PBA 3x3 was the men's 3x3 basketball league of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
History The proposal to form PBA 3x3, a men's 3x3 basketball league, was a result of a joint partnership between the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the national sports association for basketball in the Philippines, as a means to help the Philippine national 3x3 team qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics and subsequent editions after 3x3 became a regular discipline in the 2020 Summer Olympics. The concept for a PBA 3x3 league was proposed by Terrafirma governor Bobby Rosales in an annual board meeting. PBA 3x3 is proposed as a stand-alone program, similar to the PBA D-League which means that the 3x3 league is distinct from the main 5-a-side men's professional league of the PBA.
The PBA had prior involvement in 3x3. In 2014 and 2015, it has allowed some of its players to join Philippine-based teams to participate in masters tournaments of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour and organized the short-lived PBA Women's 3x3 which had one season in 2015, following the Philippines women's national team's promotion to Division I of the FIBA Asia Women's Championship.
The SBP also had partnered with Bounty Agro Ventures to organize the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, a men's 3x3 league, which helped garner enough FIBA 3x3 ranking points for the Philippine men's national team to earn a berth in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 has publicly welcomed the possible formation of a 3x3 league by the PBA and the SBP said that the existence of more competitive 3x3 tournaments is within its interest. There are plans to revive the women's 3x3 league as of February 2020.
The inaugural season was supposed to be held in 2020 but was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the PBA preoccupied with plans to resume the season of its main league during that time.
The PBA 3x3 committee was formed in August 2020, with Alaska Aces governor, Richard Bachmann as its chairman. The committee held its first meeting on August 13, 2020. Eric Altamirano was also named as the league's first commissioner.
The PBA 3x3 inaugural season was initially scheduled to be held in parallel with the 2021 PBA season, which opened on April 11, 2021, but was further postponed. The inaugural PBA 3x3 season commenced on November 20, 2021.
Following the exodus of almost a third of players to the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League at the conclusion of the 2023–24 Third Conference, the PBA in May 2024 decided to shelf it's 3x3 league. With the disbandment of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 in November 2023, the Philippines is left without a FIBA sanctioned men's 3x3 league.
Format The PBA 3x3 committee is leaning on scheduling games of the PBA 3x3 in between conferences of the main PBA league, to allow the franchise teams to field their top players in 3x3 matches.
Under FIBA 3x3 classification the league is a Level 4 tournament.
Teams Franchise teams Among the franchise teams of the PBA since the 3x3 league's inception, only the Converge FiberXers (Alaska Aces in 2021 season) has not fielded a team. Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have fielded teams in the past but their respective teams would went on leave.
Team Company PBA affiliate Joined Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 2021 Blackwater Smooth Razor Ever Bilena Blackwater Bossing 2022 Cavitex Braves Metro Pacific Investments Corporation NLEX Road Warriors 2021 Limitless Appmasters Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters 2021 Meralco Bolts 3x3 Manila Electric Company Meralco Bolts 2021 NorthPort Batang Pier Sultan 900 Capital, Inc. NorthPort Batang Pier 2021 Purefoods TJ Titans San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc. Magnolia Hotshots 2021 San Miguel Beermen San Miguel Brewery, Inc. San Miguel Beermen 2021 Sista Super Sealers Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc. Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 2021 Terrafirma 3x3 Terrafirma Realty Development Corporation Terrafirma Dyip 2021 TNT Triple Giga Smart Communications TNT Tropang Giga 2021
Guest teams Team Company Joined J&T Express Jet Express Co., Ltd. 2022 Master Sardines Fishing Champs Universal Canning Inc. 2021 MCFASolver Tech Centrale MCFASolver Tech Centrale 2023 Pioneer ElastoSeal Katibays Pioneer Epoxy Adhesives Inc. 2021 Platinum Karaoke Vismay International Corporation 2021 Wilcon Depot 3x3 Wilcon Depot Inc. 2023 Zamboanga Valientes MLV Group 2021
Summary SeasonConferenceFinalThird place gameGrand ChampionScoreRunner-upThird placeScoreFourth place2021FirstLimitless Appmasters18–16Platinum KaraokeTNT Tropang Giga22–14Terrafirma 3x3SecondPioneer Pro Tibay12–10Sista Super SealersBarangay Ginebra San Miguel21–16TNT Tropang GigaThirdTNT Tropang Giga21–19Purefoods TJ TitansSista Super Sealers21–20San Miguel Beermen2022–23FirstTNT Tropang Giga20–17Platinum KaraokeCavitex Braves16–11Meralco Bolts 3x3SecondTNT Tropang Giga19–17Cavitex BravesJ&T Express20–14Platinum KaraokeThirdTNT Tropang Giga21–18San Miguel BeermenBarangay Ginebra San Miguel21–18J&T Express2023–24FirstTNT Triple Giga21–18Cavitex BravesMeralco Bolts 3x318–14Barangay Ginebra San MiguelSecondTNT Triple Giga21–20Meralco Bolts 3x3Pioneer ElastoSeal Katibays16–15Cavitex BravesThirdMeralco Bolts 3x321–17TNT Triple GigaCavitex Braves22–19Blackwater Smooth Razor
Championships by franchise Franchise Championships Runners-up Third places Total trophies Last championshipTNT Triple Giga 6 1 1 8 2023–24 SecondMeralco Bolts 3x3 1 1 1 3 2023–24 ThirdPioneer ElastoSeal Katibays 1 0 1 2 2021 SecondLimitless Appmasters 1 0 0 1 2021 FirstCavitex Braves 0 2 2 4 Platinum Karaoke 0 2 0 2 Sista Super Sealers 0 1 1 2 Purefoods TJ Titans 0 1 0 1 San Miguel Beermen 0 1 0 1 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 0 0 2 2 J&T Express 0 0 1 1
References