(First of five parts)
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is set to host a grand celebration this year to mark its golden anniversary, highlighted by the unveiling of its official list of the 50 greatest players in league history.
A selection committee, comprised of sportswriters and former PBA legends, including Allan Caidic, is currently finalizing the final ten players to complete the prestigious lineup.
Starting today, The Manila Standard will present the “50 Greatest Moments” in the history of Asia’s oldest professional basketball league. This special series is curated by our in-house historian, Peter Regalado Lopez, a masterful writer and public relations expert.
Here are the first 10 that happened in the 1970s.
1. Joy Dionisio scoring the first Field Goal of Asia’s first play for pay league for Concepcion Industries, April 9, 1975, Araneta Coliseum.
2. Toyota wins the first two PBA conferences.
3. William “Bogs” Adornado is named the first PBA MVP of the regular season, circa 1975.
4. Crispa Redmanizers strings up six (6) straight PBA titles, including the last conference of ‘75, the first Grand Slam of 1976, and the first two championships of ‘77!
5. Bogs Adornado becomes the first back-to-back PBA MVP.
6. Gil Cortez of Toyota, was named the first-ever Rookie of the Year awardee in 1976.
7. Danny “The Skywalker version 1.0” Florencio scores a league-high for locals with a 3-pointer less 64-piece in ‘77 with the 7-UP Uncolas.
8. Toyota’s Abraham Columbus King accomplished the first ever in-game reverse dunk by a Filipino in ‘77.
9. The UTex Wranglers break the Toyota-Crispa stranglehold in the PBA by winning the PBA Open conference in ‘78, marking the first for Coach Tommy Manotoc, DLSU great Lim Eng Beng, and Boston Celtic NBA champ, Glenn McDonald.
10. Robert “Big J” Jaworski nearly averaged a triple-double the whole 1978 season when he copped his first and only MVP citation. He almost led Toyota to a near triple crown by winning 2/3 PBA conferences that year.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Mapua’s Alfredo “Freddie” Hubalde, snatched the ‘77 MVP title from his more illustrious ‘mates when he took over the spot of the injured Adornado that season.
- Cebu’s Arnulfo “Arnie” Tuadles(+) seamlessly transitioned from the MICAA to the PBA during the ‘79 season and earned a starting five spot as a rookie with powerhouse Toyota. After three brilliant conferences, he was named ROTY and along with it cop a 1st Team Mythical selection. He was the first pro to do it. Yet his name isn’t on both the PBA’s top 25 and top 40 lists either.
- Fortunato “Atoy” Co was the first and the fastest to score 5,000 points in the PBA in 1979. And in the same season dueled Toyota’s Abe King to a scoring duel by shooting a 50 piece and the former San Beda Red Lion made a career-high 60, in a contest won by Crispa.
- Royal Tru Orange of the famed San Miguel Corp franchise won their first chip in ‘79 over a handicapped Toyota side. Playing with imports Bruce “Sky” King and rookie reinforcement Andrew Fields, Utah Jazz vet Otto Moore and Larry Pounds. PBA pioneer and national team mainstay, Rosalio “Yoyong” Martirez becomes a PBA champion.
- The Co-Fernandez MVP race of ‘79, the razor-thin margin was only settled with the argument, “Fernandez will win future MVPs, so let’s give it to Co”. And Fernandez did too, he won four during the 1980s, ‘82, ‘84, ‘86, and ‘88. Two decades later, the same scenario happened with Asaytono and Agustin. But it didn’t pan out for the Bull, having him fall off from the Top 25 and 40 PBA list as well.