The PBA has produced a lot of deadly duos since its establishment in 1975.
Who's your favorite PBA duo of all time? That question probably evoked a lot of nostalgic memories watching the league in box type televisions.
The league has seen its fair share of elite pairings throughout its historic run, and here are some of them in this brief trip down memory lane.
(Disclaimer: This is not in any way a ranking, and to avoid unnecessary debates, this is arranged in order of era from young to old.)
James Yap and PJ Simon (Purefoods/San Mig Coffee/B-Meg)
Okay. It can be argued that these two shouldn't be on the list in lieu of them being a "trio" with Marc Pingirs, and there was a Yap-Kerby Raymundo era in Purefoods as well. However, the guard tandem has endured a lot together since 2004, and they practically grew up with the same franchise winning seven together including the last grand slam the PBA has seen.
Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa (Barangay Ginebra)
Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa take the trophy for top tandem monicker with "Fast and the Furious." This fan favorite duo is considered as the most popular and they have the rings and personal accolades to back that up including six championships and an MVP plum, each.
Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro (Talk 'N Text)
Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro only had a brief time together compared to the first two guard duos. But their accomplishments with the Talk 'N Text franchise is also legendary. The two shared a Finals MVP award in their 2011 Philippine Cup title. Mighty Mouse and The Blur in total won five chips together including a then unprecedented four straight all-Filipino titles.
Danny Seigle and Danny Ildefonso (San Miguel)
San Miguel Beermen's double D brought double damage to the league during the late 90s and the 2000s.
Both standing at 6-foot-6 with a game-changing versatility at their position, the Dannys took the league by storm winning seven championships together. Ildefonso himself finished with two MVP awards and three Finals MVP trophies, while Seigle stacked his resume with four Finals MVP awards.
Johnny Abarrientos and Jojo Lastimosa (Alaska)
The first person that pops up in a PBA fan's mind when the Alaska franchise is mentioned is Tim Cone, and rightfully so. But the two players that carried Alaska to its glory were Johnny Abarrientos and Jojo Lastimosa.
Lastimosa led Alaska to its first title in 1991 before Abarrientos arrived in 1993. Together, they won eight PBA trophies, including the 1996 Grand Slam. They would have probably won a second slam in 1998 but the Milkmen sacrificed for the country, although that's a different story altogether.
Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera (Purefoods)
The tandem of Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera was one of the league's most lethal combination. They entered the league at the same time and it didn't take long before the league felt their dominance. Patrimonio became the second PBA player with four MVP awards, and Codiñera made a name on the defensive side of the court, earning the monicker "Defense Minister."
Together, they won five PBA trophies, mostly in the All-Filipino conference.
Benjie Paras & Ronnie Magsanoc (Shell)
Perhaps the biggest achievement of the Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc tandem is their 1986 UAAP men's basketball title with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. That halted an almost half a century of title drought in Diliman. Having played together since high school though, their undeniable chemistry has translated to the PBA as the Tower of Power and the Point Laureate won two titles together in the early 90s.
Mon Fernandez and Hector Calma (San Miguel)
A PBA list is not complete without Mon Fernandez. To be fair, El Presidente could carry a franchise on his own. In this list however, he is paired with San Miguel point guard Hector Calma, who was his court general when the Beermen became just the second team in league history to complete a Grand Slam in 1989.
Sonny Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz (Toyota/Ginebra)
The history of Sonny Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz with the Toyota franchise is a thing of legends. Okay, Fernandez was also a significant part of that nine-title domination. But Jawo and Arnaiz proved that they don't need Fernandez to win a title in 1986 when they made history for the Ginebra franchise (then known as Gilbey's Gin).
Atoy Co and Philip Cezar (Crispa)
The only two-time Grand Slam team in the PBA is the Crispa Redmanizers. At the helm when Crispa achieved those feats in 1976 and 1983 were Atoy Co and Philip Cezar. In a match made in heaven, The Fortune Cookie and Tapal King complemented each other like Batman and Robin on both ends of the floor with Co getting the buckets and Cezar getting it done on defense.