| Pbayear: | 2003 |
| Team: | San Miguel Beermen |
| Team2: | San Miguel Beermen |
| Coach: | Jong Uichico |
| 1C-Name: | All-Filipino Cup |
| 1C-Wins: | 13 |
| 1C-Losses: | 8 |
| 1C-Place: | N/A |
| 1C-Playoffs: | QF |
| 2C-Name: | Invitational Cup |
| 2C-Wins: | 2 |
| 2C-Losses: | 2 |
| 2C-Place: | N/A |
| 2C-Playoffs: | N/A |
| 3C-Name: | Reinforced Conference |
| 3C-Wins: | 13 |
| 3C-Losses: | 12 |
| 3C-Place: | 2nd |
| 3C-Playoffs: | Runner-up |
| Owners: | San Miguel Corporation |
| Manager: | Robert Non[1] |
| Pol Team: | 3 |
| Prevseason: | 2002 |
The 2003 San Miguel Beermen season was the 29th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
See main article: 2003 PBA draft.
After missing out the finals in the last five conferences, the Beermen made it to the championship playoffs in the Reinforced Third Conference. The Beermen dropped their first five games in the eliminations, playing without an import in their first game before returnee Shea Seals suited up. Seals was replaced by Eric Dailey, who played one game before the Beermen reactivate Seals only to be replaced again this time by former Sta. Lucia import Kwan Johnson, who led the team to their first victory in their six outing, an 85–73 win over Purefoods TJ Hotdogs on September 26.[2]
San Miguel had five wins and eight losses at the end of the elimination round. The Beermen scored a two-game sweep off FedEx Express in the best-of-three quarterfinals and a three-game sweep over Sta.Lucia Realtors in the best-of-five semifinals to make it all the way to the championship series against the Coca-Cola Tigers. The Beermen led 2–1 in the series but lost to the Tigers in seven games.
See main article: 2003 PBA Reinforced Conference finals.
Center Dorian Peña was suspended for two games during the All-Filipino Cup when he was tested positive of traces of marijuana in a drug test conducted by the PBA.
On June 12, two-time MVP Benjie Paras came out of retirement to sign a two-month contract with San Miguel, only his second team in a 14-year PBA career that started in 1989. The former Shell franchise player announced his retirement earlier in the year.[3]
When Kwan Johnson suffered a groin injury in Game one of the PBA Reinforced Conference finals, San Miguel played importless in the second game of the title series which they lost via rout. The Beermen decided to tap NBA veteran Cedric Ceballos as a temporary replacement in Game three and then opted to stick with Kwan Johnson for the rest of the finals series.[4]
| Date | Opponent | Score | Top scorer | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 28 | Coca-Cola | 67–72 | Makati Coliseum | Makati City | |
| March 5 | Red Bull | 93–90 | Philsports Arena | Pasig | |
| March 9 | Talk 'N Text | 79–83 | Araneta Coliseum | Quezon City | |
| March 14 | Brgy.Ginebra | 80–76 | Philsports Arena | Pasig | |
| March 19 | Alaska | 81–76 | Philsports Arena | Pasig | |
| March 22 | Shell | 89–81 | Lamberto Macias Sports Center | Dumaguete City | |
| March 28 | Purefoods | 85–88 | Hontiveros (22 pts) | Araneta Coliseum | Quezon City |
| April 4 | Red Bull | 93–96 | Philsports Arena | Pasig | |
| April 11 | Sta.Lucia | 80–77 OT | Makati Coliseum | Makati City | |
| April 16 | FedEx | 81–91 | Belasco (21 pts) | Philsports Arena | Pasig |
| April 23 | Purefoods | 72–82 | Philsports Arena | Pasig | |
| April 26 | Alaska | 78–69 | Ynares Center | Antipolo City | |
| May 3 | Sta.Lucia | 81–70 | Puerto Princesa, Palawan | ||
| May 7 | Brgy.Ginebra | 103–97 | Phil sports Arena | Pasig | |
| May 14 | Coca-Cola | 82–77 | Philsports Arena | Pasig | |
| May 16 | Shell | 76–58 | Ynares Center | Antipolo City | |
| May 23 | FedEx | 88–79 | Makati Coliseum | Makati City | |
| May 28 | Talk 'N Text | 106–102 | Belasco (27 pts) | Philsports Arena | Pasig |