Metropolitan Basketball Association
The Metropolitan Basketball Association, also shortened as Metroball, was a professional basketball league in the Philippines that ran for five seasons from 1998 until 2002.
The MBA was established to rival the Philippine Basketball Association. The MBA contained between 8 and 15 teams which represented cities and provinces who played at home and away. Initially, the league was divided into two conferences: the Northern Conference for teams based in Luzon and the Southern Conference for teams based in Visayas and Mindanao. At the end of each season, the champions of each conference faced each other at the MBA National Finals to determine the league champion. Later, the MBA allowed companies to sponsor teams and attach their brand to the teams' names—and by the final season, used a three-conference format. The MBA's rules also differed slightly from the basic rules of basketball.
Each of the five seasons had a different champion: the Pampanga Dragons, Manila Metrostars, San Juan Knights, Batangas Blades, and Negros Slashers. The Negros Slashers had the most finals appearances, with four. The Northern Conference produced the most champions, with four, while the Southern Conference produced only one. A total of sixteen teams have competed in the MBA.
MBA games were broadcast on ABS-CBN Corporation's television networks. ABS-CBN also provided funding for the league. The MBA folded in 2002 due to high costs of maintaining the league and ABS-CBN withdrawing its funding.
History
The MBA played its first game on March 7, 1998, at the Don Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen, Pangasinan. The MBA was widely viewed as broadcast giant ABS-CBN's attempt to undermine the Philippine Basketball Association after failing to snatch its broadcast rights in 1998, even as far as raid the PBA for talent in order to compete.Metroball allowed foreigners to play for their teams, not requiring Philippine passports of them, nor requiring those foreigners to have Filipino blood. All the league required was that these players be born in the Philippines.
As a direct result of this practice, the MBA and its foreign-born players began attracting attention away from the PBA, forcing the PBA to escalate their own players' salaries and practically rendering the PBA draft useless through a "direct hiring" process. This allowed PBA teams like Talk 'N Text and Tanduay to negotiate directly with MBA players or MBA prospects for their services.
The league then folded on July 26, 2002, due to the high expenses in funding a regional basketball league, with ABS-CBN also withdrawing the funding for the league. Several players went to the semi-professional Philippine Basketball League en route to the PBA.
Format
The MBA had a format similar to that of North America's National Basketball Association. The teams were divided into two conferences: the Northern Conference composed of Luzon-based teams, and the Southern Conference composed of Visayas- and Mindanao-based teams. The season concluded with the MBA National Finals, where the champions of both conferences face off to determine the season champions.After the league adapted a semi-commercial format, in which teams are sponsored by companies, several methods were used to in determining the champion. In their final season, they have adapted a three-conference format, similar with the PBA.
Teams
Northern Conference
- Batangas Blades
- Laguna Lakers
- Manila Metrostars
- Nueva Ecija Patriots
- Olongapo Volunteers
- Pampanga Dragons
- Pangasinan Waves
- Pasig-Rizal Pirates
- San Juan Knights
Southern Conference
- Cebu Gems
- Davao Eagles
- Cagayan de Oro Amigos
- Iloilo Megavoltz
- Negros Slashers
- SocSarGen Marlins
- Surigao Miners/Warriors
| Teams | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 |
| Batangas Blades / LBC-Batangas Blades | |||||
| Cagayan de Oro Nuggets/Amigos / Casino-CDO Amigos | |||||
| Cebu Gems / Cebuana Lhuillier Gems | |||||
| Davao Eagles / Professional Davao Eagles | |||||
| Iloilo Volts/Megavoltz | |||||
| Laguna Lakers / FedEx-Laguna Lakers | |||||
| Manila Metrostars / LBC-Manila Metrostars | |||||
| Negros Slashers / RCPI-Negros Slashers | |||||
| Nueva Ecija Patriots | |||||
| Gilbey's-Olongapo Volunteers | |||||
| Pampanga Dragons / Sunkist-Pampanga Stars | |||||
| Pangasinan Presidents / Osaka Pangasinan Waves | |||||
| Pasig Blue Pirates/Pasig-Rizal Pirates | |||||
| San Juan Knights / Andok's-San Juan Knights | |||||
| SocSarGen Marlins / Taguig Marlins | |||||
| Surigao Miners/Warriors |
National team
MBA teams yearly send players or teams for the International Competitions.- 1998 — Pangasinan Presidents – 1998 ABC Champions Cup Malaysia.
- 1999 — Manila Metrostars – 1999 SEA Games Brunei.
- 1999 — Laguna Lakers – FIBA Asia Cup Japan.
- 1999 — Ilo-ilo Megavolts – William Jones Cup.
