| San Juan Knights | |
| Current: | 2024 San Juan Knights season |
| Leagues: | MBA (1999–2001) MPBL (2018–present) FilBasket (2021–2022) PSL (2022–present) |
| Founded: | (first incarnation) (second incarnation) |
| History: | San Juan Knights 1999–2001 (MBA) 2018–present (MPBL) San Juan Kings 2022–present (PSL) |
| Arena: | Filoil EcoOil Centre |
| Capacity: | 6,000 |
| Location: | San Juan, Metro Manila |
| Sponsor: | Powerball Marketing & Logistics Corporation Almeria International Construction Corporation |
| Coach: | Jinggoy Estrada Randy Alcantara |
| Championships: | MBA: 2 (2000, 2001 First) MPBL: 1 (2019) |
| Conf Champs: | MPBL: 2 (2019, 2020–21) |
The San Juan Knights, also known as the San Juan Knights – Go For Gold for sponsorship reasons, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in San Juan. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's North Division. They are one of three teams based in Metro Manila's Eastern District and play their home games at Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The team's first incarnation was established in 1999 as part of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) until 2001. The name Knights was chosen in reference to the concepts of gallantry and bravery. In 2018, the Knights were revived as they joined the MPBL for the 2018–19 season. The team's second incarnation has taken part in other leagues, including FilBasket, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, and the Pilipinas Super League, the latter of which they compete under the name San Juan Kings.
In 2023, their volleyball counterpart, the San Juan Lady Knights became one of the eight charter teams of the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA).
The San Juan-based franchise is one of the most successful home-and-away basketball teams in the country. Across both incarnations, the Knights have clinched three championships: two in the MBA (2000 and 2001 – First Phase) and one in the MPBL (2019). The Knights also made the MPBL's Division Finals four times in a row from 2019 to 2023, and the MPBL finals in back-to-back seasons (2019 and 2021).
The San Juan Knights were founded in 1999 by then-mayor and current senator Jinggoy Estrada and businessman Sandy Javier. The team entered the Metropolitan Basketball Association as an expansion team for the league's 1999 season alongside the Surigao Miners and Nueva Ecija Patriots.
During the pre-season, the team acquired 6'9" Bonel Balingit from the Philippine Basketball Association to a three-year, P16 million contract. Joining Balangit are Gherome Ejercito from the Pampanga Dragons, a cousin of Estrada, 1998 NCAA Most Valuable Player Christian Calaguio, and Chito Victolero.
During the playoffs of the 2000 season, San Juan first swept the Laguna Lakers, 2–0, in the Northern Conference Semifinals and went past the Manila Metrostars, 3–1, in the Northern Conference Finals, bringing the Knights to the 2000 MBA National Championship. Game 5 of the championship series against the Negros Slashers had a debris-throwing incident at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, as the Knights were way ahead, 87–65, with 11:38 left in the fourth quarter when play was stopped. The Negros Slashers conceded game 5, giving the San Juan Knights a 3–2 heading into game 6.[1] San Juan would go on to win their first of back-to-back MBA championships.[2]
| Team | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Wins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 88 | 84 | 85 | W | 104 | 4 | ||
| Negros | 75 | 77 | 90 | 89 | L | 91 | 2 |
In April 2018, San Juan Knights were revived as an expansion team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.[3] The return of the Knights brought in names such as Mark Cardona and John Wilson. The team finished its inaugural season with a 20–5 record and clinched the third seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, San Juan swept both Navotas and Quezon City, and won 2–1 against Manila to advance to the 2019 MPBL finals against the Davao Occidental Tigers. The series went all the way to a game 5 as San Juan won its first MPBL championship and the third overall in franchise history. Their winning traditions continued into the 2019–20 season, after facing only four losses throughout the whole season, San Juan managed to finish the season as the North Division's first seed. With a 26–4 record and a .867 win percentage, they also tied for best record that season alongside the Davao Occidental Tigers. As the playoffs began, the team swept through Pasay and Pampanga before facing the Makati Super Crunch in the North Division Finals. The series was tied before the season's suspension but San Juan were able to win deciding game 3 against a depleted Super Crunch squad to make back-to-back National Finals appearances for a chance to repeat against the Davao Occicdental Tigers. This time around, San Juan failed to defend their title as Davao Occidental won 3–1.
After the conclusion of the 2022 MPBL season, San Juan made their debut in the Pilipinas Super League, under the name San Juan Kings. In the 2022–23 DUMPER Cup, the team went undefeated in the regular season, winning all 15 games. After beating Manila in the Quarterfinals, the Kings met the Baltazar-led Pampanga G Lanterns in the Semifinals. Unfortunately, San Juan would lose to the G Lanterns in two games.
