Ten things you may or may not know about the PBA opening

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is officially 50 years old today. Nine franchises joined the league on its pioneer year – P. Floro & Sons, Inc., Delta Motors Corporation, Universal Textile Mills, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, Elizalde & Co., Inc., Consolidated Foods Corporation, Porcelana Mariwasa Inc., Seven-Up Bottling Company of the Philippines and Concepcion Industrial, Inc. All nine teams are also members of the top amateur basketball league of the Philippines, the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association.

The Philippine Basketball Diaries takes a look back on the events that happened on April 9, 1975. Here are ten things you may or may not know that transpired on opening day.

1)    The PBA opened at the Araneta Coliseum with more than 18,000 fans witnessing the two games at the Big Dome with millions more on Philippine television. The Cubao venue was then the biggest indoor basketball facility in the Philippines, capable of accommodating 32,000 fans (SRO).

2)    Two games were featured on opening day. The first game featured Mariwasa, led by import Cisco Oliver who scored 48 points and superstar, Jun Papa, who added 17, beating the Weathermakers, 101-98. In the second game, the Toyota Comets upended the U/Tex Weavers, 105-101. Toyota was led by Ompong Segura and Francis Arnaiz, who combined for 45 points mostly on transition plays. Four other Comets scored in double digits while U/Tex was led by forwards Larry Mumar and Danny Florencio who scored 29 points apiece.

3)    Only two referees were allowed to officiate in each game. The zebras of the first game were Fely Santarina and Remigio Bartolome while Messrs Venusto Marquez and Cesar Correa handled the second. The other notable referees in the PBA stable on its pioneer year include Igmidio Cahanding, Dr. Ting Cruz, Rodolfo Manuel and Estifanio Bernos.

4)    The opening tip-off featured Miss PBA Mia Montemayor, a model and future actress, doing the ceremonial toss with Concepcion’s Gene Lucindo and Mariwasa’s Oliver representing their teams. Commissioner Leo Prieto assisted Montemayor with referees Santarina and Bartolome.

5)    Firsts: The first to score in a PBA game was Gregorio “Joy” Dionisio, a tough and physical guard from the Adamson University Falcons, making a short jumper to give Carrier the first lead, 2-0. Dionisio ended up with 10 points. The first to commit a turnover was Oliver when he stepped on the line in the first few seconds of the game. Lucindo, who had to take the cudgels of guarding Oliver, was the first player to foul out in a PBA game.

6)    Contrary to what many may thought, the zone defense was only outlawed in the PBA on May 13, 1975, more than a month after the league opened. Hence, the first two games on opening night featured the teams using the zone as a defensive approach. With Mariwasa parading 6’6 import Oliver, it was clear that the Porcelain Makers had a distinct advantage over the all-Filipino Carrier team. The same advantage applied to Toyota, backstopped by national team big men Ramon Fernandez and Big Boy Reynoso.

7)    The opening day of the PBA was covered by the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS) Channel 9 (later RPN 9) owned by sugar magnate, Roberto S. Benedicto and managed by his daughter, Kitchie. At that time, only the second game was shown live at 7PM with the first game being aired on a delayed telecast immediately after the second game, or around 9:30PM.

8)    The first PBA broadcasters were Frank Sanchez and Raffy Mejia as anchors with Carlos “Caloy” Prieto as the first color commentator. When many thought Dick Ildefonso and Emy Arcilla were part of the original broadcast team, the two joined the PBA coverage only in 1976. Sanchez, Mejia and Prieto were seasoned sports broadcasters and the year after, were sent by the network to cover the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

9)    The PBA Opening Ceremonies were always a highlight. Unlike today when it’s the Board of Governors that take centerstage, the players and their muses were the stars. The beauties escorted by the team captains included Crispa’s Reggie Prada, CFC’s 1975 Ms. Young Philippines Jean Saburit, Carrier’s Jhoanna Raunio, who represented Finland in the Miss Universe pageant held in Manila in 1974, Toyota had model Lolit Imperial, U/Tex had 1974 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Guadalupe Sanchez, 1974 Ms. Young Philippines Deborah Enriquez represented Mariwasa, model Marilou Valeriano represented Royal Tru Orange, 7-UP had 1974 Miss Chinatown Arlene Cheng, and Tanduay brought in model Maricita Catibayan.

10) The four coaches who mentored their teams on opening day were Dante Silverio of Toyota, U/Tex’s Narciso Bernardo, Emerson Coseteng of Mariwasa and Tito Eduque of Carrier. Both Silverio and Coseteng were the owners of their respective teams while Bernardo was a former national basketball team star and shooter, who later became a PBA Deputy Commissioner. Eduque, on the other hand, christened as the “man in white” for his penchant to wear an all-white fashion ensemble, was the national team head coach that regained the ABC championship in 1973 held in Manila.