PBA 40th Season By The Numbers

MANILA, Philippines - Here’s a quick scan of the PBA’s 40th anniversary season by the numbers. You’ll be surprised to find out that since the pro league’s inception in 1975, membership never went beyond 10. Today, the PBA has 12 franchises and may add two more in the 2015-16 campaign. Expansion appears to be the way of the future as the PBA opens its doors across the nation and overseas to reach out to Filipino OFWs.

Now more than ever, the PBA is gaining ground in bringing the game closer to its audience with breakthroughs in digital media providing real-time access to the action. The popularity of basketball is clearly on the rise with the success of the Gilas squad at the FIBA Asia Championships last year and the qualification of the Philippine team to the FIBA World Cup after a 36-year absence. The global basketball community has welcomed the Philippines back to prominence with open arms and recognized the uncanny ability of the undersized Filipino to excel in a big man’s game.

How the numbers stack up:

9 – the founding franchises in the PBA in 1975. The cast dwindled to six in 1985, rose to eight in 1990, up to nine in 1999 and at the turn of the millennium, went to 10. This season, the league will expand to 12 teams.

P150 Million – the estimated value of equipment bought by TV5 to cover the PBA games, including an HD1080i OBVan for eight to 10 cameras, a Zeplay live production slow-motion server for instant replay using five to six different angles, Ross Xpression real-time motion 3D graphics system, a telestrator and Yamaha digital audio-mixing consoles.

12 – muses to parade with their teams during the season-opening program at the Philippine Arena this afternoon. The muses are Megan Young of Talk ‘N’ Text, Alice Dixson of San Miguel Beer, Ellen Adarna of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Ritz Azul of Merlaco, Dianne Medina of N-Lex, Sunshine Cruz of Blackwater, Jinkee Pacquiao of Kia Sorento, Glennifer Perido of Rain Or Shine, Rachel Ann Daquis of Globalport, Natalie Den Dekker of Barako Bull, Michelle Gumabao of Alaska and M. J. Lastimosa of Purefoods.

15 – players allowed in a lineup, 14 to play and one in the injured/reserve list.

26 – rookies listed in PBA rosters as of last Friday, including four undrafted players, Kia’s Eder Saldua (2008) and Paul Sanga (2013), N-Lex’ Jeckster Apinan (2013) and Globalport’s Roider Cabrera (2014).

5 – drafted rookies this year unable to join the PBA until the end of the NCAA Finals. They are San Beda’s Anthony Semerad (Globalport, 1st round), David Semerad (Barako Bull, 1st round) and Kyle Pascual (Kia Sorento, 2nd round) and Arellano University’s Prince Caperal (Globalport, 2nd round) and Nard Pinto (Globalport, 2nd round).

40 – veterans who switched teams during the offseason. Among the transferees were Eric Menk from Globalport to Alaska, R. R. Garcia and Jondan Salvador from Globalport to Barako Bull, Joseph Yeo from San Miguel Beer to Barangay Ginebra, Jay Washington from Globalport to Talk ‘N’ Text, Sean Anthony and Simon Atkins from Air21 to Meralco, Mark Isip and Keith Jensen from Barako Bull to Globalport, Nino Canaleta and Pamboy Raymundo from Talk ‘N’ Text to N-Lex, Ryan Buenafe from Alaska to Meralco, Rob Labagala from Barako Bull to Talk ‘N’ Text, Bitoy Omolon from Meralco to San Miguel Beer, Chico Lanete from San Miguel Beer to Barako Bull, Alex Nuyles from Rain Or Shine to Blackwater and Paul Artadi, Jason Ballesteros, Chris Timberlake and Sunday Salvacion from Meralco to Blackwater.

14 – first overall draft picks in rosters this season, namely Meralco’s Danny Ildefonso (1998), Globalport’s Yancy de Ocampo (2002), Meralco’s Mike Cortez (2003), Kia’s Rich Alvarez (2004), Talk ‘N’ Text’s Jay Washington (2005), Talk ‘N’ Text’s Kelly Williams (2006), Purefoods’ Joe De Vance (2007), Rain Or Shine’s Gabe Norwood (2008), Barangay Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar (2009), Globalport’s Noy Baclao (2010), Alaska’s Jvee Casio (2011), San Miguel Beer’s JuneMar Fajardo (2012), Barangay Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter (2013) and Globalport’s Stanley Pringle (2014).

