FORTY five years ago on this day saw the birth of the Philippine Basketball Association, the first ever professional league not only in the country but of the entire Asia.
A total of nine pioneer teams composed the inaugural season in 1975 that included CFC (Consolidated Food Corp), Crispa, Concepcion Carrier, Mariwasa Noritake, Royal Tru-Orange (San Miguel), Seven-Up, Tanduay, Toyota Comets, and Universal Textiles.
All commercial teams previously played in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Organization (MICAA), although five of them in Mariwasa, represented by Emerson Coseteng, CFC (Porfirio Zablan), Toyota (Dante Silverio), Concepcion (Rene Concepcion), and Seven-Up (Bill Sener) were the first to attend the pre-organizational agreement for the formation of the league held in January 15 of that same year.
On January 23, Coseteng formally announced the founding of the PBA.
A week later on January 31, Crispa, YCO, San Miguel, and U-Tex came on board to complete the original nine-team cast.
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That same day, the league elected its first set of officers with Coseteng voted as first president, Domingo Itchon (1st vice president), Rafael Hechanova (2nd vice president), Pepito Castro (secretary), and Pablo Carlos (treasurer).
Leo Prieto, head coach of the national men's team to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics who also steered YCO to several championships in the MICAA, was named founding commissioner.
Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS) secured the rights to telecast the games on Channel 2 for the amount of over P1 million.
On April 9, 1975, the PBA played its first ever double-header before a crowd of 18,000 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Mariwasa Porcelain Makers battled Concepcion Carrier Weathermakers in the first game, followed by the encounter between the Toyota Comets and the Universal Textile Weavers.
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Gregorio 'Joy' Dionisio, the 5-foot-10 guard and member of the 1972 Philippine team that won the Asian Youth Championship, etched his name as the first ever player to score a field goal in the league's inaugural match.
"It was sunny. The country was in the grip of martial law. But the mood all over the Araneta Coliseum, first home of the PBA, was festive when Dionisio cut the umbilical cord that sent the PBA merrily soaring into orbit," read an excerpt from the book 'PBA 20 Years in Pictures.'
Import Israel 'Cisco' Oliver, who gained fame for starring in a popular Alaska Milk commercial during those days, erupted for 48 points to lead Mariwasa past Concepcion, 101-98.
The main game had Toyota edging U-tex, 105-101, as five Comets finished in double figures led by Rodolfo 'Ompong' Segura with 23 points. Francis Arnaiz added 22, Alberto 'Big Boy' Reynoso with 17, while Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski had 13 and 11, respectively.
From then on, there was no stopping Asia's first ever play-for-pay league from making history. (RG)
