Shell Turbo Chargers

Shell Turbo Chargers
Joined PBA 1985
History Shell Azodrin Bugbusters
1985-1986
Shell Azocord
1986-1987
Shell Oilers
1987-1988
Shell Rimula X
1990-1993; 1994-1995
Shell Helix
1993-1994
Formula Shell Super Unleaded
1988-1990; 1995-1997
Shell Zoom Masters
1997-1999
Shell Velocity
1999-2000
Shell Turbo Chargers
2000-2005
Team colors Blue, Red, Silver, Green, yellow, purple, & white
Owner(s) {{{owner}}}
Company Pilipinas Shell
Head coaches Freddie Webb, Ed Ocampo, Joe Lipa, Dante Silverio, Arlene Rodriguez, Rino Salazar, Chito Narvasa, Perry Ronquilio, John Moran, Leo Austria
Championships 4 (1990 First Conference, 1992 First Conference, 1998 Governors Cup, 1999 All-Filipino Cup)
Disbanded 2004-05
Uniforms
Light uniform
Dark uniform
Alternate uniform

The Shell Turbo Chargers was a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints in February 2006.

Shell has won four PBA championships, two from 1998-1999. Aside from being known as the Turbo Chargers, Shell was also know as Shell Azudrin Bugbusters, Shell Azocord, Shell Oilers, Shell Rimula X, Formula Shell Super Unleaded, and Shell Velocity.

Contents

History

Shell acquired the franchise of the famed Crispa Redmanizers in 1985 for a reported two million pesos. In Shell's first season, the team was know as Shell Azudrin Bugbusters and acquired several remnants of the Crispa franchise in Philip Cezar and Bernie Fabiosa plus a former redmanizer William Bogs Adornado from Great Taste. under head coach Freddie Webb. Shell got its first All Filipino finals berth against Great Taste when they defeated Ginebra in a rubber match.

The following season in 1986, Shell carried the name Pilipinas Shell Oilers, Shell Helix and Formula Shell Spark Aiders respectively with Olympian Ed Ocampo taking over from Freddie Webb, who resigned as Shell coach midway in the semifinals of the first conference. Shell remained a hard-luck team with national coach Joe Lipa, becoming Shell's third coach in 1987 3rd conference, as the team was now known as Shell Azocord Super Bugbusters.

The team's rise to fame came during the late-1980s when they were bannered by two University of the Philippines, Diliman standouts Ronnie Magsanoc and Benjie Paras to solidify Shell as one of the popular teams in the pro league. Former Toyota mentor Dante Silverio was also responsible for transforming Shell to a championship-caliber ballclub.

Paras is also the only P.B.A. player to win the Rookie of the Year and the coveted Most Valuable Player plum in the same season when the center won it all in 1989.

In the 1990 PBA Open Conference, Shell won its first-ever PBA championship defeating crowd-favorite Añejo Rhum 4-2. But the series was marred by Anejo's infamous walkout in the sixth and final game of the series to award the Shell the win in Game six and the series clincher.

At that time, Shell was reinforced by import Bobby Parks, who holds seven Best Import Awards in his PBA career, most of them with the Shell franchise.

A year later, Shell suffered one of the biggest collapses in PBA finals history during the 1991 PBA First Conference, when they blew a 3-1 series lead in the series eventually losing to Ginebra in seven games on a Rudy Distrito game-winner.

Shell won the 1992 PBA First Conference crown but waited six years before winning another PBA crown, by capturing the 1998 Governor's Cup. They defeated Mobiline Phone Pals in seven games.

Their final championship came during the 1999 PBA All-Filipino Conference defeating heavy favorite Tanduay Rhum in six games. Shell was bannered by Paras, Gerry Esplana, Victor Pablo, Chris Jackson and Noy Castillo as one of their primary players under head coach Perry Ronquilio.

1999 also became a banner year for Paras, who won his second Most Valuable Player award in his career, despite the arrival of several talented Filipino-foreigner players during the same season. However, injuries in the next three seasons forced Paras to retire after the 2003 season.

Shell suffered several slumps in the next four seasons (2000-2003) before resurfacing in during the 2004-2005 season as one of the contenders for the PBA crown. Under head coach Leo Austria (who won the Rookie of the Year honors in 1985 as a player for Shell), the Turbo Chargers placed fourth in the PBA Philippine Cup and third in the season-ending 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference.

Disbandment

During the 2004-05 PBA season, Shell was rumored to be disbanding after the season because their mother company, Royal Dutch Shell in the Netherlands believed that it was not feasible for them to maintain a franchise in the PBA.

