1999 San Miguel Beermen season explained

Pbayear:1999
Team:San Miguel Beermen
Coach:Jong Uichico
1C-Name:All-Filipino Cup
1C-Wins:8
1C-Losses:9
1C-Place:5th seed
1C-Playoffs:QF (lost to Shell)
2C-Name:Commissioner's Cup
2C-Wins:13
2C-Losses:7
2C-Place:4th seed
2C-Playoffs:Champions (def. Formula Shell 4-2)
3C-Name:Governors Cup
3C-Wins:14
3C-Losses:4
3C-Place:3rd seed
3C-Playoffs:Champions (def. Alaska 4-2)
Owners:San Miguel Corporation
Manager:Nazario Avendaño
Pol Team:3
Prevseason:1998
Nextseason:2000

The 1999 San Miguel Beermen season was the 25th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerNationalityCollege
321Rommel DaepSSC
322Victor PambuanOhlone College

Direct hire

Occurrences

The San Miguel team gave away its rights to four of their players namely Allan Caidic, Edward Naron, Elpidio Villamin and Siot Tanquingcen and shipped them to sister team Ginebra San Miguel.

Assistant coach Jong Uichico takes over from Ron Jacobs as the new head coach of the San Miguel Beermen beginning the league's 25th season.

Former Mobiline import Terquin Mott was acquired by San Miguel in the Commissioner's Cup. The Beermen agreed to give away their rights to Larry Robinson, their import in the Governors Cup for the past two seasons in exchange, Robinson will start playing for the Phone Pals in the Governors Cup.

Notable dates

March 14: Nelson Asaytono scored his team's last four points as San Miguel toppled Mobiline, 65-64, in a nail-biting duel and accomplished what seven other teams failed to do, giving the Phone Pals their first loss in the season after posting seven straight wins. The Beermen scored their fourth win in seven outings. [1]

July 4: Terquin Mott's defensive intensity rubbed off on his fellow starters as the Beermen held the Gin Kings of Ginebra scoreless in a five-minute spell down the stretch and San Miguel notched its second straight win in the Commissioner's Cup with an 85-75 victory. [2]

Two championships

The Beermen finally prevailed over the Alaska Milkmen, their two-time finals opponent last season, this time in the best-of-five semifinals in the Commissioner's Cup. San Miguel won the series by taking the deciding Game five, 84–73 on August 29.

San Miguel battled Formula Shell for the Commissioners Cup trophy, the Beermen stopped the Zoom Masters' title run, who were looking for their third straight crown. The Beermen finally ended a five-year title-drought by winning their 12th championship in a 4–2 series win. Coach Jong Uichico won his first PBA title in only his second conference.

See main article: 1999 PBA Commissioner's Cup finals.

Lamont Strothers returns as their import in the Governors Cup. The Beermen posted a 6–2 won-loss slate in the eliminations and seeded third. They easily made it to the best-of-five semifinal series against Tanduay Gold Rhum by ousting sixth seeded Sta.Lucia Realtors. The Beermen scored a 3–0 sweep over the Rhum Masters to advance into the finals against the Alaska Milkmen, which also scored a three-game sweep over Purefoods.

The last championship of the 1990s features the two winningest ballclubs in the last 12 years and a match-up of two of the finest imports in recent years, Lamont Strothers and Sean Chambers. The Beermen were gunning for their 13th title and hoping to avenged their two finals losses to Alaska last season. San Miguel trailed 1–2 in the series after losing Games two and three. In a must-win situation, the Beermen won Game four, 76–65 on December 5. Five nights later, the Beermen controlled the game for most of the way and survived a late rally by Alaska to win, 74–68 in Game five. Needed only one more win to clinch their 13th league championship, the Beermen took Game six, 72–69 at the Big Dome on December 12 and won the series, four games to two. The finals victory by San Miguel tied them with the disbanded Crispa Redmanizers' record for most PBA titles.

See main article: 1999 PBA Governors Cup finals.

Awards

Transactions

Trades

July 10, 1999
To Pop Cola 800s
Cris Bolado
To San Miguel Beermen
Boybits Victoria
August 1999
To Pop Cola 800s
Nelson Asaytono, William Antonio
To San Miguel Beermen
Nic Belasco, Cris Bolado, Dwight Lago

Recruited imports

TournamentNameNumberPositionUniversity/College
Commissioner's CupTerquin Mott40ForwardCoppin State
Governors' CupLamont Strothers6Forward-GuardChristopher Newport

Notes and References

  1. News: SMB stops Mobiline. Manila Standard.
  2. News: Mott anchors 4th quarter defense as San Miguel whips Ginebra. Manila Standard.