The Toyota Super Corollas were a multi-titled basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. Founded in 1975 by business and sportsman Dante Silverio, the team, formally named Toyota Athletic Club, was owned by Delta Motors Corporation (defunct) and played under various names: Komatsu Komets, Toyota Comets, Toyota Silver Tamaraws, Toyota Tamaraws, Toyota Superdiesels, Toyota Super Corollas and Toyota Silver Coronas.
The team won nine PBA championships, ranking sixth in league history, behind the San Miguel Beermen (29), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (15), Purefoods franchise (14), Alaska Aces (14), and fierce rival Crispa Redmanizers (13).
Profile and franchise
The team debuted in April 1973 as the Komatsu Komets for the PANAMIN basketball tournament. In June 1973, it joined the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) as the Toyota Comets and emerged as champions in its maiden tournament. In January 1975, five MICAA teams met together at the Elizalde & Company canteen to sign a pre-organizational agreement for the formation of what is now known as the Philippine Basketball Association. Dante Silverio, Ricardo Silverio's nephew, was the official representative of Toyota who signed on the dotted line.
In November 1976, the team changed its name to the "Toyota Silver Tamaraws" (a tamaraw is a small buffalo). In the 1977 season, the name was shortened to the Toyota Tamaraws. That same year, the Silverio group debuted its new MICAA team, Crown Motor Sales (later playing in 1979 as Frigidaire and MAN Diesel). The MICAA team, like their PBA counterparts, were likewise successful in the MICAA and was one of three the powerhouse teams of the MICAA, along with Solid Mills and Imperial Textile Mills (ITM).
In 1978, FILMANBANK, a bank owned by the Silverio group, joined the PBA after acquiring the 7-Up Uncolas' franchise.
In 1981, the team was renamed the Toyota “Super Diesels,” and in 1982 as the “Super Corollas.” When the 1983 season unfolded, they again changed their name to the Toyota “Silver Coronas” but reverted to the Toyota Super Corollas during the 1983 Open Conference. After the 1983 season, they traded longtime starting power forward Abe King to the San Miguel in order to cut the total payroll.
However, due to corporate losses caused by the prevailing economic crisis, the team came to an end when Delta Motors Corporation sold its PBA franchise to the Lucio Tan group on February 14, 1984. The new franchise debuted in the PBA as Beer Hausen in 1984.
In February 1984, the Toyota franchise officially took a leave of absence from the league after suffering from huge losses in terms of revenues.
Season-by-season records Legend Champion Runner-up Third place Season Conference Team name Overall record Finals W L % 1975 First Conference Toyota Comets 42 15 .737 Toyota 3, Crispa 1Second Conference Toyota 2, Crispa 1All-Philippine Crispa 3, Toyota 2 1976 First Conference 46 15 .754 Crispa 3, Toyota 1Second Conference Crispa 3, Toyota 1All-Philippine Toyota Comets / Silver Tamaraws Crispa 3, Toyota 2 1977 All-Filipino Conference Toyota Tamaraws 41 22 .651 Open Conference Invitational Conference Toyota 3, Emtex/Brazil 0 1978 All-Filipino Conference 40 15 .727 Toyota 3, Filmanbank 1Open Conference Invitational Conference Toyota 3, Tanduay 1 1979 All-Filipino Conference 44 18 .656 Crispa 3, Toyota 2Open Conference Royal 3, Toyota 1Invitational Conference Toyota 3, Crispa 1 1980 Open Conference 40 21 .674 U/Tex 3, Toyota 2Invitational Conference N. Stoodley/USA 2, Toyota 0All-Filipino Conference Crispa 3, Toyota 1 1981 Open Conference Toyota Super Diesels 29 14 .519 Toyota 3, Crispa 2Reinforced Filipino Conference 1982 Reinforced Filipino Conference Toyota Super Corollas 38 31 .551 Toyota 4, San Miguel 3Invitational Conference Open Conference Toyota 3, Gilbey's 0 1983 All-Filipino Conference Toyota Silver Coronas 18 27 .400 Reinforced Filipino Conference Open Conference Toyota Super Corollas Overall record 322 184 .636 9 championships Awards
Individual awards PBA Most Valuable Player PBA Rookie of the Year Award PBA Mythical First Team Robert Jaworski - 1978 Ramon Fernandez - 1982 Gil Cortez - 1976 Arnie Tuadles - 1979 Francis Arnaiz - 1975-1976, 1982 Ramon Fernandez - 1976-1982 Robert Jaworski - 1977-1981 Arnie Tuadles - 1979 Abe King - 1982 PBA Most Improved Player PBA Best Import PBA Scoring Leader Andrew Fields - 1981 Open Donnie Ray Koonce - 1982 Open Ramon Fernandez - 1983, 1984
Notable players In alphabetical order. Members of PBA Hall of Fame and PBA's Greatest Players are in boldface.
