First PBA Opening 1975

First PBA Opening 1975 
Date : April 09, 1975
Location : Araneta Coliseum, Cubao , Quezon City

List of PBA teams participated : 

Toyota Comets
Crispa Redmanizers
U/Tex Weavers
Mariwasa-Noritake
Concepcion Carrier
Royal Tru-Orange
Tanduay Distillery
Presto Ice Cream Makers
Seven-Up Uncolas

Take way for the PBA! There's a brand new happening this side of heaven. And heaven is if you'll use a lot of imagination the Big Dome of the Araneta Coliseum where the first professional basketball league will bombs away. Who's going to make it as top team? Toyota? Crispa? CFC? Tanduay? Or will it be Noritake? Coca Cola? The Carriers? Or Utex? Frankly we wouldn't dare venture to make an uneducated blunder. So we consulted with the experts on who they think will lead the pack. We got Nilo Verona of Seven-Up, Baby Dalupan of Crispa, Bonnie Carbonell of Tanduay, Cisco Bernardo of CFC, Tito Eduque of Concepcion, even good old Fely Fajardo of Mariwasa-Noritake. Ideally we set our sights on all the PBA coaches, without exception. But some of them were away on trips, preoccupied with other matter, or simply snoozing away at home. So we managed to get just the core group above to share us their minds. Off the cuff they gave their most educated answers, making ala Oracle at Delphi. As of this writing all ballclubs have signed into the PBA, with the exception perhaps of Manila Bank. Not all teams have submitted their line-ups, however. But a press conference and meeting are due towards the end of this week. No matter what it's all systems go when the league unfolds at the Big Dome on April 9.

Nilo Verona and Ning Ramos in bodyfit barongs. Jimmy Otazu in panicky haste. Orly de los Santos, back from the States, sauntering in Larry Mumar nonchalantly following. Pepito Castro, one eye on the attendance, suing for five minutes more before the jungle fighters band of the Philippine Army herald the start of the show. Leo Prieto, slightly stouter than his days at YCO, calmly awaiting the countdown. Beauties at the dugout giving finishing touches to garb and glow to mien: CFC's Jean Saburit, Concepcion's Jhoanna Raunio of Miss Universe Beauty Pageant fame, a long way from her Finland: Crispa's Reggie Prada, Mariwasa-Noritake's Debbie Enriquez, Miss Young International; Royal Tru-Orange's Marilou Valeriano; Tanduay's Maricita Catibayan, Toyota's Lolit Imperial, Utex' Guada Sanchez, Miss Philippines '74; Seven-Up's Arlene Cheng, Miss Chinatown '74. Fans in the stand beginning to clap, whistle, egg more speed in getting the action going. The stands filling up by the minute: 10 thousand, 15 thousand. And still more. This was Araneta Coliseum, in the heart of Cubao, Quezon City Wednesday venue of a historic occasion in Philippine sports: that of one hundred and ten players, including 11 ex-Olympians, walking across basketball's no man's land smack into the restricted area of professionalism, and by their act forever forsaking any and all opportunities to represent the Philippines in international amateur play; from here on, they do that for pay.

Among them "superstars" like Sonny Jaworski, Mon Fernandez and Francis Arnaiz; Danny Florencio and Larry Mumar; Manny Paner, Joy Cleofas, Jimmy Mariano. Then the other former Olympians together with the Big J. Florencio, Paner, Cleofas and Mariano: like Jun Papa, Jake Rojas, Big Boy Reynoso and Orly Bauzon; Yoyong Martirez and Dave Regullano, and Marte Samson. There also are the other Nationals who saw action in the Asiad, the ABC, the Pesta Sukan or the Asian Youth. like Hubert Filipinas, Jesse Sullano and Reynaldo Alcantara; Rudolf Kutch and George Lizares, Ompong Segura and Fort Acuña, Jimmy Noblezada, Joy Dionisio and Boy Mora; Danilo Pribhdas and Florendo Ritualo, Estoy Estrada, Rolly Marcelo and Norbie Rivera; Quirino Salazar, Cecilio Marcelino, and Bernard Fabiosa.

First Conference Champion : Toyota ( 3-1 )
First Conference Runner-up : Crispa

Second Conference Champion : Toyota ( 2-1 )
Second Conference Runner-up : Crispa

All-Philippine Champion : Crispa (3-2 )
All-Philippine Champion Runner-up : Toyota