Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines.
| Upcoming season or competition: 2023 MPBL season | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 29, 2017 |
| Founder | Manny Pacquiao |
| Inaugural season | 2018 |
| COO | Zaldy Realubit |
| Commissioner | Kenneth Duremdes |
| Motto | Ang Liga Ng Bawat Pilipino (The League of Every Filipino) |
| No. of teams | 30 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Headquarters | Pasig, Philippines |
| Continent | FIBA Asia (Asia) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards (1st title) |
| Most titles | 5 teams (1 title each) |
History
Founding
Manny Pacquiao launched the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on August 29, 2017, starting off as a semi-professional league.[1][2] According to Pacquiao, the league is not intended to be a competitor to the Philippine Basketball Association, the country's top professional basketball league. The MPBL was intended to feature both the regional commercial and barangay-level league, with teams on the commercial side to have a home locality in addition to a corporate sponsor.[3]
In the first months, the league hosted teams from Luzon with future plans to expand to accommodate teams based in Visayas and Mindanao like the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association. It is planned that an expanded MPBL will have two conferences, North and South, where the best teams from both divisions will face in the finals similar to the format of the National Basketball Association of the United States.[3]
The league was planned to start as early as September 23, 2017 with at least six teams.[4] A pre-season was held with the Bulacan Kuyas finishing as champions.[5]
First seasons (2018–2021)
The MPBL began its first season (named the Anta Rajah Cup) on January 25, 2018, and included ten teams, all based in Luzon.[6] In the opening game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Parañaque Patriots secured a 70–60 victory over the Caloocan Supremos.[7] The Batangas City Athletics were crowned as the league's first-ever champion when they defeated the Muntinlupa Cagers in the 2018 MPBL Finals.
For the 2018–19 season, the MPBL had expanded its roster of teams to 26, adding 16 expansion teams to the league. After ten expansion teams were admitted into the league, it closed its doors for new applicants from Luzon so that it could leave room for future Visayas and Mindanao teams, which was then discussed in a meeting in Cebu was held on April 28.[8] The Davao Occidental Tigers became the first MPBL team from the Visayas-Mindanao region. This drastic increase led to the addition of the aforementioned Northern and Southern Divisions. The San Juan Knights then became the 2019 champions, beating the Davao Occidental Tigers.
In December 2019, Chooks-to-Go of Bounty Agro Ventures became the title sponsor of the league under a five-year deal.[9] The 2019–20 season featured a record-high 31 teams participating in the league, including 6 expansion teams, but was postponed on March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after the second game of the Divisional Finals. Nearly one year later, the league resumed play for the final games of the playoffs on March 10, 2021 through a bubble in Subic.[10] The Davao Occidental Tigers beat the San Juan Knights in a rematch of last season's Finals to become the 2020 champions. Because of the long delay, the 2020–21 season was cancelled altogether.[11] In October 2021, Chooks-to-Go took over the operations of the league.[9]
Professional league (2021–present)
On November 9, 2021, it was announced that the MPBL will turn into a professional league. They have also lifted the restrictions for Fil-foreign and ex-professional players.[12] On December 9, 2021, the MPBL was granted professional status by the Games and Amusements Board.[13] The league also signed a partnership with sports betting platform OKBet to server as their title sponsor.[14]
The 2022 season featured 22 teams competing. The league held its first preseason tournament, the 2021 Invitational, with the Basilan Jumbo Plastic becoming the tournament's champions, also winning a prize pot of two million pesos. On October 10, 2022, Kyt Jimenez of the Sarangani Marlins became the first player in league history to record a quadruple-double.[15] The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards became the 2022 champions, winning against the Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines.
The upcoming 2023 season will feature 30 teams, including two expansion teams.[16] The 2023 Preseason Invitational was held in General Santos featuring eight teams, among those teams is the first guest team in the league, Bulalakaw.[17] The Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines won the preseason tournament, beating the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards.
Format
Regular season
The regular season format resembles that of the Philippine Basketball Association. All teams play in a single-round robin format, where each team plays against all of the other teams once. In each gameday, a series of games is played in a team's homecourt, but not all games feature the host team, making them neutral-site games. Gamedays usually end with the host team participating in the final game.
Playoffs
In each division, the top eight teams by winning percentage advance to the playoffs and are seeded into a single-elimination bracket. The first three rounds (First Round, Divisional Semifinals, and Divisional Finals) are played in a best-of-three series, while the National Finals is played in a best-of-five series.
Teams
During its first season in 2018, the MPBL had ten teams entering the league, all based in Luzon. Since then, it has expanded into Visayas and Mindanao. In the 2023 season, there will be 30 teams participating in the league, including two expansion teams in Negros and Quezon.
Team names change often in the league, even mid-season. Teams can be named by something that represents their home city or region, or their title sponsor.
