Toyota Super Corollas Explained

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Toyota Super Corollas
Founded:1975
History:Komatsu Komets (1973)
Toyota Comets (1973-1976)
Toyota Silver Tamaraws (1976)
Toyota Tamaraws (1977-1980)
Toyota Superdiesels (1981)
Toyota Super Corollas (1981-1982, 1983)
Toyota Silver Coronas (1983)
Colors:Komatsu Komets

Toyota Comets
(1973)
(1973)
(1974)
(1975-1976)
Toyota Silver Tamaraws

Toyota Tamaraws
(1977-1980)
(1977-1979)
Toyota Superdiesels
(1980-1981)
(1981)
Toyota Super Corollas

Toyota Silver Coronas
Owner:Ricardo C. Silverio Sr.
Company:Delta Motor Corporation
Coach:Nilo Verona
Dante Silverio
Fortunato Acuña
Edgardo Ocampo
Championships:Philippine Basketball Association (9)

18 Finals Appearances

MICAA (1)

  • 1973
Withdrew:1984
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The Toyota Super Corollas were a multi-titled basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1983. Founded in 1973 by businessman and sportsman Dante Silverio, the team - formally named Toyota Athletic Club - was owned by Delta Motor Corporation (defunct) and played under various names - Komatsu Komets, Toyota Comets, Toyota Silver Tamaraws, Toyota Tamaraws, Toyota Superdiesels, Toyota Super Corollas and Toyota Silver Coronas.

In the PBA, it won nine championships, the sixth most in PBA history behind the San Miguel Beermen (29), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (15), Purefoods franchise and Alaska Aces (14), and fierce rival Crispa Redmanizers (13).

Profile and franchise

The team debuted in April 1973 as the Komatsu Komets for the PANAMIN basketball tournament. In June 1973, it joined the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) as the Toyota Comets and emerged as champions in its maiden tournament.[1] In January 1975, five MICAA teams met together at the Elizalde & Company canteen to sign a pre-organizational agreement for the formation of what is now known as the Philippine Basketball Association. Dante Silverio, Ricardo Silverio's nephew, was the official representative of Toyota who signed on the dotted line.

In November 1976, the team changed its name to the Toyota Silver Tamaraws. In the 1977 season, the name was shortened to the Toyota Tamaraws. That same year, the Silverio group debuted its new MICAA team, Crown Motor Sales (later playing in 1979 as Frigidaire and MAN Diesel). The MICAA team, like their PBA counterparts, were likewise successful in the MICAA and was one of three the powerhouse teams of the MICAA, along with Solid Mills and Imperial Textile Mills (ITM).

In 1978, FILMANBANK, a bank owned by the Silverio group, joined the PBA after acquiring the 7-Up Uncolas' franchise. In the process, the Tamaraws secured the biggest name of the Uncolas at that time, a 5'9" dynamo named Danny Florencio (who used to play for Crispa in the MICAA), since FILMANBANK allowed their most prized player to be released to their sister team. Prior to that, despite playing with two American import teammates, 7'0" Steve Stroud and 6'7" Chris MacMurray, Florencio scorched the court with a league-high 64 points in a game of 7-Up. In 1977, the league made its first-ever player transaction, sending Florencio and Jimmy Otazu from U/Tex to the Uncolas in exchange for Tino Reynoso and Ulysses Rodriguez.

In 1981, the team was renamed the Toyota Super Corollas. When the 1983 season unfolded, they changed their name to the Toyota Silver Coronas but reverted to the Toyota Super Corollas during the 1983 Open Conference. After the 1983 season, they traded longtime starting power forward Abe King to the San Miguel in order to cut the total payroll.

However, reeling from corporate losses brought about by the prevailing economic crisis, the team came to an end when Delta Motor Corporation sold its PBA franchise to the Lucio Tan group on February 14, 1984. The new franchise debuted in the PBA as Beer Hausen in 1984.

