By James Ajero

 

As Asia’s oldest professional basketball league, the PBA has a long tradition of inviting foreign teams to compete in its conferences, adding an international flavor to an already fiercely competitive tournament. 

 

With the Macau Black Bears set to make an appearance in the upcoming PBA 50 Commissioner’s Cup, we take a look back at the three most successful guest teams in the league’s 50-year history.

 

 

Originally assembled to serve as the backbone of Philippine basketball in international competitions, the Northern Consolidated Cement (NCC) squad saw action in four PBA conferences during the 1984 and 1985 seasons.

 

The talent-laden roster featured future PBA legends, including Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Yves Dignadice, and Franz Pumaren. The locals were complemented by naturalized standouts Chip Engelland, Jeff Moore, and Dennis Still.

 

Despite being without their primary scorer Engelland due to eligibility issues, the Nationals made history by capturing the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference title, sweeping the Manila Beer Brewmasters in a dominant best-of-seven series victory.

 

Game 1 set the tone, as NCC erupted for 42 points in the fourth quarter to pull away for a convincing 132-109 win on November 21, 1985, at the ULTRA in Pasig City. Moore was unstoppable in the series opener, pouring in 53 points for NCC.

 

The story remained the same over the next three games, capped by a commanding 138-106 victory in Game 4 on November 28 to complete the sweep.

 

The championship was historic on multiple fronts. NCC became the first local guest team to win a PBA title and they pulled off the league’s first-ever sweep in a best-of-seven Finals series.

 

 

Five years before NCC captured the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference title, the Nicholas Stoodley Fashion Setters etched their name in league history as the first foreign team to win a PBA championship.

 

The 1980 PBA Invitational Conference featured a stacked field, with the Fashion Setters battling local powerhouses Toyota Tamaraws, Crispa Redmanizers, and U/Tex Wranglers, alongside fellow guest team Adidas Rubberworld-France.

 

While the Adidas-backed squad fell short of a Finals berth, Nicholas Stoodley dominated the eliminations to secure the No. 1 seed, setting up a best-of-three championship showdown against defending champions Toyota.

 

The Fashion Setters struck first with a 120-112 victory in Game 1 on September 5 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Toyota put up a tougher fight in Game 2, but Nicholas Stoodley held firm to complete the series sweep with a 118-113 win on September 8 at the same venue.

 

Kenny Tyler led the way in the title-clinching victory with 33 points, while teammates Larry Pounds, Larry Spicer, Ollie Matson, and Ron Richardson combined for 77 points to seal the championship.

 

To this day, the achievement stands unmatched, as Nicholas Stoodley remains the only foreign guest team to have captured a PBA championship. 

 

 

Though they fell one win short of capturing the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner’s Cup title, Hong Kong’s Bay Area Dragons emerged as the most competitive guest team in recent memory, pushing fan favorites Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to a grueling seven-game Finals series.

 

In front of a record crowd of 54,589 fans, the Gin Kings closed the door on the Dragons with a 114-99 victory in Game 7 at the Philippine Arena on January 15, 2023, to secure the conference championship.

 

Barangay Ginebra seized control early and never looked back, racing to a commanding 61-39 halftime lead. Bay Area mounted a late rally, trimming the deficit to 13 points in the fourth quarter, but the Gin Kings answered with a decisive 7-0 run to pull away for good.

 

Justin Brownlee once again anchored Ginebra with 34 points,12 assists, and eight rebounds, while Scottie Thompson chipped in 18 points and nine boards. Christian Standhardinger contributed a well-rounded 12-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance and was named Finals MVP as Ginebra claimed its 15th PBA title.

 

 

Will the Macau Black Bears become just the second foreign team to capture a PBA championship? We’ll soon find out in the Commissioner’s Cup.