The 2011–12 PBA season was the 37th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. The season was formally opened on October 2, 2011GIN-ROS TIFF, HALL OF FAME INDUCTION USHER 37TH SEASON, PBA.ph, October 1, 2011 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and finished on August 5, 2012. The season used three-conference format, starting with the Philippine Cup, or the traditional All-Filipino Conference. The mid season Commissioner's Cup featured unlimited height limit for imports. The Governors' Cup became the third and final conference for this season.
The first activity of the season was the 2011 PBA Draft held on August 28, 2011, at the Robinsons Place Manila in Ermita, Manila.PBA now accepting draft applicants ABS-CBNnews.com
Board of governors Executive committee Chito Salud (Commissioner) Mamerto Mondragon (Chairman, representing Rain or Shine Elasto Painters) Jose Bayani Baylon (Vice-Chairman, representing Powerade Tigers) Robert Non (Treasurer, representing Barangay Ginebra Kings)
Teams Team Company Governor Alternate Governor Air21 Express Airfrieght 2100, Inc. Lucia Jane Lina Alfredo Pilladolid Alaska Aces Alaska Milk Corporation Joaquin Trillo B-Meg Llamados San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. Rene Pardo Barako Bull Energy Energy Food and Drinks Inc. Manuel Alvarez Barangay Ginebra Kings Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. Bernie Marquez Robert Non Meralco Bolts Manila Electric Company Ramon Segismundo Betty Siy-Yap Petron Blaze Boosters Petron Corporation Roberto Huang Eliezer Capacio Powerade Tigers Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. Jose Bayani Baylon Kenneth Duremdes Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. Mamerto Mondragon Andrew Jao Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters Smart Communications Manuel V. Pangilinan Patrick Gregorio / Victorino Vargas
Pre-season events
Player movement
Key transactions: Trades: Rain or Shine traded Doug Kramer and Josh Vanlandingham to Powerade for JR Quiñahan, Norman Gonzales and Powerade's 2013 and 2014 second round picks.Powerade acquires Kramer, Vanlandingham , Reynaldo Belen, interaksyon.com, August 26, 2011 Barako Bull Energy, B-Meg Llamados, and Shopinas.com Clickers involved a three-way deal. Shopinas.com acquired Elmer Espiritu from Barako Bull and Brian Ilad from B-Meg, B-Meg received 5th pick overall Mark Barroca from Shopinas.com, and Barako Bull acquired Don Allado and future second round picks from B-Meg.B-MEG SNARES BARROCA IN 3-WAY DEAL, PBA.ph, September 6, 2011
Notable occurrences The PBA board approved the sale of the Barako Bull Energy Boosters team franchise from Photokina Marketing to the Linaheim Corporate Services, owners of the Air21 Express. The team will now be known as the Shopinas.com Clickers.Lina firm to be PBA’s first dot-com company , Reynaldo Belen, interaksyon.com, July 20, 2011 The Air21 Express will be renamed as Barako Bull Energy starting this season. The name change occurred after the Lina Group bought 49 percent stake of Energy Food and Drinks Inc., a subsidiary of Photokina Marketing and the exclusive distributor of Red Bull Energy Drink products in the Philippines. The "Energy Boosters" moniker will be dropped and instead the team will be known as "Energy", since there will be a conflict in using the "Boosters" moniker with the Petron Blaze Boosters.Air 21 franchise renamed to Barako for next PBA season , Reynaldo Belen, interaksyon.com, August 23, 2011 The PBA board approved the 20% salary cap increase and the standardization of game bonuses on September 8. The player salary cap was increased from P350,000 to P420,000.PBA approves salary cap increase, sets standard bonus scheme , Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV, September 8, 2011 The proposals were approved at the heels of an outburst by Alaska Aces owner Fred Uytengsu during the press conference announcing Tim Cone's resignation as head coach of Alaska. Uytengsu commented that the league is not a level playing field, with some teams paying their players more than the monthly amount set by the PBA.Uneven playing field: The PBA is a league of haves and have-nots , Reynaldo Belen and Jaemark Tordecilla, InterAKTV, September 5, 2011
