MBA's Pampanga Dragons reunite 25 years after winning MBA first championship
Jay P. Mercado
The Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) opened with much fanfare at the Don Narciso Ramos Sports Complex at Lingayen, Pangasinan on March 07, 1998. The MBA, then called the Metroball, was heralded as the second professional league in the Philippines and the first to utilize the home and away concept, not unlike the format used in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
There were 12 teams that joined the initial staging of the MBA in 1998. These were the Batangas Blades, the Cagayan de Oro Nuggets, the Cebu Gems, the Davao Eagles, the Iloilo Volts, the Laguna Lakers, the Manila Metrostars, the Negros Slashers, the Pampanga Dragons, the Pangasinan Presidents, the Pasig Blue Pirates, and the Socsargen Marlins. The league was divided into 2 groups – the Northern Conference and the Southern Conference.
In the end, it was the Pampanga Dragons that became the best team of the North after beating the Manila Metrostars in the conference championship. Meanwhile, the Negros Slashers surprised many as they came out as the best team from the South with a stunning win over the Cebu Gems in their own conference title square off.
In the national championship, the Dragons proved their superiority as they relied on PBA superstar and 1992 MVP winner, Ato Agustin, to pull off a decisive 4-1 series victory against the fighting Slashers, celebrating their win at their homecourt in front of more than 10,000 boisterous fans that braved the sweltering heat at the San Fernando Sports Complex.
Silver Anniversary Bash
It’s not a surprise, therefore, that the Dragons’ first team manager, Gil Cortez, himself the mastermind of several Toyota gatherings this year, decided to organize a grand reunion featuring his victorious 1998 champion team. In an interview with Philippine Basketball Diaries, Cortez understood the value of celebrating the team’s 25th anniversary championship with a party to be held on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at the Sixty-Four Resto Bar inside the Vista Mall, San Fernando, Pampanga. “There’s no better way to celebrate our championship but to hold this on our 25th year. I’m just happy that when we were planning this, we received very positive responses from the former players and officials,” Cortez said.
Expected to grace this special event is no less than team owner Anton Gonzalez. The scion of the late Tourism Secretary Jose Antonio Gonzalez, he’s expected to deliver the keynote message to the attendees.
Also attending are assistant team manager Jimbo Reverente, assistant coach Ompong Segura and the players from the pioneer team headed by Agustin, Long David, Eric Gascon, Udoy Belmonte, Norman Gonzales, Gherome Ejercito, Nonoy Pido, Ariel Garcia, Lester del Rosario, Billy Bansil, Willy Mejia and Rolof Liangco.
From the media, the MBA’s original broadcast team of Sev Sarmenta, Bob Novales and Bill Velasco will be there. Sarmenta, still one of today’s top sports broadcasters, will also serve as the emcee of the event. Other members of the media like Champ de Lunas of ABS-CBN, Brian Yalung of PTV4 and the Manila Bulletin, Dodo Catacutan of Spin, Sid Ventura of The Rivalry and An Eternity of Basketball (AEOB), Charlie Cuna, Noel Zarate and this writer also of AEOB, and the Philippine Basketball Diaries will also be there to cover the event.
A video tribute was also produced by the people behind the podcast shows, “An Eternity of Basketball” and "Who the Heck are We?" to honor the team and the personalities. After dinner, a trivia game will be held with Sarmenta asking various questions from 25 years back. Special prizes and giveaways will be handed out to the participants and guests.
Despite the excess poundage, the bigger waists, and the higher foreheads, Cortez expects everyone to revel and enjoy themselves. A perfect night to remember their biggest accomplishment 25 years ago – winning the very first MBA championship!
