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Wikipedia - PBA Commissioner's Cup
The PBA Commissioner's Cup is one of three active conferences in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is also one of two conferences, the other being the Governors' Cup which allows teams to hire a single foreign player, known as an "import". The Commissioner's Cup also refers to the trophy awarded to the champion team.
The first run of the Commissioner's Cup lasted from 1993 to 2002. In 2003, it was replaced by the returning Invitational Championship, and from 2004 to 2010, the Fiesta Conference was held as the lone import-laden conference. The conference was then reinstated 2011 when the league reverted back to a three-conference format.
The TNT Tropang 5G are the current defending Commissioner's Cup champions, winning the 2024–25 PBA Commissioner's Cup when they were known as the TNT Tropang Giga. The San Miguel Beermen have won the most Commissioner's Cup titles with five.
History
1993–1998
During the 1993 PBA season, the league moved the All-Filipino Conference as the first tournament of the season and made the Second Conference as the Commissioner's Cup, a reference to the PBA Commissioner. The conference was the second tournament held in a PBA season.
The Swift/Sunkist franchise won the tournament in 1993 and 1995. Purefoods, with Kenny Redfield as import and Chot Reyes as head coach, defeated Alaska in 1994.
During Alaska's grandslam season of 1996, they won the Commissioners Cup title over Shell in a grueling seven-game series. The Gordon's Gin Boars ended their six-year drought, winning over the Milkmen in 1997, giving playing coach Robert Jaworski his last PBA title on both capacities. A year later, Alaska had Devin Davis as import to win the title over San Miguel.
1999–2002
From 1999 to 2000, San Miguel won the Commissioners Cup with Terquin Mott and Stephen Howard as imports. But in 2001, the Beermen were upset by the Red Bull Thunder, with Best Import Antonio Lang in six games.
In 2002, with most of the teams' star players are with the national squad, the PBA once again allowed teams to take two imports with a combined 13 feet and six inches maximum height limit. Red Bull won the series over Talk 'N Text in seven games, its second straight. No team has won two straight Commissioner's Cups since then.
2010s
The tournament was retired in 2003 after the re-introduction of the Invitational Championship as the second conference of the season but was eventually reactivated in 2011 after the league restored the three-conference season format. The 2011 Commissioner's Cup also saw the return of Smart Gilas, the Philippine national team, to the PBA after last playing in the 2009–10 Philippine Cup. They became the first national team to qualify for the playoffs. However, they would be defeated by the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the semifinals. The Kings would then lose to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the finals in six games.
2020s
In 2020, the Commissioner's Cup was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following season saw only two conferences, the Philippine Cup and the Governors' Cup. It made its return during the 2022–23 season. In this season, the Bay Area Dragons joined the league as a guest team. Although they had they finished first in the standings in the elimination rounds, they would lose to Ginebra in the finals. For the 2023–24 season, the Commissioner's Cup was the opening tournament.
The tournament typically runs for several months, culminating in an exciting playoff series that determines the champion. Teams compete in a round-robin format during the elimination round, with the top squads advancing to the knockout stages. The Commissioner's Cup is known for its fast-paced, high-scoring games, electrifying atmosphere, and passionate fan support, making it a highlight of the Philippine sports scene.
In addition to the thrilling on-court action, the Commissioner's Cup also serves as a platform for showcasing the rich basketball culture of the Philippines, where the sport is deeply ingrained in the national identity. With its blend of competitive spirit, entertainment, and community engagement, the PBA Commissioner's Cup continues to captivate audiences and elevate the profile of basketball in the region.