Coaching changes Barako Bull Energy (formerly Air21 Express) hired Junel Baculi as head coach, who also was the head coach of the Barako Bull franchise that disbanded in 2010. Baculi will be replacing Bong Ramos, who will slide down as assistant coach. On August 26, the Barangay Ginebra Kings appointed assistant coach Siot Tanquincen as co-head coach of the team, together with Jong Uichico.Tanquingcen, Uichico to co-coach Ginebra next season , by: Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV, August 26, 2011 On September 1, Alaska Aces coach Tim Cone requested to be released from his contract, which is set to expire in 2013. Assistant Joel Banal will take over as head coach., By: Dino Maragay, The Philippine Star, September 1, 2011Cone ends 22-year partnership with Alaska, Banal is new coach, GMA News Online, September 1, 2011 Two weeks after resigning as head coach of the Alaska Aces, Tim Cone was appointed as the new head coach of the B-Meg Llamados.Tim Cone is B-MEG's new head coach, GMA News Online, September 14, 2011 Richard del Rosario, who was appointed as acting head coach in August Del Rosario chosen as new B-Meg coach; Gallent slides down as assistant , by: Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV, August 30, 2011 was demoted to assistant coach along with former B-meg head coach Jorge Gallent. Gallent later was reassigned as assistant coach of Petron Blaze.
Opening ceremonies The season began on October 2 with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters defeating the Barangay Ginebra Kings, 94–93.
The muses for the participating teams are as follows:Star-filled PBA Opening Ceremonies at Smart Araneta Coliseum , Kaye Estoista-Koo, Philippine Entertainment Portal, October 3, 2011
Team Muse Alaska Aces Bubbles Paraiso B-Meg Llamados Rhian Ramos Barako Bull Energy Helga Krapf Barangay Ginebra Kings Solenn Heussaff Meralco Bolts Diane Necio and Isabella Manjon Petron Blaze Boosters Helen Nicolette Henson, Martha Chloe McCully and Samantha Neville Powerade Tigers Maricar Reyes Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Michelle Gavagan Shopinas.com Clickers Iya Villania Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters Venus Raj and Nora Aunor
2011–12 Philippine Cup
Notable events
Elimination round
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
*Team has twice-to-beat advantage. Team #1 only has to win once, while team #2 has to win twice.
Semifinals
Finals
Finals MVP: Larry Fonacier (Talk 'N Text) Best Player of the Conference: Gary David (Powerade)
2012 Blue vs. Green Dream Game
Rosters
Blue Rabeh Al-Hussaini Nonoy Baclao JC Intal Enrico Villanueva Doug Kramer LA Tenorio Eric Salamat Paolo Bugia Wesley Gonzales Larry Fonacier Rich Alvarez Magnum Membrere Japeth Aguilar Coach: Norman Black
Green Mike Cortez Willy Wilson Ren-Ren Ritualo Joseph Yeo Tyrone Tang Jerwin Gaco Rico Maierhofer Carlo Sharma JVee Casio Ryan Araña Don Allado Mark Cardona Brian Ilad Coach: Franz Pumaren
2012 Commissioner's Cup
After the PBA Philippine Cup finals, the PBA is slated to return in the PBA Commissioner's Cup. This conference features imports for each team, with an unlimited height ceiling.
Notable events After a dismal finish in the Philippine Cup, the Lina Group of Companies announced that the Shopinas.com Clickers will be renamed as the Air21 Express starting in the Commissioner's Cup. On February 2, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines was rumored to sell its PBA team, the Powerade Tigers, to San Miguel Corporation, therefore allowing SMC to own and unprecedented 4 teams in the league. The rumors arose when it was revealed that certain factions in the Coca-Cola management have decided to sell the team. The next day, however, the trade rumors were debunked by Powerade manager JB Baylon. Due to being the Philippine national basketball team's naturalized player, Marcus Douthit's rights to be signed as an import (despite having naturalized Filipino status) were bidded on by the different PBA teams. The Air21 Express won the rights to sign Douthit after all the other teams passed. Douthit then agreed to play for Air21, with the rule that if he leaves Air21, he cannot play for any other team.