It was believed that port company Harbour Centre was planning to purchase the rights of the Shell franchise. However, both parties did not come into an agreement as Harbour Centre was offering less than what Shell wanted. On August 3, 2005, Shell announced that it was taking a leave of absence from the league.

Before the announcement, Shell traded away most of its players. Tony Dela Cruz and Rich Alvarez were dealt to the Alaska Aces while Ronald Tubid was sent to the Air21 Express. The remaining members of the team were selected through the dispersal draft.

Shell was given a six-month deadline for the team to either return to the league in the next PBA season or sell the team to a prospective buyer. On January 2006, PBL powerhouse Welcoat Paints bought the squad for and entered the league in the 2006-07 PBA season

Season-by-season records

Legend
      Champion
      Runner-up
      Semifinalist

Three-conference era

Season Conference Team name Overall record Finals
W L  %
1985 Open Conference Shell Azodrin Bugbusters 16 32 .333
All-Filipino Cup Great Taste 3, Shell 1
Reinforced Conference
1986 Open Conference Shell Azocord 20 32 .385
All-Filipino Cup
Reinforced Conference
1987 Open Conference Shell Oilers 18 36 .333
All-Filipino Cup
Reinforced Conference
1988 Open Conference 16 29 .356
All-Filipino Cup
Reinforced Conference San Miguel 4, Shell 1
1989 Open Conference Formula Shell Super Unleaded 27 30 .474 San Miguel 4, Shell 1
All-Filipino Cup
Reinforced Conference
1990 First Conference 35 21 .625 Shell 4, Añejo 2
All-Filipino Cup
Third Conference
1991 First Conference Shell Rimula X 23 25 .479 Ginebra 4, Shell 3
All-Filipino Cup
Third Conference
1992 First Conference 27 27 .500 Shell 4, San Miguel 1
All-Filipino Cup
Third Conference
1993 All-Filipino Cup Shell Helix 14 29 .326
Commissioner's Cup
Governors Cup
1994 All-Filipino Cup Shell Rimula X 20 30 .400
Commissioner's Cup
Governors Cup
1995 All-Filipino Cup Formula Shell Super Unleaded 20 34 .370
Commissioner's Cup
Governors Cup
1996 All-Filipino Cup 33 32 .508
Commissioner's Cup Alaska 4, Shell 3
Governors Cup
1997 All-Filipino Cup Formula Shell Zoom Masters 15 31 .326
Commissioner's Cup
Governors Cup
1998 All-Filipino Cup 31 30 .508
Commissioner's Cup
Centennial Cup Mobiline 1, Shell 0
Governors Cup Shell 4, Mobiline 3
1999 All-Filipino Cup Shell Velocity 32 24 .571 Shell 4, Tanduay 2
Commissioner's Cup San Miguel 4, Shell 2
Governors Cup
2000 All-Filipino Cup 5 10 .375
Commissioner's Cup 3 6 .333
Governors Cup 1 8 .111
2001 All-Filipino Cup Shell Turbo Chargers 12 10 .545
Commissioner's Cup 3 7 .300
Governors Cup 10 9 .526
2002 Governors Cup 2 9 .273
Commissioner's Cup 4 7 .364
All-Filipino Cup 4 6 .400
2003 All-Filipino Cup 5 13 .277
Invitational Conference 2 2 .500
Reinforced Conference 3 10 .230
Overall record 401 530 .431 4 championships

Two-conference era

Season Conference Team name Elim./Clas. round Playoffs
Finish W L  % Stage Results
(2004) Fiesta Conference Shell Turbo Chargers 8th 7 11 .389 Wildcard phase Red Bull 83, Shell 82
2004-05 Philippine Cup 3rd 12 6 .667 2nd-seed playoff
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd-place playoff
Talk 'N Text 85, Shell 79
Shell 2, Purefoods 1
Talk 'N Text 3, Shell 0
San Miguel 105, Shell 100
Fiesta Conference 9th 7 11 .389 Wildcard phase
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd-place playoff
Shell def. Sta. Lucia**, 84–75, 95–85
Shell 2, Purefoods 0
Talk 'N Text 3, Shell 1
Shell 102, San Miguel 86
Elimination round 26 28 .482 2 post-wildcard appearances
Playoffs 8 10 .444 0 championships

*one-game playoffs
**team had twice-to-beat advantage

Cumulative records

Era W L PCT
Two-conference era (1975–2003) 401 530 .431
Three-conference era (2004–present) 34 38 .472
Total 435 568 .434

Players of note

PBA 25 greatest players

Other notable players

Imports

Coaches

General Managers

Preceded by
Crispa Redmanizers
PBA teams genealogies
1985-2005
Succeeded by
Welcoat Dragons