2 – players who are 40 and over, namely Meralco’s John Ferriols, 40, and N-Lex’ Asi Taulava, 41. Coming close to rebirth (life begins at 40) are Barako Bull’s Mick Pennisi, 39, Talk ‘N’ Text’s Danny Seigle, 38, Barangay Ginebra’s Jay-Jay Helterbrand, 38, and N-Lex’ Wynne Arboleda who turns 38 on Nov. 28.

17 – referees in the PBA pool to start the season.

7 – out-of-town provincial games in the Philippine Cup eliminations. Hosts are Tubod, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, Binan twice, Lucena and Dipolog.

5 – venues in Metro Manila for the Philippine Cup eliminations, namely, the Smart Araneta Coliseum (23 games), Cuneta Astrodome (2), Ynares Antipolo (2), Philippine Arena (1) and Mall of Asia Arena (1). This schedule is from Oct. 19 to Dec. 9 covering 66 games.

36 – Fil-foreigners listed in rosters. The PBA limit is five Fil-foreigners in the active list and one in the injured/reserve list for each team. Talk ‘N’ Text, for instance, has five Fil-foreigners in the active list, namely, Harvey Carey, Ryan Reyes, Kelly Williams, Rob Reyes and Danny Seigle, and one, Jimmy Alapag, in the injured/reserve list. Jay Washington and Matt Ganuelas are not considered Fil-foreigners because they were born in the Philippines.

8 – head coaches who played in the PBA, namely, Alaska’s Alex Compton, Barako Bull’s Siot Tanquingcen, Barangay Ginebra’s Jeff Cariaso, Blackwater’s Leo Isaac, Globalport’s Pido Jarencio, San Miguel Beer’s Leo Austria, N-Lex’ Boyet Fernandez and Meralco’s Norman Black. Once Kia rookie Manny Pacquiao checks in for a game, the list will increase to nine head coaches with PBA playing experience.

3 – Kings in the league or Los Tres Reyes, namely, Talk ‘N’ Text’s Ryan and Rob Reyes and Barangay Ginebra’s Jay-R Reyes. Additionally, Josh Reyes is an assistant coach with Talk ‘N’ Text.

11 – undrafted players in rosters, namely rookies Saldua, Sanga, Apinan, Barako Bull’s Chico Lanete (2006), Barangay Ginebra’s Josh Urbiztondo (2009), Kia’s Hans Thiele (2010), Chad Alonzo (2006), Bogart Raymundo (2008) and Rudy Lingganay (2010), Rain Or Shine’s Jonathan Uyloan (2009) and Purefoods’ Jerwin Gaco (2005).

6 – most rookies in a roster at Kia, namely, Kenneth Ighalo, Saldua, Joshua Webb, Sanga, Alvin Padilla and Pacquiao.

1 – team that has not added a player from last season’s Governors Cup – Purefoods. The only casualty was J. R. Cawaling who played 18 games in the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup before sitting out the third conference. Cawaling was picked by Blackwater in the dispersal draft.

9 – games to be aired live on TV5 every week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There will be doubleheaders every playing day of the week except Saturday. The first game on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday starts at 4:15 p.m. and the second game at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the game tips off at 5 p.m. and on Sunday, the first game begins at 3 p.m. and the second at 5:15 p.m.

32 – Ateneo and La Salle players in PBA rosters, including Barangay Ginebra’s L. A. Tenorio, Joseph Yeo, Greg Slaughter, Emman Monfort and Japeth Aguilar, N-Lex’ MacMac Cardona and Enrico Villanueva, Kia’s L. A. Revilla, Joshua Webb and Rich Alvarez and Meralco’s Simon Atkins, Ryan Buenafe and Mike Cortez. The breakdown is 18 for Ateneo and 14 for La Salle.

24,883 – highest attendance in the PBA set in Game 7 of the Barangay Ginebra-San Mig Coffee semifinals in the Philippine Cup last season. The mark will be eclipsed at the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena today. As of 12 noon last Friday, it was reported that 43,729 tickets had been sold for the 40th season inaugurals.