To some extent, Batangas City-Tanduay’s run to the first Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) crown runs parallel to the league’s phenomenal rise in less than four months.
The Athletics wrested the 2018 MPBL Anta Rajah Cup crown on Thursday at the expense of Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort, capping a spectacular campaign that saw them lose just two of their 15 games.
The league put up by Sen. Manny Pacquiao began with just 10 teams, drawing crowds that couldn’t even fill half the 16,000-seating capacity of Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Four months later, the league has welcomed six more teams—Manila, Makati, Pasig, San Juan, Laguna and Rizal—with some more expressing interest to join in the MPBL’s expansion.
Each venue is jampacked, none bigger when Batangas and Muntinlupa collided in their championship series, when fans filled up the coliseums more than three hours before tip-off.
“We’re happy with the response of Filipino basketball fans,” said league commissioner and PBA great Kenneth Duremdes, a personal choice of Pacquiao to run the league.
“We expected the people to come and more teams to join, but not this quick,” added Duremdes, who gets help from former fellow pro Zaldy Realubit, who is head of operations, assistant commissioner Satar Macantal and another ex-pro Emmer Oreta, the league coordinator.
Batangas coach Mac Tan turned a hastily assembled team into a championship contender in a span of a few weeks as the Athletics jelled quickly after a disappointing preseason campaign.
“It’s a special run,” said Tan, who, just like Duremdes, was given his first major job.
There was plenty of uncertainty ahead of the season, but Tan said he was blessed with players who have unquestionable work ethics
“I want to keep the team intact,” Tan added, as they prepare for the next conference set to open on June 12.