The last Commissioner's Cup was one for the books, indeed.
The 48th season of the PBA will tip off on November 5, and it will begin not with the Philippine Cup as is usually the case but with the import-laced Commissioner’s Cup. Incidentally, last season’s edition of this very same conference proved to be one of the PBA’s best in recent memory, which is why the Season 48 version will have big shoes to fill.
But what exactly happened in the last Commissioner’s Cup that made it one for the books?
For one, the caliber of imports was topnotch, with Justin Brownlee leading the way, of course. Quincy Miller was a revelation, Cameron Oliver was a world-class athlete, and Nick Rakocevic was a stud. Prince Ibeh was his usual defensive demon self, Kaleb Wesson was sneaky good, and Earl Clark showed what an NBA player could do in the local league.
That made for some memorable games right in the eliminations, with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s nail-biting 97-96 comeback over the San Miguel Beermen taking the cake, obviously, followed by the TNT Tropang Giga surviving the Magnolia Hotshots, 94-92, and the Converge FiberXers pulling off a 102-101 thriller against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
Then again, lots of fans will remember the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup for the entry of the Bay Area Dragons, who brought a different brand of basketball to the PBA and an undeniable vibe. The Dragons, at first were a novelty, but they quickly proved they came to win it all—and that they had the talent, the firepower, and the coaching to actually accomplish such a feat.
And they steamrolled the league for the most part, finishing the elimination round tied with the Hotshots at the top of the standings to get one of two twice-to-beat incentives. The semis, not coincidentally, featured these two teams in what was essentially a dream pairing: Manila Clasico on one bracket and the Dragons versus the Beermen in the other.
The finals, of course, was Ginebra going up against Bay Area. It just had to be. It was meant to be.
And, true to form, the two heavyweights went toe-to-toe—so much that the series went the distance. Of course it did. It just had to.
In the end, Ginebra defended homecourt, slaying the Dragons in lopsided fashion in front of a mammoth record-breaking crowd to cap off a Commissioner’s Cup to remember.
It is just too bad that BAD won’t be coming back this season after the team was abruptly disbanded. On the bright side, the current crop of imports is teeming with diversity and versatility.
That ought to make things interesting at the very least.