2023–24 PBA season


The 2023–24 PBA season was the 48th season of the Philippine Basketball Association.
Due to the participation of Philippine men's national basketball team in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2022 Asian Games, the PBA season started on November 5, 2023 and would only have two conferences, first being the Commissioner's Cup, followed by the season-ending Philippine Cup.
Opening day was originally scheduled on October 15, but was moved three weeks past the original date to give the players who participated in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2022 Asian Games time to rest and recover.
The first activity of the season was the PBA season 48 draft, held on September 17.

Executive board

Teams

Changes from previous season:
TeamCompanyGovernorCoachCaptain
Barangay Ginebra San MiguelGinebra San Miguel, Inc.Alfrancis ChuaTim ConeJared Dillinger
Blackwater BossingEver Bilena Cosmetics, Inc.Silliman SyJeffrey CariasoJVee Casio
Converge FiberXersConverge ICTArchen CayabyabAldin AyoKevin Racal
Magnolia Chicken Timplados HotshotsSan Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc.Rene PardoChito VictoleroRafi Reavis
Meralco BoltsManila Electric CompanyAl PanlilioLuigi TrilloRaymond Almazan
NLEX Road WarriorsMetro Pacific Investments CorporationRodrigo FrancoFrankie LimKevin Alas
NorthPort Batang PierSultan 900 Capital, Inc.Eric ArejolaBonnie TanJeff Chan
Phoenix Fuel MastersPhoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.Raymond ZorrillaJamike JarinRJ Jazul
Rain or Shine Elasto PaintersAsian Coatings Philippines, Inc.Mamerto MondragonYeng GuiaoGabe Norwood
San Miguel BeermenSan Miguel Brewery, Inc.Robert NonJorge GallentChris Ross
Terrafirma DyipTerrafirma Realty Development CorporationDemosthenes RosalesJohnedel CardelEric Camson
TNT Tropang GigaSmart CommunicationsRicky VargasChot ReyesKelly Williams

Arenas

Under the new normal, the PBA has resumed playing in venues in Metro Manila and Rizal. The PBA also released its schedule showing its first "out-of-town" games since the pandemic, with five game days held in the provinces.

Transactions

Retirement

  • On May 12, 2023, Reynel Hugnatan formally retired after being signed by the Meralco Bolts as one of its assistant coaches. Hugnatan played for three teams in his 19 seasons in the league.

Rule changes

The PBA competition committee approved the rule changes for implementation starting in the Commissioner's Cup games:
Rule changes

  1. Players are no longer allowed to call timeouts
  2. Coach's challenge is now in effect. A coach can contest a call once. If the challenge is successful, the coach will be given another coach's challenge. Challengeable calls are act of shooting or sideline throw-in, foul, traveling, flopping, 8 second violation, backcourt violation, held ball, out-of-bounds or last touch and shot clock remaining.
  3. If an intentional foul will be committed by a defensive player during fastbreak opportunity, the offensive team will be given one free throw plus ball possession.

Notable events

Pre-season

  • Several players were sanctioned by their respective teams and the PBA due to numerous ligang labas infractions.
  • Due to the long off-season, the PBA launched the "PBA on Tour", a months-long series of pre-season games involving all PBA teams played across the country. Each team played 11 games and were allowed to have 17 players in their roster which are composed of regular players, 3x3 affiliate team players, free agents, and rookie aspirants. The tour was held from May 21 to July 30, 2023; there was no playoffs nor a championship series. The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots finished the tour with the best record, winning all of their 11 games.
  • During the PBA on Tour, TNT Tropang Giga retired the jersey number of Harvey Carey.
  • The PBA competition committee proposed several rule changes, most notably the addition of the head coach challenge. Proposed new rules were first implemented during the PBA on Tour. After the tour, the league will assess which rules will be adapted starting the regular season.
  • Willie Marcial will remain as the league's commissioner until the 2026–27 season as his contract was extended by the PBA Board of Governors.
  • The PBA Board of Governors relaxed its rules regarding draft-eligible players who refuse to enter the draft and active PBA players who leave the league to play in another league locally or internationally. These players are no longer required to "sit out" seasons prior to joining the PBA. The former rule sanctioned these players by barring them from playing in the PBA for at most five years. Foreign-born Filipinos older than 30 years old are also now allowed to join the draft.
  • The East Asia Super League disbanded the Bay Area Dragons on September 1, 2023, reportedly due to financial reasons. The EASL mentions "conflict of interest" for managing a team and organizing the league at the same time, as the official reason for dissolving the club.
  • The PBA entered into an acquired agreement with ZOE Broadcasting Network and ABS-CBN Corporation to air the league's games on A2Z. All the ABS-CBN programs were temporarily affected by the changes in programming; A2Z's primetime, afternoon and weekend programming are preempted to give way for the PBA games on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Previously, the games were formerly broadcast on TV5.

