The TNT Tropang 5G is a professional basketball team currently owned by Smart Communications, a subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) since 1990.
The franchise began in 1990 when Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) acquired a PBA franchise. Under PCPPI, the franchise played under the names Pepsi and 7 Up. In 1996, the franchise came under the control of Pilipino Telephone Corporation (Piltel) and played under the name Mobiline. In 2001, the franchise was renamed Talk 'N Text after the operations of Piltel was absorbed by Smart Communications.
Under the MVP Group umbrella, TNT has two sister teams in the Meralco Bolts and NLEX Road Warriors. To date, the franchise has won eleven championships and one special conference championship (1998 PBA Centennial Cup). In 2013, they won their third straight Philippine Cup title, and in doing so, became the first of two teams to have permanent possession of the Jun Bernardino Trophy, the other being the San Miguel Beermen in 2017.All-Filipino hat-trick in the bag as Talk 'N Text completes Finals sweep , Richard Dy, Spin.PH, January 16, 2013Talk ‘N Text sweeps Rain or Shine to win historic third straight Philippine Cup , InterAKTV, January 16, 2013
History
1990–1996: The Pepsi / 7-Up era Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. joined the PBA in 1990 as the Pepsi Hotshots, alongside rival Pop Cola. Led by coach Ed Ocampo, the team won its inaugural game with import Derek Hamilton scoring 77 points, but subsequently suffered a 15-game losing streak. Derrick Pumaren replaced Ocampo mid-season, though the team finished the year without a win in the third conference.
In 1991, Pepsi acquired Manny Victorino and famously offered a P25 million contract to Alvin Patrimonio, which Purefoods matched. Despite this, the team reached the semifinals of the third conference, finishing fourth. In 1992, the team traded for Eugene Quilban, who set a PBA record with 28 assists in a single game. Following the Pepsi "349" controversy, the team was rebranded as the 7 Up Uncolas.
The 7 Up Uncolas achieved their best finish as runners-up in the 1992 Reinforced Conference, where they were swept in the finals by the Swift Mighty Meaties. In 1993, the team reverted to Pepsi as the Pepsi Mega Bottlers and drafted Victor Pablo, finishing fourth in the Governors' Cup.
In 1994, Pepsi and Sunkist performed a rare coaching trade, sending Pumaren to RFM for Yeng Guiao. Under Guiao, the team placed third in the 1994 Governors' Cup with import Ronnie Coleman. By 1995, despite attempts to sign Jun Limpot to a P28.8 million contract and acquiring veterans Alvin Teng and Dindo Pumaren, the franchise struggled to find consistent success, eventually leading to its transition to the Mobiline era.
1996–2001: The Mobiline era
1996–1998: The telecom transition Before the 1996 PBA season, the franchise faced potential disbandment due to shifting marketing priorities at Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. A proposed sale to Duty Free Philippines was rejected by the Board of Governors on January 5, 1996. Following a last-place finish in the All-Filipino Cup, ownership was transferred to Lapanday Holdings Corporation. The team was subsequently rebranded as the Mobiline Cellulars through a partnership with Pilipino Telephone Corporation (Piltel).
In 1997, Mobiline acquired the first overall pick and drafted Andy Seigle. The team also signed Tony Boy Espinosa and Patrick Fran, hired coach Norman Black, and acquired 1995 Rookie of the Year Jeffrey Cariaso from Alaska via a record offer sheet. The Cellulars reached the semifinals of the All-Filipino Conference but struggled in the Commissioner's Cup with import Isaiah Morris. For the Governors' Cup, the team hired head coach Derrick Pumaren and consultant Tommy Manotoc, parading import Artemus McClary. Despite an improved performance, they failed to reach the semifinals. Midway through the 1997 season, the team would change its moniker again, this time to Mobiline Phone Pals.
Under Tommy Manotoc, the team struggled with consistency during the 1998 All-Filipino Cup, finishing 7th with a 4–7 record. Despite a standout 27-point performance by Al Solis in a victory over San Miguel on March 8, the team was eliminated before the playoffs. This led to the hiring of Altamirano for the succeeding conferences. Mobiline then appointed Eric Altamirano as their head coach for the following Commissioner's Cup, the team replaced Alex Fraser with 6'8" powerhouse Terquin Mott, who scored 50 points in his debut on May 29. Mobiline finished the eliminations as the 6th seed (5–6) but was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the San Miguel Beermen, 89–95. For the Centennial Cup, Mobiline recruited imports Silas Mills and Artemus "Tee" McClary, finishing the eliminations with a 5–3 record to secure the 2nd seed. On October 4, 1998, the Phone Pals defeated Pop Cola 800s, 74–71, in a knockout semifinal to reach their first championship round. In the one-game final on October 6, Mobiline defeated the Formula Shell Zoom Masters, 67–66, in overtime to capture the first championship in franchise history. For the season-ending Governors' Cup, the Mobiline Phone Pals retained the championship-winning import duo of Silas Mills and Artemus McClary. Coming off their Centennial Cup victory, the team sustained their momentum, finishing the elimination round with a 9–6 record to secure the 3rd seed. In the quarterfinals, Mobiline faced the 6th-seeded Purefoods TJ Hotdogs. The Phone Pals utilized their twice-to-beat advantage, defeating Purefoods 88–77 on November 13, 1998, to advance to their first-ever major best-of-seven semifinal series. The Semifinals vs. Formula Shell Zoom Masters, In a rematch of the Centennial Cup Finals, the two teams engaged in a grueling series. The Phone Pals fell behind 1–3 but rallied to win two straight games to force a deciding Game 7. However, on December 1, 1998, Mobiline lost the final game, 74–87, missing out on a Governors' Cup Finals berth. They settled for fourth place after losing the third-place playoff to San Miguel. Despite the exit, Silas Mills was honored as the Best Import of the Conference.
