy our best players to represent the country. And they were all in the PBA.
At the end of the day, two things have continued the fill our imagination when it comes to local basketball. The rivalries and personalities of the PBA have imprinted themselves on our consciousness for generations. Many of us could list all the greats, maybe even in chronological order. Nobody can forget the likes of Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Bogs Adornado, Atoy Co and the dozens who compose the league’s all-time greatest. We have seen it all: fist fights, walkouts, even incarceration. But most of all, we have the innumerable memories: wild cheers, moments captured, the fiercest of competition, the hero worship, and all the indelible images which boosted us up when we needed heroes the most. We have learned so much about life from the PBA. Truly, it is golden, in more ways than one.