PBA IMAGES
BOCAUE — The Philippine Basketball Association logged a new crowd record on Sunday night, as 54,589 spectators flocked to witness the culmination of the Commissioner’s Cup championship series featuring Barangay Ginebra and visiting Bay Area at the Philippine Arena here.
The gate attendance shattered the league’s old record that was set back on October 27, 2017, where 54,086 watched the Gin Kings crush the Dragons, 114-99, in Game 7.
5️⃣4️⃣,5️⃣8️⃣9️⃣ RECORD BREAKING @barangayginebra vs. Bay Area CROWD tonight!
Maraming Salamat po! #PBAFinals #PBAGameTayoDito pic.twitter.com/FKwpizKsBU
— PBA (@pbaconnect) January 15, 2023
Interestingly, that game also featured the Gin Kings. The crowd darlings finished off Meralco in seven games to win the Governors’ Cup.
That game was also played in this cavernous venue.
The new PBA record should feel doubly rewarding for Asia’s pioneering pro league, which has been dealing with the persisting effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the digital age, and a talent drain from the collegiate ranks.