See main article: Davao Occidental Tigers–San Juan Knights rivalry.
The rivalry between San Juan and the Davao Occidental Tigers is most prominent in the MPBL when both teams played in the National Finals in back-to-back seasons (2019 and 2021). Even though Davao Occidental has since departed the MPBL, both teams would still clash with one another whenever they compete in the same league. As of February 2024, the San Juan franchise has met the Davao Occidental Tigers a total of fifteen times across all leagues.
See main article: Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards–San Juan Knights rivalry. San Juan's rivalry against the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards began in FilBasket when both teams clashed in the finals of the 2022 Summer Championship. The rivalry grew more fierce in the MPBL as both teams fought for North Division contention, with both teams meeting in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. As of March 2024, across all leagues, both teams have met each other thirteen times.
San Juan plays their home games at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in the MPBL and PSL. During their time in the MBA, they have played in the PhilSports Arena from 1999 to early 2000 and the San Juan Gym in 2000.
| San Juan Knights notable players | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Tenure | Awards | All-Star | Remarks | |||
| Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League | ||||||||
| 2018–2020 | align=left | 1x Finals MVP (2019) 1x All-MPBL First Team (2020) | align=left | 1 (2019) | — | |||
| 2018–2020 | — | align=left | 1 (2019) | — | ||||
| 2018–2020 | align=left | 1x Most Valuable Player (2020) 1x All-MPBL First Team (2020) 1x All-MPBL Second Team (2019) | align=left | 1 (2020) | align=left | First player to record 1,000 points in the MPBL | ||
| Orlan Wamar Jr. | 2018–present | align=left | 1x All-MPBL First Team (2023) | align=left | 2 (2023, 2024) | — | ||
| Judel Fuentes | 2022 | align=left | 1x All-MPBL First Team (2022) | align=left | 1 (2022) | — | ||
| Adrian Nocum | 2023 | align=left | Rookie of the Year (2023) | align=left | 1 (2023) | — | ||
| League champions | ||
| Division champions | ||
| Qualified for playoffs | ||
| Best regular season record |
| Season | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results | |
| San Juan Knights | |||||||||
| 2018–19 Datu Cup | 3rd | 25 | 20 | 5 | 3 | First round Division finals National finals | won vs. Navotas, 2–0 won vs. Quezon City, 2–0 won vs. Manila, 2–1 | ||
| 2019–20 | North | 1st | 30 | 26 | 4 | — | First Round Division semifinals Division finals National finals | won vs. Pasay, 2–0 won vs. Pampanga, 2–0 won vs. Makati, 2–1 lost vs Davao Occidental, 1–3 | |
| North | 3rd | 21 | 14 | 7 | 7 | First round Division semifinals Division finals | won vs. Valenzuela, 2–0 won vs. Pasig City, 2–0 lost vs. Nueva Ecija, 1–2 | ||
| North | 6th | 28 | 19 | 9 | 7 | First round Division semifinals Division finals | won vs. Makati, 2–0 won vs. Nueva Ecija, 2–0 lost vs. Pampanga, 0–2 | ||
| North | To be determined | Qualified for playoffs | |||||||
| All-time regular season record | 79 | 25 | 5 playoff appearances | ||||||
| All-time playoff record | 25 | 11 | 2 finals appearances | ||||||
| All-time overall record | 104 | 36 | 1 championship | ||||||
| Tournament | Elimination round | Playoffs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results | |
| San Juan Knights | ||||||||
| 3rd | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 | Semifinals Finals | won vs. Medical Depot, 88–73 lost vs. AICC Manila, 1–2 (series) | ||
| 5th | 11 | 6 | 5 | 5 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | won vs. Pasig, 93–91 won vs. Tanduay, 2–0 (series) lost vs. Nueva Ecija, 1–2 (series) | ||
| All-time elimination round record | 13 | 8 | 2 playoff appearances | |||||
| All-time playoff record | 7 | 4 | 2 finals appearances | |||||
| All-time overall record | 20 | 12 | 0 championships | |||||
| Tournament | Elimination round | Playoffs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results | |
| San Juan Kings | ||||||||
| 2022–23 DUMPER Cup | 1st | 15 | 15 | 0 | — | Quarterfinals Semifinals | won vs. Manila, 1–0 | |
| 2023–24 | 2nd | 18 | 16 | 2 | 1 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Battle for third | won vs. Camarines Norte, 1–0 won vs. SGA–CSB, 1–0 lost vs. Nueva Ecija, 0–2 won vs. Biñan, 1–0 | |
| All-time elimination round record | 31 | 2 | 2 playoff appearance | |||||
| All-time playoff record | 4 | 4 | 0 finals appearances | |||||
| All-time overall record | 35 | 6 | 0 championships | |||||