Player movement
Key transactions: Trades: On January 27, 2012, sister teams Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, B-Meg Llamados and third team Barako Bull Energy completed a five – player blockbuster deal. In the deal, B-MEG received Gin Kings forward JC Intal and a 2012 2nd round pick from Barako Bull that originally belonged to Air 21, formerly Shopinas.com. Ginebra got Llamados forward Kerby Raymundo and Energy rookie Dylan Ababou. Barako Bull ended up with Gin Kings veteran swingman Ronald Tubid and rookie Reil Cervantes, as well as a second round draft pick in 2014 from Ginebra. This marks the second time that Barako Bull has traded its top draft picks. On the same day, Air21 completed a four-man trade with the Meralco Bolts. Air21 acquired Nelbert Omolon and Mark Isip from Meralco in exchange for Mark Canlas, Dennis Daa, and a 2012 first-round draft pick that belonged to Meralco originally.
Coaching changes On January 11, after the Barangay Ginebra Kings lost their quarterfinal series against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, coach Jong Uichico was revealed to have left Ginebra to join the Smart Gilas national basketball team coaches pool. Co-head coach Siot Tanquincen has become the sole head coach. On January 17, Uichico joined the Meralco Bolts as a team consultant.
Elimination round
Playoffs
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Finals MVP: James Yap (B-Meg) Best Player of the Conference: Mark Caguioa (Barangay Ginebra) Best Import of the Conference: Denzel Bowles (B-Meg)
2012 Governors' Cup
Notable events
The Barangay Ginebra Kings announced the retirement of Robert Jaworski's #7 jersey. The ceremony was held on July 8 before the start of the semifinals game between Barangay Ginebra and Petron Blaze.Ginebra retires Robert Jaworksi's No. 7 jersey, Erwin Santiago, Philippine Entertainment Portal, June 29, 2012 In commemoration of the jersey retirement of Robert Jaworski, the Barangay Ginebra Kings wore their throwback 1985 Ginebra San Miguel white jerseys (with slight modifications, specifically the replacement of the La Tondeña "G" logo with the current GSM yellow logo), on their semifinal game against Petron Blaze. PBA referee Peter Balao was suspended until the end of the season after a miss call of a three-second violation during the knockout game between the Barako Bull Energy and the Powerade Tigers.PBA suspends referee, as Allado rips league after Barako's exit, GMA News Online, July 4, 2012 Following the loss of Barako Bull Energy against the Powerade Tigers in their knockout game, Don Allado of Barako Bull posted on his Twitter account his frustrations and mentioned that the PBA games are fixed. The Twitter posts were later deleted by Allado within a day and issued an apology to the league and the PBA officials.PBA: Game-fixing accusations come from sore losers – Salud, GMA News Online, July 4, 2012 PBA Commissioner Chito Salud called Allado to his office to explain his accusations. Allado was later fined Php 500,000; Php 300,000 will go the PBA players educational trust fund and Php 200,000 to a charitable institution of his choice. Allado is also banned for one conference from all PBA related activities.ALLADO FINED P.5M, SACKED FOR 1 CONFERENCE, PBA.ph, July 5, 2012After tweeting game-fixing charges, PBA player slapped with record-setting fine, Mark Zambrano, GMA News Online, July 5, 2012 The fine became the largest penalty for a player since Wynne Arboleda's fine after a violent altercation with a fan during their game against Smart Gilas in 2009.PBA: How does Allado's P500k fine stack up against the biggest PBA penalties?, Adrian Dy, GMA News Online, July 5, 2012
Player movement
Key transactions: Trades: