1998 PBA season explained

1998 PBA season
Year:	1998
Duration:	February 1 – December 9, 1998
No Of Teams:	8
Tv:	VTV (IBC)
Draft:	1998 PBA Draft
Top Pick:	Danny Ildefonso
Picked By:	Formula Shell Zoom Masters
Mvp:	Kenneth Duremdes
Conf1:	All-Filipino Cup
Conf1 Link:	1998 PBA All-Filipino Cup
Conf1 Champ:	Alaska Milkmen
Conf1 Runner-Up:	San Miguel Beermen
Conf2:	Commissioner's Cup
Conf2 Link:	1998 PBA Commissioner's Cup
Conf2 Champ:	Alaska Milkmen
Conf2 Runner-Up:	San Miguel Beermen
Conf3:	Centennial Cup
Conf3 Link:	1998 PBA Centennial Cup
Conf3 Runner-Up:	Formula Shell Super Unleaded
Conf4:	Governors Cup
Conf4 Link:	1998 PBA Governors Cup
Conf4 Champ:	Formula Shell Super Unleaded
Conf4 Runner-Up:	Mobiline Phone Pals
Prevseason Link:	1997 PBA season
Prevseason Year:	1997
Nextseason Link:	1999 PBA season
Nextseason Year:	1999

The 1998 PBA season was the 24th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Board of governors

Executive committee

• Emilio P. Bernardino, Jr. (Commissioner)
• Bernabe L. Navarro, Jr. (Chairman, representing Ginebra San Miguel)
• Reynaldo G. Gamboa (Vice-Chairman, representing Formula Shell Zoommasters)
• Manuel M. Encarnado (Treasurer, representing Sta. Lucia Realtors)

Teams

Team	Company	Governor	Alternate Governor
			Joaquin Trillo
		Reynaldo Gamboa
		Bernabe Navarro, Jr.	Roberto Eduardo
	Lapanday Holdings Corporation	Luis P. Lorenzo Jr.	Ignatius F. Yenko
		Elmer Yanga	Philip Prieto
		Teodoro Dimayuga	Eliezer Capacio
		Nazario Avendaño	Jose Jara
	Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Corporation	Manuel Encarnado

Season highlights

• The PBA is in their toughest challenge with the formation of a new league called Metropolitan Basketball Association, backed by the giant network ABS-CBN, and is perceived to be a threat to the 24-year existence of the PBA. ^[1]
• The Alaska Milkmen won two titles during the year while Formula Shell ended a six-year title-drought by winning the final conference of the season.
• For the third time in every four years, an All-pro squad to be known as Philippine Centennial Team will be given a task to win the basketball gold in the Asian Games, slated in December in Bangkok, Thailand. Alaska coach Tim Cone was chosen to handle to national team and pick the pro cagers to comprise the 12-man lineup. The Centennial team participated in the Jones Cup basketball tournament in Taipei and won their third championship. ^[2]
• This is the only season that features four conferences with the addition of the Centennial Cup in celebration of the centennial anniversary of Philippine independence. The Philippine Centennial Team played as guest team in preparation for the 1998 Asian Games. The tournament was won by the Mobiline Phone Pals.
• The two-import format was revived during the Centennial Cup and the Governor's Cup.

Opening ceremonies

The muses for the participating teams are as follows:

style= width="45%"	Team	style= width="55%"	Muse
Alaska Milkmen	Antoiniette Enciso and Maricris Fernandez
Formula Shell Zoom Masters	Janine Hermann
Gordon's Gin Boars	Michelle Aldana
Mobiline Phone Pals	Sunshine Cruz
Pop Cola 800s	Bea and Valentin of Eat Bulaga fame
Purefoods Carne Norte Beefies	Cris Villonco
San Miguel Beermen	G Toengi
Sta. Lucia Realtors	Sheryl Brahman

Champions

• All-Filipino Cup: Alaska Milkmen
• Commissioner's Cup: Alaska Milkmen
  • Centennial Cup: Mobiline Phone Pals Governor's Cup: Formula Shell Zoom Masters
• Team with best win–loss percentage: Alaska Milkmen (41–25, .621)
• Best Team of the Year: Alaska Milkmen (3rd)

All-Filipino Cup

See main article: 1998 PBA All-Filipino Cup.