Commissioner's Cup

Philippine Cup

Opening ceremonies

Opening ceremony for this season was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on November 5, 2023, hosted by comedians Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola. P-pop boy band Alamat were among the guest performers. The PBA Leo Awards for the 2022–23 season were held before the opening ceremonies.
The first game of the Commissioner's Cup between the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots and the TNT Tropang Giga was played after the opening ceremonies.
Below is the list of team muses:
TeamMuse
Barangay Ginebra San MiguelHeaven Peralejo
Blackwater BossingHerlene Budol
Converge FiberXersYskaela Yaena Fujimoto
Magnolia Chicken Timplados HotshotsJulie Anne San Jose
Meralco BoltsKaizen Dela Serna
NLEX Road WarriorsVanie Gandler
NorthPort Batang PierAngel Santos
Phoenix Super LPG Fuel MastersYukii Takahashi
Rain or Shine Elasto PaintersMary Jane Encabo and Jennelle Noblezada
San Miguel BeermenFranki Russell
Terrafirma DyipSaira Khan
TNT Tropang GigaAtasha Muhlach

2023–24 PBA Commissioner's Cup

The Commissioner's Cup started on November 5, 2023, and ended on February 14, 2024.
The conference is held first instead of the customary Philippine Cup, originally to accommodate guest team Bay Area Dragons which later got disbanded prior to the tournament.

Awards

Leo Awards

Most Valuable Player: June Mar Fajardo Rookie of the Year: Stephen Holt Most Improved Player: Jhonard Clarito First Mythical Team:

PBA Press Corps annual awards

Defensive Player of the Year: Cliff Hodge Scoring Champion: Robert Bolick Baby Dalupan Coaches of the Year: Luigi Trillo, Gene Afable, Reynel Hugnatan, Sandro Soriano, Nenad Vučinić, Norman Black Mr. Quality Minutes: Bong Quinto Bogs Adornado Comeback Players of the Year:

Cumulative standings

Playoffs

This includes one-game playoffs to determine the last playoff participant.

3x3

The 3x3 season started on July 3, 2023, and ended on February 19, 2024.

First conference

LegChampionRunner-upThird place
1stBarangay Ginebra San MiguelSan Miguel BeermenCavitex Braves
2ndBarangay Ginebra San MiguelMeralco Bolts 3x3Cavitex Braves
3rdTNT Triple GigaPioneer ElastoSeal KatibaysCavitex Braves
4thCavitex BravesTNT Triple GigaMeralco Bolts 3x3
5thCavitex BravesPioneer ElastoSeal KatibaysBarangay Ginebra San Miguel
6thTNT Triple GigaCavitex BravesWilcon Depot 3x3
Grand FinalsTNT Triple GigaCavitex BravesMeralco Bolts 3x3

Second conference

LegChampionRunner-upThird place
1stTNT Triple GigaCavitex BravesMeralco Bolts 3x3
2ndTNT Triple GigaTerrafirma 3x3Pioneer ElastoSeal Katibays
3rdTNT Triple GigaCavitex BravesMeralco Bolts 3x3
4thMCFASolver Tech CentraleMeralco Bolts 3x3Pioneer ElastoSeal Katibays
5thTNT Triple GigaPioneer ElastoSeal KatibaysMCFASolver Tech Centrale
6thTNT Triple GigaCavitex BravesMeralco Bolts 3x3
Grand FinalsTNT Triple GigaMeralco Bolts 3x3Pioneer ElastoSeal Katibays

Third conference

LegChampionRunner-upThird place
1stMeralco Bolts 3x3MCFASolver Tech CentraleCavitex Braves
2ndMCFASolver Tech CentraleSan Miguel BeermenCavitex Braves
3rdMeralco Bolts 3x3TNT Triple GigaMCFASolver Tech Centrale
4thMeralco Bolts 3x3TNT Triple GigaBlackwater Smooth Razor
5thTNT Triple GigaMeralco Bolts 3x3Cavitex Braves
6thCavitex BravesBlackwater Smooth RazorTNT Triple Giga
Grand FinalsMeralco Bolts 3x3TNT Triple GigaCavitex Braves