Muscovados Maskaras United Royals Huskers Casino Rubbing Alcohol class=notpageimage| Locations of MPBL teams (NCR & Cavite are pinned by blue pogs) | class=notpageimage| Greater Metro Manila (NCR) and Cavite MPBL Teams |
2023 teams
| Team | Locality | Main sponsor | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Division | |||||||
| Bataan Risers | Balanga, Bataan | Camaya Coast | People's Center Capitol | 4,000 | 2018 | Ricky Dandan | |
| Bulacan Kuyas - Baliwag City | Malolos, Bulacan Baliuag, Bulacan | Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium Baliuag Star Arena Malolos Sports and Convention Center | 5,000 5,000 5,000 | 2017 | Christopher Baluyot | ||
| Batang Kankaloo – Caloocan | Caloocan, Metro Manila | Victory Liner, Inc. | Caloocan Sports Complex | 3,000 | 2017 | Ronnie Dojillo | |
| Makati OKBet Kings[18][19] | Makati, Metro Manila | OKBet | Makati Coliseum | 12,000 | 2018 | Don Dulay | |
| Manila Stars[20] | Manila, Metro Manila | Czar Concept Solution | San Andres Sports Complex Paco Arena | 3,000 1,000 | 2018 | Tylon Darjuan | |
| Marikina Shoemasters[21] | Marikina, Metro Manila | Marist School Gym Marikina Sports Center | 2,500 7,000 | 2018 | Elvis Tolentino | ||
| Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards | Palayan, Nueva Ecija | Nueva Ecija Coliseum | 3,000 | 2019 | Jerson Cabiltes | ||
| Pampanga Giant Lanterns[22] | Angeles City, San Fernando, Pampanga | AMG3 Construction | Angeles University Foundation Gymnasium Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex and Convention Center | 2,000 3,000 | 2018 | Dennis Pineda | |
| Parañaque Patriots | Parañaque, Metro Manila | Olivarez College Coliseum | 3,500 | 2017 | Michael Saguiguit | ||
| Pasay Voyagers[23] | Pasay, Metro Manila | Cuneta Astrodome | 12,000 | 2018 | Marlon Martin | ||
| Pasig City MCW Sports[24] | Pasig, Metro Manila | MCW Sports | Pasig Sports Center Ynares Sports Arena | 2,500 3,000 | 19873 19981 | 2018 | Ogie Gumatay |
| Quezon City Gaz N Go | Quezon City, Metro Manila | Gaz N Go | Blue Eagle Gym Henry Noble Gymnasium, Trinity University of Asia JCSGO Seed Dome | 7,500 980 1,000 | 2018 | Teng Torcuator | |
| Rizal Golden Coolers[20][25] | Antipolo, Rizal | Emkai Wholesale Trading PTC Foodsphere Asia Corp. AMRC Holdings Company, Inc. | Ynares Center | 7,400 | 2018 | Jonathan Banal | |
| San Juan Knights[26] | San Juan, Metro Manila | Powerball Marketing & Logistics Corporation | Filoil Flying V Centre | 5,500 | 19991 | 2018 | Randy Alcantara |
| Valenzuela XUR Homes | Valenzuela, Metro Manila | XUR Homes Realty, Inc. MJAS Zenith Trading CDO Foodsphere | Bahayang Pag-asa Sports Complex | 3,000 | 2018 | Jhon Velasquez | |
| Southern Division | |||||||
| Bacolod Maskaras | Bacolod, Negros Occidental | TBA | USLS Coliseum | 8,000 | 2019 | Monel Kallos | |
| Bacoor City Strikers[27] | Bacoor, Cavite | Strike Gymnasium | 1,500 | 2018 | Alexander Angeles | ||
| Batangas City Tanduay Rum Masters | Batangas City, Batangas | Tanduay Distillers | Batangas City Coliseum | 4,000 | 2018 | Cholo Villanueva | |
| Bicol Volcanoes | Bicol Region Legazpi, Albay Naga, Camarines Sur | Liberty Commercial Center, Inc. | Albay Astrodome Ibalong Centrum for Recreation Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum | 5,000 8,000 12,000 | 2019 | Vis Valencia | |
| GenSan Warriors[28] | General Santos, South Cotabato | Lagao Gymnasium | 6,000 | 20052 | 2018 | Jesus Ramon Pido | |
| Iloilo United Royals | Iloilo City, Iloilo | University of San Agustin Gymnasium | 5,000 | 2019 | Manu Inigo | ||
| Imus SV Squad | Imus, Cavite | Tutok To Win Party-List | Imus Sports Complex AATF Sports Complex | 1,000 2,000 | 2018 | Jinino Manansala | |
| Laguna Krah Asia[29] | Biñan, Laguna | Krah Pipes Manila Inc. | Alonte Sports Arena | 6,500 | 2018 | Nath Gregorio | |
| Oriental Mindoro Disiplinados | Oriental Mindoro | Spring Fuel | N/A | 2019 | Jonathan Reyes | ||
| Muntinlupa Cagers | Muntinlupa, Metro Manila | Muntinlupa Sports Center | 3,000 | 2018 | Jack Azcueta | ||
| Negros Muscovados[30] | Victorias, Negros Occidental | Victorias City Coliseum | 8,000 | 2021 | Rolando Aledron, Jr. | ||
| Quezon Huskers[30] | Lucena, Quezon | Quezon Convention Center | 7,000 | 2023 | Eric Gonzales | ||
| Sarangani Marlins | Alabel, Sarangani | Sarangani Capitol Gymnasium | N/A | 19981 | 2019 | John Kallos | |
| Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines[28] | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur | Universal Canning Inc. | Mayor Vitaliano D. Agan Coliseum | 12,000 | 2018 | Vic Ycasiano | |
- Notes
- ^ The Pasig Pirates (as Pasig-Rizal Pirates), San Juan Knights and Sarangani Marlins were founded during the active years of Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).