Playing style

In a time when defense was defined as “an individual's effort to stop or stymie the opposing team's counterpart”, Toyota's playing style was considered one of the most glamorous and worthy to watch. With team defense hardly known back then, Toyota was a typical run-and-gun team that depended heavily on their rebounding prowess. Hence, when you have an Andrew Fields, Bruce King, John Irving, Abe King, Ramon Fernandez and even a Bobby Jaworski collaring the rebounds, the most common (and very entertaining) spectacle was to see a baseball pass by the rebounder to a streaking player on the break for an easy twinner. Notables among the recipients of the baseball pass over the years in the Toyota lineup included Segura, Cortez, Tuadles, Arnaiz, and Legaspi. In the halfcourt, it was not uncommon to see a similar play that Fernandez and Jaworski employed in the recent Crispa-Toyota reunion game where Fernandez would post up, Jaworski would stay at the top of the arc and wait for Fernandez to be double-teamed. Once the double team is consummated, Jaworski either waits at the 3 point line or makes a straight cut in the middle of the lanes waiting for the blind pass of Fernandez for an easy two. Another common sight was to see Jaworski mapping out the play, cuts in the middle and makes the interior defense commit to him. He then throws a behind-the-back blind pass to cutting slotmen like Fernandez or King for an easy layup or throws it back to good buddy Arnaiz for a long range bomb shot from the arc. Hence, it wasn't a surprise to see Jaworski, Arnaiz and Fernandez (in that order) being the first 3 PBA players to dish off 2,000 assists in their careers.

For defense, Toyota's starting unit had a better defensive stance against their counterparts in Crispa. Jaworski, Fernandez and King anchored the defense. Crispa, however had the edge at the bench since they had noted defensive aces like Padim Israel, Joy Dionisio, Yoyoy Villamin, Bay Cristobal (especially in 1983 under Coach Tommy Manotoc) while Toyota had to contend with Herrera, Javier, Coloso and Bulaong to provide the defensive spunk.

Team highlights

Toyota, more than Crispa, was hounded with more controversies throughout their nine seasons in the league. There is no compelling reason for such, except that probably, Toyota's individual players were known to be more “independent-minded” while Crispa's superstars submitted to their team owner Danny Floro. Jaworski, who eventually became larger than life in the PBA, was involved in majority of these controversies, as well as Fernandez.

Season-by-season records

Season Conference Team name Overall record Finals
W L %
bgcolor=white rowspan=3bgcolor=white rowspan=5Toyota Comets bgcolor=white rowspan=342 bgcolor=white rowspan=315 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.737 Toyota 3, Crispa 1
Toyota 2, Crispa 1
Crispa 3, Toyota 2
bgcolor=white rowspan=3bgcolor=white rowspan=346 bgcolor=white rowspan=315 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.754 Crispa 3, Toyota 1
Crispa 3, Toyota 1
bgcolor=white rowspan=1Toyota Comets / Silver TamarawsCrispa 3, Toyota 2
bgcolor=white rowspan=3bgcolor=white rowspan=12Toyota Tamaraws bgcolor=white rowspan=341 bgcolor=white rowspan=322 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.651
Toyota 3, Emtex/Brazil 0
bgcolor=white rowspan=3bgcolor=white rowspan=340 bgcolor=white rowspan=315 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.727 Toyota 3, Filmanbank 1
Toyota 3, Tanduay 1
bgcolor=white rowspan=3bgcolor=white rowspan=344 bgcolor=white rowspan=318 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.656 Crispa 3, Toyota 2
Royal 3, Toyota 1
Toyota 3, Crispa 1
bgcolor=white rowspan=3bgcolor=white rowspan=340 bgcolor=white rowspan=321 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.674 U/Tex 3, Toyota 2
N. Stoodley/USA 2, Toyota 0
Crispa 3, Toyota 1
bgcolor=white rowspan=2Toyota Super Diesels bgcolor=white rowspan=229 bgcolor=white rowspan=214 bgcolor=white rowspan=2.519 Toyota 3, Crispa 2
bgcolor=white rowspan=3Toyota Super Corollas bgcolor=white rowspan=338 bgcolor=white rowspan=331 bgcolor=white rowspan=3.551 Toyota 4, San Miguel 3
Toyota 3, Gilbey's 0
Toyota Silver Coronas 18 27 .400
Toyota Super Corollas
Overall record 322 184 .636 9 championships

Awards

Individual awards

PBA Most Valuable PlayerPBA Rookie of the Year Award PBA Mythical First Team
PBA Most Improved Player PBA Best Import PBA Scoring Leader

Notable players

In alphabetical order. Members of PBA Hall of Fame and PBA's Greatest Players are in boldface.

MICAA (1973-1974):

Imports

Head coaches

Team managers

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Charlie Cuna . How Sonny Jaworski's seasons with Toyota helped shape his legendary career . 1 April 2022 . . 6 March 2021.
  2. News: A flashback to the first Crispa-Toyota encounter . 1 April 2022 . pba.ph . 10 May 2020.
  3. http://sportingpage.blogspot.com/2011/11/toyota-1975-1983.html Toyota, 1975-1983
  4. News: Henry Liao . Toyota's Demise came on Valentine's Day . 1 April 2022 . Sportsbytes.com.ph . 12 February 2022.