1986 Ginebra San Miguel season

The 1986 Ginebra San Miguel season was the 8th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Transactions

Awards

• Dondon Ampalayo was named the season's Rookie of the year.
• Playing-coach Robert Jaworski made it to the Mythical team first five selection.

Occurrences

A bitter rivalry since the Crispa-Toyota days was born during the All-Filipino championship between Tanduay Rhum and crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel, former Toyota teammates Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski played on opposite sides in the finals for the first time, adding color to their rivalry was Tanduay coach, Arturo Valenzona, who steered Ginebra (then Gilbey's Gin) to three trips in the finals from 1982-1984, and the same coach the Big J replaced on the Ginebra bench starting in 1985. ^[1]

League pioneer Francis Arnaiz retired from active playing, after seeing action for a few games during the Third Conference.

Summary

Ginebra San Miguel had Terry Duerod and Jojo Hunter as their imports for the first conference, lost their first game to Tanduay, 112-120 on April 8, Hunter was replaced after just one game by Clinton Wheeler, the Ginebras remain winless in four starts before picking up their first win against Manila Beer, 122-103 on April 22, wherein both teams were 0-4 before their match, during the second round of eliminations, Wheeler was replaced by Keith Gray, the Ginebras were on a five-game winning streak before losing to Great Taste at the close of the elimination round. Ginebra won their first three matches in the semifinals and in a crucial match against Tanduay, lost by a slim margin, 119-122, ^[2] the Ginebras were ousted from the finals race by Alaska Milk in their next game, placed third with a 4-2 series win over Alaska in the battle for third place.

In the All-Filipino Conference, with playing coach Robert Jaworski on leave for a yearly check up in the United States, the Ginebras struggled to a 2-4 won-loss slate in the eliminations, when Big J return to the bench, the Gins were back to their winning ways, sweeping all their three outings in the quarterfinals to enter the semifinal round. On August 21, Ginebra advances to the All-Filipino finals with a 91-83 win over Shell Helix, ^[3] it was the fourth time the La Toñdena ballclub are playing in the championship series and the first since Robert Jaworski became player-coach of the team in 1985. Ginebra San Miguel were going up against the Tanduay Rhum Makers in the finals, who are seeking their second straight title, Ginebra won the series opener but Tanduay took the last three games to capture the All-Filipino crown.

Billy Ray Bates, known as "The Black Superman", who led the famed Crispa Redmanizers to a Grandslam in 1983, teamed up with last year's Ginebra reinforcement and best import Michael Hackett for the Open Conference, in an explosive combination that have captured the fascination and excitement of PBA fans from the moment it made headlines. In a highly anticipated first game of Ginebra in the third conference featuring the comebacking Billy Ray Bates and Michael Hackett going up against Alaska's comebacking imports as well, Norman Black and Donnie Ray Koonce, Ginebra won, 122-115, with Bates scoring 46 points and Hackett tallying 38 points. On October 7, Ginebra came back from a 9-point deficit in the last five minutes to turn back Manila Beer in an exciting contest, 113-109, as both teams were unbeaten with 3-0 slates before their match. ^[4] Ginebra suffered its first loss after four straight wins to Tanduay in a grudge rematch, 109-114 on October 12, but easily advances in the semifinals outright along with Manila Beer, which had a terrific pair of Michael Young and Harold Keeling, the Ginebras and the Brewmasters pick up four wins in the semifinal round and clearly dominated the other two semifinalists; Tanduay and Great Taste, with still one scheduled playing date left.

Championship

After 8 years since joining the league in 1979, the La Tondeña ballclub won their first PBA championship by winning the Open Conference crown over Manila Beer, 4 games to 1. On the memorable night of December 11, 1986, Ginebra San Miguel clinch the trophy with a 130-120 victory in Game Five, The Living Legend, Robert Jaworski became the first playing coach to steered a team to a PBA title.

Notable dates

October 16: Billy Ray Bates surpassed his personal-best by scoring 69 points in Ginebra' 140-130 win over Magnolia. ^[5]

November 27: Ginebra ended Tanduay's grandslam bid, and formally enters the PBA Third Conference finals with a 151-130 rout, Bates scored 57 points while Hackett added 39 points, as the Gins took an imposing 44-point lead, 83-39 at halftime.

December 9: Game four of the Open Conference finals, Playing coach Robert Jaworski, Billy Ray Bates and Michael Hackett played a total of 58 minutes in a 145-135 double-overtime victory over Manila Beer.

Roster

References

External links

Fond memories of Billy Ray Bates @ Tempo