Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Weekend

The Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Weekend is the annual gathering of the best players of the Philippine Basketball Association playing for various events such as the 3-point shootout, skills competition such as Obstacle and Trick-shot challenges, Rookies vs. Sophomores Blitz Game, Slam Dunk competition, Shooting stars, Legends 3-point challenge and culminated by the All-Star Game. It is patterned after the All-Star Weekend of the National Basketball Association.

The annual All-Star Game was instituted in 1989 and has already evolved into different types of competition such as the North vs. South match-up (presently adopted), Rookies, Sophomores & Juniors (RSJ) vs. Veterans, Commissioners All-Stars vs. Governors All-Stars, etc. The manner by which players to the All-Star Game were selected has also been changed as the same was again patterned before the NBA type of selection. Originally, the two coaches tapped to lead the two All-Star teams were the ones who selected their players but over the years the starting five are now selected through fan voting and the reserves would now be the ones chosen by the coaches. For the 2005-2006 season, fans from the host city or province were given the choice to select the sixth man of each team. After each game, an All-Star Most Valuable Player (MVP) was chosen by writers covering the annual event.

Vergel Meneses had clearly stamped his mark on this mid-year festivities as he remains to be the only four-time All-Star MVP awardee bagging the award in 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2003. In its entire history, four players have been named multiple winners of the All-Star MVP award namely, Meneses, Benjie Paras (1994 and 1999), Asi Taulava (2004 and 2006), and Jayjay Helterbrand (2005 and 2007).

Jerry Codiñera, Alvin Patrimonio and Meneses are the only players with at least 10 All-Star appearances since its inception.

List of all-star games

The matchups are explained at the types section:

PBA All-Star Game

• * MVP from losing team
• ** MVP was Import Player.
• *** The two teams requested for an overtime period to be held.

Types

• Veterans vs. Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors (RSJ): The Veteran team consists of players who have played in the league for four or more years. The RSJ team consists of players who have played in the league for less than four years.
  • Head to head: Veterans lead 6-2.
• North vs. South: The players' team is assigned according to their birthplaces, and in cases of players born outside the Philippines, on their parents' birth places. Players from the Luzon play for the North All-Stars, while those from the Visayas and Mindanao play for the South All-Stars.
  • Head to head: North All-Stars lead, 6-4.

Sidelights

Rookies vs. Sophomores Blitz Game

* The 2005-06 PBA season had two Blitz Games.

Other games

References

External links