THE PBL: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

The Philippine Basketball League could be called "a league of its own". Despite its amateur nature, the very structure as a developmental league and the dedicated people behind it kept the league going for the past 20 years, withering all obstacles and problems that threatened it very existence.

Through the years, the league has been acknowledged as the cradle of future basketball superstars. As these talents come and go in search of greener pastures in professional leagues, the PBL survived by continuing its task of developing fresh potentials through companies that undoubtedly believes in its thrust.

A brainchild of former ambassador and basketball project director Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., The then known as the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL) was formed in 1983 with Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban and Dr. Fernando Carrascoso as initial co-chair to fill up the need to renew interest in amateur basketball seven years after the MICAA folded up and paved the way for the existence of the country's first professional basketball league-the Philippine Basketball Association.

But Cojuangco's visions goes beyond the urge to satiate the Filipino craze for basketball. Over the years, the league has developed countless unknowns into the country's best cagers and has undergone several transformations through the years to uplift the quality of competition in the country and keep the Philippines' distinction as one of the world's best as far as the sport is concerned.

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THE FIRST BIG STEPS

Then Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) secretary general Mauricio "Moying" Martelino, who later became one of the longest-serving secretary general of the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC), heralded the effort as a "milestone in the annals of the country's amateur caging", and gained support of several government and private establishments.

In fact, a total of 36 teams responded to participate in the pilot tournament dubbed as "Greater Manila Basketball Championships" under the helm of its first Commissioner - newsman and Philippine News Agency chief editor Joe Pavia. Among them were the De La Salle, Maisagana, Masagana 99, Boogie Jeans, Farinas Transportation, Philippine Social Security and Labor Union (PSSLU), Development Bank of Rizal and Glenmore Shoes which played in five venues - the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Arellano University, Dumlao Gym, Masagana and the Philippine Maritime Institute Gym in Quezon City.

The pilot season also paved the way to the rise of basketball legends like Ludovico Valenciano, Leo Austria, Joel Valle, Jesus Ramirez, Joshua Villapando, Ricky Cui, Sonny Cabatu, Adonis Tierra, Joseph Pelaez and Hawaiian-born Willie Pearson.
Despite the financial crisis that hit the country the following year, other top companies came in to support like ESQ Marketing, Magnolia, Imperial Textile, Concrete Aggregates, Cebu-based Mama's Love and Lagerlite Beer that paved the way for Ron Jacobs to be distinguished as one of the country's basketball gurus today.

1984 also say the rise of budding talents Dondon Ampalayo, Ronnie Magsanoc, Eric Altamirano, and then national standouts Allan Caidic, Dindo Pumaren, Alfie Almario, Al Solis, Pido Jarencio and Jerry Codiñera.

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