Gilas Pilipinas retained its status as the gold standard in Southeast Asia and continued to make waves on the continental stage while the duopoly of corporate giants prevailed in the 49th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Filipino hoops fans were treated to a great year of exciting basketball action from the Asia’s first play-for-pay league to the national teams’ international hits and misses.
Gilas on the move
It wasn’t a good start to the year for the Tim Cone-mentored Gilas squad after 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto suffered a knee injury while playing in the Japan B.League in early January.
This left Gilas without a starting center and his absence left the team without a potent inside muscle as it absorbed back-to-back losses to Chinese Taipei and New Zealand on the road in February’s 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers third window.
Although already through to the main draw in Saudi Arabia, the losses exposed Gilas’ vulnerability. The Nationals also breathed a sigh of relief after naturalized player Justin Brownlee was cleared of a second doping issue in April.
Gilas went to Jeddah with a lean 12-man roster but still managed to secure a playoffs after winning against Iraq following a 0-2 start with defeats at the hands of Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.
The Philippines outlasted the host nation in overtime but was booted out by Australia in the quarterfinal.
Gilas, infused with young big man Quentin Millora-Brown and guard RJ Abarrientos, rolled past Guam in the home-and-away tie of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers opening window.
Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) decided to field a different set of Gilas in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand under head coach Norman Black to defend the gold medal.
Playfully called “Gilas Team C” after organizers banned naturalized players, forcing SBP to scramble for available players, the squad swept its way into a repeat crown over Thailand in the finals.
“It has been a really difficult journey,” Black said of the Philippines 20th SEA Games gold medal overall.
“I mean, it’s really difficult when you have a system that’s not very sophisticated. It’s a basic system, because that was all you could teach. The players picked it up well.”
Gilas women’s made it a double celebration after they reclaimed the gold they lost two years ago in Phnom Penh.
The double-gold in a way covered the dismal showing of Gilas in the 3x3 competition.
PBA golden year
TNT picked up from where it left off in 2024 at the start of Season 49.
After winning the season-opening Governors’ Cup at the expense of Barangay Ginebra, the Tropang 5G again faced the Kings in the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup with the same result.
TNT entered the Philippine Cup with the prospect of another grand slam after a failed attempt in 2011.
But the San Miguel Beer just like 14 years prior denied the Tropang 5G of a triple crown by winning the title in six games -- a conference after a humiliating elimination round exit.
“We’re not thinking about denying TNT a grand slam. Our goal is to win the championship after what happened to us in the Commissioner’s Cup,” Beermen coach Leo Austria said.
June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel hiked his record Most Valuable Player award to nine after the season.
The PBA also kicked off its 50th anniversary by adding 10 names to the 50 Greatest Players.
This year also saw the purchase of the NorthPort franchise by Titan Ultra and the debuts of coaches LA Tenorio (Magnolia), Willy Wilson (Phoenix), Ronald Tubid (Terrafirma) and Delta Pineda (Converge). Gabe Norwood retired after 17 seasons with Rain or Shine.