Third-place playoff

|}

Finals

See main article: 1998 PBA All-Filipino Cup finals. |}

• Finals MVP: Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska)
• Best Player of the Conference: Nelson Asaytono (San Miguel)

Commissioner's Cup

See main article: 1998 PBA Commissioner's Cup.

Finals

See main article: 1998 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals. |}

• Finals MVP: Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska)
• Best Player of the Conference: Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska)
• Best Import of the Conference: Devin Davis (Alaska)

Centennial Cup

See main article: 1998 PBA Centennial Cup.

Playoffs

Governors' Cup

See main article: 1998 PBA Governors' Cup.

Third-place playoffs

|}

Finals

See main article: 1998 PBA Governors' Cup finals. |}

• Finals MVP: Benjie Paras (Shell)
• Best Player of the Conference: Jerry Codiñera (Purefoods)
• Best Import of the Conference: Silas Mills (Mobiline)

Individual awards

• Most Valuable Player: Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska)
• Rookie of the Year: Danny Ildefonso (San Miguel)
• Sportsmanship Award: Freddie Abuda (San Miguel)
• Most Improved Player: Patrick Roy Fran (Mobiline)
• Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Jackson (Formula Shell)
• Mythical Five
  • Johnny Abarrientos (Alaska)
  • Alvin Patrimonio (Purefoods)
  • Jerry Codiñera (Purefoods)
  • Jojo Lastimosa (Alaska)
  • Kenneth Duremdes (Alaska)
• Mythical Second Team
  • Rodericko "Olsen" Racela (San Miguel)
  • Mike Mustre (San Miguel)
  • Danny Ildefonso (San Miguel)
  • Nelson Asaytono (San Miguel)
  • Victor Pablo (Formula Shell)
• All Defensive Team
  • Chris Jackson (Formula Shell)
  • Freddie Abuda (San Miguel)
  • Jerry Codiñera (Purefoods)
  • Glenn Capacio (Mobiline)
  • Patrick Fran (Mobiline)

Awards given by the PBA Press Corps

• Coach of the Year: Perry Ronquillo (Formula Shell)
• Mr. Quality Minutes: Rodney Santos (Alaska)
• Executive of the Year: Wilfred Uytengsu (Alaska)
• Comeback Player of the Year: Glenn Capacio (Mobiline)
• Referee of the Year: Franco Ilagan

Board of Governors

• Emilio Bernardino (Commissioner)
• Ruben Cleofe (Secretary)
• Bernabe Navarro (Chairman, La Tondeña Distillers, Inc)
• Reynaldo Gamboa (Vice-Chairman, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.)
• Manuel Encarnado (Treasurer, Sta. Lucia Realty and Development, Inc)
• Wilfred Steven Uytengsu (Alaska Milk Corp.)
• Luis Lorenzo, Jr (Lapanday Holdings Corp.)
• Nazario Avendaño (San Miguel Corp.)
• Joaquin Trillo (Alaska Milk Corp.)
• Teodoro Dimayuga (Purefoods Corp.)
• Elmer Yanga (Republic Flour Mills Corp.)
• Roberto Eduardo (La Tondeña Distillers, Inc)
• Eliezer Capacio (Purefoods Corp.)
• Ignatius Yenko (Lapanday Holdings Corp.)

Cumulative standings

Team	GP	W	L	PCT
	66	41	25	.621
	74	43	31	.581
	61	31	30	.508
	54	27	27	.500
	54	27	27	.500
	59	27	32	.458
	49	22	27	.449
	49	18	31	.368
	8	1	7	.125

Notes and References

1. News: PBA, MBA in TV ratings war!. Manila Standard.
2. News: All about the Jones Cup. Philstar.com. December 21, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160310150626/http://www.philstar.com/sports/2012-08-29/843186/all-about-jones-cup. March 10, 2016. dead.