- ^ The General Santos Warriors was founded in 2005 as GenSan MP PacMan Warriors and participated in Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA), National Basketball Conference (NBC) and Liga Pilipinas in 2008.
- ^ The Sta. Lucia Realtors was founded in 1987 from the Philippine Basketball League (PBL)
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 1993 and the Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League (PCBL) in 2015.
Former teams
| Team | Locality | Main sponsor | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basilan Jumbo Plastic | Lamitan, Basilan | Jumbo Plastic Linoleum Medical Depot | Lamitan Capitol Gym | 3,000 | 2018 | 2021 | |
| Cebu - Casino Rubbing Alcohol | Cebu City, Cebu Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu | International Pharmaceuticals Inc. | USJ-R Basak Coliseum Hoops Dome Aznar Coliseum | 4,000 6,500 3,000 | 2018 | TBA | |
| Davao Occidental Tigers - Cocolife[31] | Davao Occidental Davao City, Davao del Sur | United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corporation | University of Southeastern Philippines Gymnasium & Cultural Center Rizal Memorial Colleges Petro Gazz Arena Davao City Recreation Center | 6,000 2,000 2,500 | 2018 | 2019–20 | |
| Mandaluyong El Tigre | Mandaluyong City | Dataland | Jose Rizal University Gym Ynares Sports Arena (temporary) | 3,000 (Ynares) | 2018 | 2018–19 | |
| Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines | Navotas, Metro Manila | Slord Development Corporation | Navotas Sports Complex | 1,000 | 2018 | 2019–20 | |
All-time venues
League championships
| Teams | Win | Loss | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Davao Occidental | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2020 | 2019 |
| Nueva Ecija | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2022 | 2021 |
| Batangas City | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2018 | — |
| Basilan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2021 | — |
| Muntinlupa | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2018 |
| Zamboanga | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 2022 |
Media coverage
Similar to the defunct Philippine Basketball League and the former Shakey's V-League prior to 2016, the MPBL employs its own in-house broadcast team for all games.
Television
On January 11, 2018, it was announced that ABS-CBN and its sports division would be the first television broadcasters in the league.[32] These games were broadcast through S+A, Liga, and its various regional channels in the Philippines, while The Filipino Channel broadcast the games in international markets. Some Finals games would also be aired through the main ABS-CBN channel. In addition, Fox Sports Asia also held the broadcast rights for Monday games until the 2018-19 season.
The broadcast rights when left in jeopardy when ABS-CBN's franchise was expired on May 4, 2020, which led to the dissolution of its sports division on August 31, 2020. Despite that, the network continued to broadcast games through A2Z when the 2020 playoffs resumed.
For the 2021 Invitational, the league then found new broadcast partners in IBC and Tap DMV, where the games were broadcast via the IBC channel and Tap Sports.
The current television contract began in the 2022 season, where select games are broadcast through One PH and One Sports+. Beginning with the 2023 season, games will also be broadcast on Media Pilipinas TV.
Streaming
As for streaming, the league broadcasts all of its games through its official Facebook, YouTube, and Kumu pages, as well as on Cignal Play and iWantTFC.
Rules
Game regulations
- FIBA rules
Player eligibility
Player classifications
- Local player – Born to full-blooded Filipinos.[33]
- Filipino-foreigners – Filipinos born to at least a parent with foreign heritage regardless where they are born or raised or if they are a holder of a Philippine passport. Only those with a height of less than 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) are eligible to play in the MPBL.[33]
- Ex-pros – Players with prior participation in professional leagues such as the Philippine Basketball Association and the ASEAN Basketball League.[34]
- Homegrown player – Players who are native to their team's home locality.[35]
During the 2021 MPBL Invitational,[36] the height limit for Filipino-foreigners was lifted.[12]
Team roster limits
- At least three homegrown talents per team[35]
- Limit on Filipino-foreigner per team.