1999–2001: Asi Taulava's arrival Ahead the 1999 season, franchise signed Fil-Tongan center Asi Taulava as a direct hire. In his debut on February 7, 1999, Taulava recorded 32 points and 20 rebounds in a 90–64 win over the Tanduay Rhum Masters. Led by Taulava and Jeffrey Cariaso, Mobiline won the first seven games of the 1999 All-Filipino Cup and secured the top seed in the All-Filipino Cup with an 11–5 record. In the quarterfinals, the #1 seeded Phone Pals held a twice-to-beat advantage against the #8 Barangay Ginebra Kings. After losing the first game, Mobiline was eliminated in Game 2 on May 12, 1999, when Ginebra's Bal David hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer for an 81–82 result. This marked the first time in PBA history a #1 seed was eliminated by a #8 seed. The team then brought back Silas Mills for the Commissioner's Cup, but the team finished the eliminations at 3–5. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Alaska Milkmen. During the midseason, the team traded Andy Seigle to Purefoods for veteran Jerry Codiñera. With import Larry Robinson, Mobiline finished as the 7th seed in the Governors' Cup. In the quarterfinals, they forced a do-or-die game against the 2nd-seeded Tanduay Rhum Masters by winning Game 1, 93–78, but ultimately lost the deciding Game 2, 75–84.
In the 2000 All-Filipino Cup, Mobiline finished the elimination round as the 7th seed (5–9) and was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the San Miguel Beermen. Following the exit, head coach Eric Altamirano was replaced by Louie Alas. The conference was further impacted by the deportation of Asi Taulava amid a Department of Justice investigation into "Fil-Shams." To bolster the roster, the team acquired Victor Pablo in a three-team trade involving Jeffrey Cariaso and Mark Telan. Under Coach Alas, the Phone Pals finished the eliminations of the Commissioner's Cup with a 4–5 record. The team initially paraded Carlos Strong before replacing him with J.R. Henderson for the postseason. Seeded 6th, Mobiline faced a "twice-to-win" disadvantage in the quarterfinals against the Tanduay Rhum Masters. On August 20, 2000, Tanduay defeated Mobiline 77–66, ending the Phone Pals' campaign. Mobiline then signed Todd Bernard as the team's import for the 2000 Governors' Cup, where he would lead the team in topping the elimination round with a 7–2 record. They defeated Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals for the first time in franchise history. Their run ended in the semifinals with a 3–1 series loss to the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs.
The 2001 season was a landmark year as the franchise transitioned from the Mobiline Phone Pals to the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals during the Governors' Cup, following Smart Communications' absorption of Pilipino Telephone Corporation. During the off-season, Mobiline attempted to sign free agent Kenneth Duremdes, but the Alaska Aces matched the offer sheet to retain him. The team drafted Gilbert Demape and Norman Gonzales, and re-signed defensive specialist Patrick Fran, who later earned a spot on the PBA All-Defensive Team. Asi Taulava was cleared to return on June 22, 2001, after being sidelined by citizenship investigations. Entering the 2001 All-Filipino Cup playoffs as the 8th seed (6–8), Mobiline faced the top-seeded Shell Turbo Chargers. Despite forcing a do-or-die game with a 76–72 upset in Game 1, Mobiline lost the deciding Game 2, 80–69, ending their quarterfinal run. The team for the Commissioner's Cup featured import Jerod Ward, who scored 61 points in his debut. Although Taulava returned to the lineup following DOJ approval, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the San Miguel Beermen.
2001–2002: The start of the Talk 'N Text era
During the 2001 PBA Governors' Cup, the franchise was renamed the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals after Smart Communications absorbed the operations of Pilipino Telephone Corporation. Under the new moniker, the team finished the elimination round as the 5th seed with a 7–6 record, led by import Brandon Williams. In the quarterfinals, the Phone Pals faced the 4th-seeded San Miguel Beermen, who held a twice-to-beat advantage. On November 16, 2001, San Miguel defeated Talk 'N Text, 77–63, resulting in the team's elimination from the tournament.
For the 2002 PBA season, the team initially hired former UNLV coach Bill Bayno to replace Louie Alas, but his tenure was hindered by legal challenges regarding foreign coaches. Frankie Lim and Paul Woolpert served as bench tacticians during the season. The roster moved toward a younger core, trading veteran Jerry Codiñera and acquiring Mark Telan, Alex Crisano, and Elmer Lago. Asi Taulava and Patrick Fran missed much of the year due to national team duties. Despite Taulava's absence, the Phone Pals secured the #1 seed of the 2002 Governors' Cup with a 9–2 record behind imports Richie Frahm and Jerald Honeycutt. However, they were upset in the quarterfinals by the 8th-seeded San Miguel Beermen, who overcame TNT's twice-to-beat advantage. In the 2002 Commissioner's Cup Phone Pals reached their first Finals in franchise history led by Honeycutt and Pete Mickeal. In a best-of-seven series against Red Bull Thunder, Talk 'N Text held a 3–2 lead but eventually lost the series in seven games. Following Bayno's departure, Paul Woolpert took over as head coach for the All-Filipino Cup. Though Taulava returned, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the Alaska Aces.
2003–2015: The Jimmy Alapag era
2003–2008: Title aspirations and Asi Taulava's later years