- 1999 — Pasig-Rizal Pirates – 1999 ABC Champions Cup Lebanon.
- 2000 — Laguna Lakers – William Jones Cup.
- 2001 — FedEx-Laguna Lakers – William Jones Cup.
- 2001 — MBA Dream Team – SEABA Championship and 2001 SEA Games Malaysia.
- 2002 — MBA All Star – William Jones Cup and 2002 Asian Games Busan.
Coaches
- Louie Alas
- Junel Baculi
- Joel Banal
- Rolly Buenaflor
- Philip Cezar
- Chot Reyes
- Lawrence Chongson
- Ricky Dandan
- Aric del Rosario
- Binky Favis
- Bonnie Garcia
- Danny Gavieres
- Willie Generalao
- Bong Go
- Jimmy Mariano
- Jun Noel
- Nash Racela
- Bong Ramos
- Biboy Ravanes
- Chot Reyes
- Mike Reyes
- Arlene Rodriguez
- Francis Rodriguez
- Robert Sison
- Leoncio Tan Jr.
- Joe Lipa
- Allan Trinidad
- Dong Vergeire
- Jojo Villa
- Jojo Villapando
- Nemie Villegas
- Vic Ycasiano
- Tonichi Yturri
- David Zamar
Venues
- Araullo University Centrum-Cabanatuan
- Blue Eagle Gym
- Cebu Coliseum
- CEU Centrodome
- Centrum in De La Salle-Lipa
- General Santos City Gym
- Mail & More Complex-San Andres
- Mandaue City Sports Complex
- Mindanao Polytechnic State College-CDO
- Narciso Ramos Sports Complex
- Calasiao Sports Complex
- Dagupan City People's Astrodome
- De Venecia Sports Complex, San Fabian, Pangasinan
- Pampanga Convention Center
- Pasig Sports Complex
- Philsports Arena
- Rizal Memorial Coliseum
- Rizal Memorial College Stadium
- San Fernando Sports Complex
- San Juan Gym
- San Luis Sports Complex
- Tinga Gym-Taguig
- University of San Agustin Gym-Iloilo city
- University of St. La Salle Gym-Bacolod
- Urios Gym-Butuan
- Ynares Center
Rules
- The shot clock was reduced to 23 seconds, as opposed to the PBA's 24 seconds.
- The time limit for a team to advance the ball over the center line was reduced to eight seconds, as opposed to PBA's 10 seconds. The PBA later adopted the 8-second limit in 2004, two years after the MBA disbanded.
- Free-three – An option to trade a player's two free throws for a free three at the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. This option was later made available any time during the game by 1999.
- One-for-one situation – There were two penalty situations in the MBA, first is if the team fouls of the opposing team reaches five fouls, the fouled player needed to shoot the first free throw before getting the second. Two free throws were only given to a player if the opposing team incurred seven team fouls.
- Blitz Three – Any field goal converted within four seconds of a change of possession will be worth three points. A red siren is installed at the backboard to indicate the Blitz Period.
- Foreigners were allowed to play in the league, provided that the player is born in the Philippines.
MBA Most Valuable Players
MBA Champions
Teams in bold won the MBA National Championship.| Season | Northern Conference | Southern Conference | Series |
| 1998 | Pampanga Dragons | Negros Slashers | 4–1 |
| 1999 | Manila Metrostars | Cebu Gems | 4–2 |
| 2000 | San Juan Knights | Negros Slashers | 4–2 |
| 2001 | LBC-Batangas Blades | Negros Slashers | 3–1 |
| 2002 | LBC-Batangas Blades | RCPI-Negros Slashers | 0–3 |
- October 31, 1998: Pampanga Dragons emerge as the first MBA champions, winning against Negros Slashers in five games. The Dragons clinch the national championship following an 89–85 victory in Game Five at the San Fernando Sports Complex.
- December 8, 1999: Manila Metrostars rout the Cebu Gems, 101–83 in Game Six, before a hometown crowd at the Mail & More Sports Complex in San Andres and crowned themselves the 1999 MBA national champions.
- November 25, 2000: San Juan Knights defeated Negros Slashers, 104–91 in Game Six, at the packed San Juan Gym for their first MBA national title since becoming one of the three new teams last season.
- December 19, 2001: LBC-Batangas Blades captured their first MBA crown in the second phase of the 2001 season, beating hard-luck Negros Slashers, 94–75 in Game Four, for a 3–1 series victory.
- June 1, 2002: After four runner-up finishes, RCPI-Negros finally win their first MBA title. The Slashers completed a three-game sweep off LBC-Batangas Blades. Winning Slashers coach Jojo Villapando now joined the elite list of MBA champion coaches.