Biñan Tatak Gel | |
Current: | 2024 Biñan Tatak Gel season |
League: | MPBL (2018–present) PSL (2023–present) |
History: | Laguna Heroes 2018–2019, 2021–2022 Biñan City Heroes 2019 Biñan City Luxxe White 2019–2020 Laguna Krah Asia 2023 Biñan Tatak Gel 2023–present |
Arena: | Alonte Sports Arena |
Location: | Biñan, Laguna |
Owner: | Monching Talisayon Angelo Alonte |
Sponsor: | Beast Motorcycle Tires GameX Sports |
Coach: | Boyet Fernandez |
The Biñan Tatak Gel is a Filipino professional basketball team based in Biñan, Laguna. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. They are one of five teams based in the Calabarzon region and play their home games at Alonte Sports Arena.
The team began play during the 2018–19 season as the Laguna Heroes.[1] [2] The original name references the national hero of the Philippines, Jose Rizal, who was born in Calamba. The team has also played in the Pilipinas Super League.
As of 2023, the Laguna/Biñan-based franchise is the oldest such in the MPBL to have yet to make a playoff appearance. They are also tied with the Parañaque Patriots for the longest playoff drought in the league, both having missed the playoffs in the last four seasons.
Biñan Tatak Gel is a name that is shared with multiple Biñan-based teams in the grassroots level, including its volleyball counterpart in the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association. The moniker itself is a nod to the city's vice mayor, Angelo "Gel" Alonte.[3]
The Laguna Heroes joined the MPBL as one of sixteen expansion teams for the 2018–19 season. The team finished with a 10-15 record, finishing ninth in the South Division.
For the 2019–20 season, the team was renamed as the BIñan City Krah Heroes and later as Biñan City Luxxe White. The team finished in tenth with a 12-18 record, matching their winning percentage from last season.
Entering the 2021 Invitational, the team was renamed as Laguna Heroes Krah Asia, bringing back the team's old name. In the Invitational, the team lost in all of their group stage games. In the 2022 season, the team only won three of their 21 games, giving them the second-worst record in the division and third-worst in the league.
In 2023, the team was renamed to Laguna Krah Asia.
In November 2023, a new team under the name Biñan Tatak Gel joined the Pilipinas Super League during the Pilipinas Super League for the 2023–24 President's Cup. The team is mainly composed of the former Imus SV Squad organization alongside members of the departing Pasig City MCW Sports team, including head coach Boyet Fernandez. With a 17–1 record, Biñan held the top seed that season. Despite making through the first two rounds, Biñan would eventually lose to the eventual champion Quezon Titans in the semifinals.
As the 2024 MPBL season began, the Tatak Gel team took over the Krah Asia's spot as Laguna's MPBL representatives.
Name | Term | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
align=center | 1 | Alexander Angeles | 2018 | |
align=center | 2 | Nath Gregorio | 2018–19 | |
align=center | 3 | Alexander Angeles | 2019 | |
align=center | 4 | 2019–20 | ||
align=center | 5 | Victor Escudero | 2021 | |
align=center | 5 | Nath Gregorio | 2022–2023 | |
align=center | 6 | Boyet Fernandez | 2024 | |
Biñan Tatak Gel notable players | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Position | Tenure | Awards | All-Star | ||
Michael Mabulac[4] | 2018–2019 | align=left | 1x All-MPBL Second Team (2019) | align=left | 1 (2019) | |
Paolo Pontejos | 2018–2023 | — | align=left | 1 (2022) | ||
Allan Mangahas | 2019–2020 | — | align=left | 1 (2020) | ||
2024–present | — | align=left | 1 (2024) | |||
Kenny Rocacurva | 2024–present | — | align=left | 1 (2024) |
League champions | ||
Division champions | ||
Qualified for playoffs | ||
Best regular season record |
Season | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results | |
Laguna Heroes | |||||||||
2018–19 Datu Cup | South | 9th | 25 | 10 | 15 | 10 | Did not qualify | ||
Biñan City Luxxe White | |||||||||
2019–20 | South | 10th | 30 | 12 | 18 | 14 | Did not qualify | ||
Laguna Heroes | |||||||||
South | 10th | 21 | 3 | 18 | 15 | Did not qualify | |||
Laguna Krah Asia | |||||||||
South | 13th | 27 | 4 | 23 | 18.5 | Did not qualify | |||
Biñan Tatak Gel | |||||||||
South | colspan=8 | ||||||||
All-time regular season record | 29 | 74 | 0 playoff appearances | ||||||
All-time playoff record | 0 | 0 | 0 Finals appearances | ||||||
All-time overall record | 29 | 74 | 0 championships |
Season | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results | |
Biñan Tatak Gel | ||||||||
2023–24 | 1st | 18 | 17 | 1 | — | First round Semifinals | won vs. Muntinlupa, 1–0 lost vs. Quezon, 0–2 | |
All-time regular season record | 29 | 74 | 0 playoff appearances | |||||
All-time playoff record | 0 | 0 | 0 Finals appearances | |||||
All-time overall record | 29 | 74 | 0 championships |