PBA Opening 1990

PBA Opening 1990
Date : April 00, 1990
Location : University of Life Theater and Recreational Arena (ULTRA) in Pasig

List of PBA teams participated : 

Alaska Milkmen(General Milling Corporation) Wilfred Steven Uytengsu
Añejo Rum 65ers(La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.) Carlos Palanca III
Pepsi Hotshots(Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc.) Luis Lorenzo, Sr.
Pop Cola Sizzlers(Republic Flour Mills Corporation) Elmer Yanga
Presto Tivolis(Consolidated Foods Corporation) Lance Gokongwei
Purefoods Hotdogs(Purefoods Corporation) Renato Buhain
San Miguel Beermen(San Miguel Corporation) Nazario Avendaño
Formula Shell Zoom Masters(Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation) Reynaldo Marquez

List of Muses 
Alaska Milkmen - Lara Melissa de Leon
Añejo Rum 65 - Connie Fortaleza
Formula Shell - Sarah Jane Paez and Precious Tongko
Pepsi Hotshots - Dina Bonnevie
Pop Cola - Aiko Melendez
Presto Tivolis- Gem Padilla (Bb.Pilipinas-Universe)
Purefoods Hotdogs - Sharon Cuneta
San Miguel Beermen - Marilen Gonzales and Star Querubin

AT FULL GALLOP
...into the Year of the Horse'
VETERAN sportscaster Joe Cantada couldn't have said it better when he announced that the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Asia's only play-for-pay loop is 16 years old and still going strong. No cracks are in sight despite the Year of the Horse being ushered in by major upheavals in the Soviet Union, Africa and other parts of the world. Most important to all, the PBA is no Iron Mike Tyson whose cloak of invincibility was shattered by James "Buster' Douglas in Tokyo, Japan a week before. No sir, the PBA is here to stay!

It wasn't all brawn on opening day as the inaugurals also had its share of good looks. Each team was escorted in by a bevy of lookers. The Pop Cola Sizzlers, who entered the court wearing pristine barong tagalog befit- ting their slogan 'Bilib sa Pinoy', had Regal protege Aiko Melendez as muse. Another star of the silver screen, Lara Melissa de Leon came in with the Alaska Milkmen who were dressed in elegant beige coats and ties with matching brown shoes. Crowd favorite Añejo Rum 65 had petite Monnie Hortaleza beside team captain Chito Loyzaga. For Purefoods, muse was no less than megastar herself, Sharon Cuneta, who walked beside skipper Jojo Lastimosa. Expansion franchise Pepsi Cola had dramatic actress Dina Bonnevie plus 24 other charmers who later danced to the tune of Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible!" Binibining Pilipinas Universe Germalina Leah Padilla was muse of the Presto Tivolis skippered by hotshot Allan Caidic.

Shell had two muses in the persons of former Binibining Pilipinas-Universe titlist Sarah Jane Paez and Binibining Pilipinas Maja Precious Bernadette Tongco. Grand Slammer San Miguel Beer also had two muses in Star Singson and Miss SMC Olympics Elena Gonzales. The eight teams are bracketed in two groups. Group A has San Miguel, Presto, Shell and Pepsi, while Group B has Pure- foods, Añejo, Alaska and Pop. Teams from the same group battle each other twice while teams from opposite groups face each other only once. Top five teams irrespective of groupings after the elims make the carryover semifinal round, which is another two-round affair. Top two teams go into the best-of-seven finals. Another new development in the PBA this year is the scrapping of the mandatory timeouts, Each team is given seven time- outs and can use any number of timeouts in any given quarter.

First Conference Champion : Shell ( 4-2 ) coached by Rino Salazar
First Conference Runner-up : Anejo

All-Filipino Conference Champion : Presto ( 4-3 ) coached by Jimmy Mariano
All-Filipino Conference Runner-up : Purefoods

Third Conference Champion : Purefoods (3-2 ) coached by Baby Dalupan
Third Conference Champion Runner-up : Alaska