- Limit on ex-professional (ex-pro) players per team
At least for the 2021 MPBL Invitational,[36] it was announce that the cap on ex-pros and requirement to field homegrowns will be scrapped.[12]
Commissioners
| No. | Commissioner | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | ||
| 1 | Snow Badua | August 29, 2017 | November 22, 2017 |
| 2 | Kenneth Duremdes | November 22, 2017 | incumbent |
See also
References
- ^ Del Rosario, Paolo (August 29, 2017). "Senator Manny Pacquiao launches new basketball league". CNN Philippines (in English and Filipino). Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ "From humble origins in GenSan, Manny Pacquiao's MPBL is now a nation-wide league". ABS-CBN Sports. June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
nd as the semi-professional league continues to grow, it's amazing to think that it all started with a 'pa-liga' in General Santos City.
- ^ a b Henson, Joaquin (September 3, 2017). "MPBL won't compete with PBA". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ Lintag, Paul (August 29, 2017). "Home-and-away games make grand return through Maharlika Pilipinas". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ "ABS-CBN S+A is the official broadcaster of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League". January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ^ Leongson, Randolph (January 22, 2018). "Maharlika basketball league tips off Thursday with 10 teams at Big Dome". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ Leongson, Randolph (January 25, 2018). "Pacquiao's dream league comes to reality; Parañaque wins". Inquirer.net. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ^ Lagunzad, Jerome. "20 teams, so far, in MPBL". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ a b "Chooks-to-Go takes over MPBL's basketball operations". Tiebreaker Times. October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ^ Giongco, Mark (March 6, 2021). "MPBL set to resume division finals on March 10". Inquirer.net. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ Tupas, Cedelf (June 1, 2020). "MPBL cancels 2020-2021 season". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Chooks-to-Go MPBL set to turn pro, removes Fil-for restrictions". Tiebreaker Times. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Chooks-to-Go MPBL officially turns pro". Tiebreaker Times. December 9, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Ulanday, John Bryan. "MPBL seals deal with sports betting firm, puts premium on integrity". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ "Kyt Jimenez posts historic quadruple double in Sarangani blowout win". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Quezon, Negros Musovados join MPBL as 5th season features 26 squads". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "P3M at stake in MPBL preseason joust". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ Joble, Rey (April 10, 2018). "MPBL reaches Sweet 16 as Makati enters as latest expansion ball club". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
- ^ "Makati ditches Skyscrapers MPBL moniker as team unveils Super Crunch". Fox Sports. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ a b Joble, Rey (April 8, 2018). "Manila, Team Rizal raise Maharlika Pilipinas member teams to 15". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey (April 25, 2018). "Ex-Navotas stars likely to rejoin old coach in new team in Marikina". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey (April 24, 2018). "MPBL: Anybody wants to know what Pampanga's moniker is?". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey (May 13, 2018). "Unheralded Lastimosa, 2 ex-pros lead Pasay's MPBL campaign". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
- ^ Reyes, Jonas Egan (April 4, 2018). "Pasig Pirates set to sail again". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey. "Team Rizal planning to change moniker for MPBL season". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey (April 7, 2018). "Ex-Senator Estrada excited to see Cardona-led San Juan Knights in MPBL". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey (May 22, 2018). "MPBL welcomes Bacoor Strikers as 26th squad". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- ^ a b Joble, Rey (May 2, 2018). "Gen San, Zamboanga join Davao Occi in MPBL's Vis-Min expansion". Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Joble, Rey (April 5, 2018). "Laguna 2nd expansion squad to join MPBL; San Juan, Makati next in line". Fox Sports Philippines. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ a b "Quezon, Negros Musovados join MPBL as 5th season features 26 squads". Philstar.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Joble, Rey (December 26, 2021). "Davao Occidental leaves MPBL, named founding member of PSL". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
- ^ "ABS-CBN S+A is broadcaster of Pacman's cage league". Manila Standard. January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
- ^ a b "Tratter: MPBL rule on Fil-foreigners taking away opportunity from players". ESPN.com. May 17, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ Henson, Joaquin (February 22, 2018). "Manny Pacquiao upbeat on MPBL expansion". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Nicolas, Jino (February 8, 2018). "Tanduay Athletics locked in for grassroots basketball". BusinessWorld. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "MPBL scraps limit on Fil-foreign players per team - for the time being". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ "Contentious MPBL rule on Fil-foreigners stays: 'I'm very sorry sa players na naapektuhan'". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. May 22, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ a b c "MPBL raises limit on Fil-foreigners to two, ex-pros to seven per team". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. May 17, 2019. Retrieved November 11, 2021.