The 1996 PBA season was the 22nd season of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines, composed of twelve company-branded Franchising, franchise teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia ...
(PBA).
Board of governors
Executive committee
*
Jun Bernardino
Emilio "Jun" Bernardino, Jr. (November 9, 1947 – March 24, 2007) was the fifth commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was elected as commissioner of the league in 1994 and retired in 2002. He served as the commissione ...
(Commissioner)
* Teodoro L. Dimayuga (Chairman, representing Purefoods TJ Hotdogs)
* Nazario L. Avendaño (Vice-Chairman, representing San Miguel Beermen)
* Dr. Antonio V. Concepcion (Treasurer, representing Ginebra San Miguel)
Teams
Season highlights
*The league's broadcast partner,
Vintage Sports, switched networks from
People's Television to
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation
Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) is a Philippine free-to-air television and radio network based in Quezon City. It is a state broadcaster owned by the Government Communications Group under the Presidential Communications Of ...
. They also changed their primary language from
English to
Tagalog.
*Crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel return to their winning ways after years of being a doormat with the entry of top draft pick, 6-9 Marlou Aquino, the Ginebras advances in the semifinals for the first time in three years during the All-Filipino Cup, their season was highlighted by a finals trip in the third conference, losing to grandslam champions Alaska Milkmen.
*The Pepsi Mega Bottlers sold their franchise to PILTEL and was renamed
Mobiline Cellulars at the start of the
Commissioner's Cup.
*The
Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third ...
became the fourth team to win the PBA
Grand slam by sweeping all three conferences of the season, joining the 1976 and 1983
Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, ...
and the 1989
San Miguel Beermen
The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Magnolia ...
.
*Johnny Abarrientos became the first pure guard to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award since Ricardo Brown in 1985.
Opening ceremonies
The muses for the participating teams are as follows:
Champions
* All-Filipino Cup:
Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third ...
* Commissioner's Cup:
Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third ...
* Governor's Cup:
Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third ...
* Team with best win–loss percentage:
Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third ...
(51-21, .708)
* Best Team of the Year:
Alaska Milkmen
The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third ...
(1st)
All-Filipino Cup
Elimination round
Semifinal round
Third place playoff
Finals
*Finals MVP:
Jojo Lastimosa
Isabelo "Jojo" Lastimosa Jr. (born March 10, 1964) is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player. He is the team manager for the TNT Tropang 5G of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played in the PBA for the Purefo ...
(
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
)
*Best Player of the Conference:
Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Dale Vergara Patrimonio (born November 17, 1966) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager for the Magnolia Hotshots.
Patrimonio holds several PBA r ...
(
Purefoods)
Commissioner's Cup
Elimination round
Semifinal round
Third place playoff
Finals
*Finals MVP:
Bong Hawkins
Rene "Bong" Hawkins Jr. (born November 6, 1967) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. Nicknamed as "The Hawk", he is the son of character actor Rene Hawkins, Sr.
PBA career
Presto & Sta. ...
(
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
)
*Best Player of the Conference:
Bong Hawkins
Rene "Bong" Hawkins Jr. (born November 6, 1967) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. Nicknamed as "The Hawk", he is the son of character actor Rene Hawkins, Sr.
PBA career
Presto & Sta. ...
(
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
)
*Best Import of the Conference: Ken Redfield (
Formula Shell)
Governors' Cup
Elimination round
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
*Team has
twice-to-beat advantage. Team 1 only has to win once, while Team 2 has to win twice.
Semifinals
Third place playoff
Finals
*Finals MVP:
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos (born July 17, 1970) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA Most Valuable Player, ...
(
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
)
*Best Player of the Conference:
Marlou Aquino (
Ginebra)
*Best Import of the Conference:
Sean Chambers
Sean Chambers (born February 27, 1965) is a retired American professional basketball player, best known for being a resident import of the Alaska Aces basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1989 to 2001.
He formerly serv ...
(
Alaska
Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
)
Awards
*
Most Valuable Player
In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
:
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos (born July 17, 1970) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA Most Valuable Player, ...
(Alaska)
*
Rookie of the Year:
Marlou Aquino (Ginebra)
* Sportsmanship Award:
Jerry Codiñera (Purefoods)
* Most Improved Player:
Edward "Poch" Juinio (Alaska)
* Defensive Player of the Year:
Marlou Aquino (Ginebra)
* Mythical Five:
**
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos (born July 17, 1970) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA Most Valuable Player, ...
(Alaska)
**
Rene Hawkins, Jr. (Alaska)
**
Jojo Lastimosa
Isabelo "Jojo" Lastimosa Jr. (born March 10, 1964) is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player. He is the team manager for the TNT Tropang 5G of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played in the PBA for the Purefo ...
(Alaska)
**
Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Dale Vergara Patrimonio (born November 17, 1966) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager for the Magnolia Hotshots.
Patrimonio holds several PBA r ...
(Purefoods)
**
Marlou Aquino (Ginebra)
* Mythical Second Team:
**
Bal David (Ginebra)
**
Noli Locsin (Ginebra)
**
Jeffrey Cariaso
Jeffrey Joaquin Cariaso (born September 12, 1972) is a Filipino-American professional basketball coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He also played for variou ...
(Alaska)
**
Benjie Paras (Shell)
**
Nelson Asaytono (San Miguel)
* All Defensive Team:
**
Jerry Codiñera (Purefoods)
**Chris Jackson (Sta. Lucia)
**
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos (born July 17, 1970) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA Most Valuable Player, ...
(Alaska)
**
Jeffrey Cariaso
Jeffrey Joaquin Cariaso (born September 12, 1972) is a Filipino-American professional basketball coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He also played for variou ...
(Alaska)
**
Marlou Aquino (Ginebra)
Awards given by the PBA Press Corps
* Coach of the Year:
Tim Cone
Earl Timothy Cone (born December 14, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach who leads Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Philippine men's national team. He is the most accomplished coa ...
(Alaska)
* Mr. Quality Minutes:
Gilbert "Jun" Reyes, Jr. (Alaska)
* Executive of the Year:
Jun Bernardino
Emilio "Jun" Bernardino, Jr. (November 9, 1947 – March 24, 2007) was the fifth commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was elected as commissioner of the league in 1994 and retired in 2002. He served as the commissione ...
(PBA Commissioner)
* Comeback Player of the Year:
Richie Ticzon (Shell)
* Referee of the Year: Ogie Bernarte
Cumulative standings
Elimination round
Playoffs
References
{{PBA seasons
PBA