INQUIRER Sports

KUALA LUMPUR?The praises came from almost everyone in the ballroom, including the Malaysian billionaire known for his brilliant business sense.

The Philippine Patriots were honored for winning the title in the maiden ASEAN Basketball League season on a night awash with pomp and pageantry at the posh Garden Hotel here Tuesday.

Looking dapper in their barong tagalog, the Patriots received the silver and gold championship rings from Malaysian business tycoon Tony Fernandes, the prime mover of the league.

?It?s an honor for me to present the first ASEAN Basketball League champion, the Philippine Patriots,? Fernandes told a crowd that included team owners and top officials from league backers General Electric and Air Asia.

Patriots playmaker Warren Ybañez was named Most Valuable Player of the finals, after averaging five points and five assists in the 3-0 sweep of Indonesia?s Satria Muda Britama, while Jason Dixon, the 6-foot-8 American reinforcement, was adjudged Best Import.

Ybañez won over teammates Rob Wainright and Jerwin Gaco. Dixon, who normed 13 points and 10 rebounds, beat Satria Muda Britama?s Nakeia Miller and Kyle Jeffers of the Singapore Slingers as top import.

The Thailand Tigers Attaporn Lertmalaiporn was the regular season MVP.

The night, however, belonged to the Patriots, a team composed of former PBA players and collegiate stars, who muscled their way to a total of 16 wins in 20 games in the inaugural season.

?We actually thought that the ABL would be a walk in the park but we were made to work very hard for this championship,? said Patriots co-team owner Tonyboy Cojuangco.

Mikee Romero, the other owner, paid tribute to the players for ?sacrificing a lot? to achieve the championship.

?I would like to congratulate the players because they really worked hard for this. This trophy is a product of their sacrifice,? said Romero, who also owns seven Philippine Basketball League titles.

The Patriots however are facing a major player revamp for the coming season starting in October with several players reportedly trying out for Barako Bull in the PBA and standouts Elmer Espiritu, Val Acuna and Nonoy Baclao applying for the pro draft.

Ybañez, Gaco, Wainright and Christian Coronel are among the players eyed by Barako Bull, which recently signed a jersey deal with Harbour Centre, a company owned by Romero.