Francis Arnaiz - #8 (1973-1983) Ramon Fernandez - #10 (1973-1983) Danilo "Danny" Florencio - #22, #44 (1978-1982) Robert Jaworski - #7 (1973-1983) Fortunato Acuña - #17 (1973-1978) Orlando Bauzon - #9 (1973-1977) Nicanor "Nick" Bulaong - #20 (1977-1983) Aurelio "Boy" Clariño - #23 (1975-1976) Timoteo "Tim" Coloso - #13 (1982-1983) Roberto Concepcion - #5 (1973-1975) Edgardo Cordero - #88 (1983) Virgilio "Gil" Cortez - #16 (1976-1977) 1976 PBA Rookie of the Year Ernesto "Estoy" Estrada - #5 (1978-1979) Leopoldo "Pol" Herrera - #41 (1980-1983) Pablo Javier - #12 (1977-1980) Abe King, Jr. - #6 (1977-1983) Emerito "Emer" Legaspi - #18 (1977-1983) Joaquin "Chito" Loyzaga - #4 (1983) Rolly Marcelo - #6 (1975) Eduardo Merced - #9 (1980-1981) Ricardo "Ricky" Relosa - #15 (1982-1983) Alberto "Big Boy" Reynoso - #4 (1973-1976) Cristino "Tino" Reynoso - #14 (1973-1976) Oscar Rocha - #11, #45 (1977) Ulysses Rodriguez - #6 (1973-1975) Joaquin "Jake" Rojas - #22 (1975-1976) Quirino "Rino" Salazar - #14 (1977-1981) Antero "Terry" Saldana - #17 (1982-1983) Rodolfo "Ompong" Segura - #15 (1973-1976) Jess Sta. Maria - #13 (1977-1979) Elias Tolentino - #21 (1975) Arnulfo "Arnie" Tuadles - #11 (1979-1983) 1979 PBA Rookie of the Year
MICAA (1973-1974): Ed Camus - #13 (1973-1974) Nat Canson - #12 (1973-1974) Joseph Galonga - #18 (1973) Bot Acosta - #16 (1973)
Imports Ralph Brewster - #34 (1983) Stan "Sweet" Cherry - #30 (1975) Arnold Dugger - #30 (1982) Andrew Fields - #1 (1979-1983) John Irving - #34 (1977) Byron "Snake" Jones - #33 (1975-1976) Bruce "Sky" King - #11, #111, #43 (1977-1980) Victor King - #34 (1981, replacement of Melton Wertz) Donnie Ray Koonce - #30 (1982, replacement of Arnold Dugger) Kevin Porter - #2 (1983) TJ Robinson - #33 (1978) Howard Smith - #35 (1976) Archie Talley - #13 (1981) Carlos Terry - #42 (1978, replacement of TJ Robinson) Julius Wayne - #3 (1983, replacement of Kevin Porter) Melton Wertz - #33 (1981)
Head coaches Nilo Verona - 1973 Dante Silverio - 1974-1979 Fortunato Acuña - 1979-1980 Edgardo Ocampo - 1981-1983
Team managers Dante Silverio - 1973 Butch SyQuia - 1974-1979 Pablo P. Carlos Jr. - 1979-1980 Ricardo S. Silverio, Jr. - 1981-1982 Joaquín C. Rodríguez - 1983
See also Crispa–Toyota rivalry
References
External links Team pictures Toyota ends Philippine Tie