Metropolitan Basketball Association


The Metropolitan Basketball Association, or Metroball, was a professional basketball league in the Philippines that ran from March 7, 1998, to July 26, 2002.

History

The MBA played its first game on March 7, 1998, at the Don Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Unlike the Philippine Basketball Association, in which teams represent companies, the MBA teams represented a particular city, province or island in the country. The league brought basketball closer to the people, and it raided the PBA for talent.
The MBA was widely viewed as broadcast giant ABS-CBN's attempt to undermine the PBA after failing to snatch its broadcast rights in 1998.
Metroball allowed foreigners to play for their teams, not requiring Philippine passports of them, nor requiring those foreigners to have Filipino blood. All the league required was that these players be born in the Philippines.
As a direct result of this practice, the MBA and its foreign-born players began attracting attention away from the PBA, forcing the PBA to escalate their own players' salaries and practically rendering the PBA draft useless through a "direct hiring" process.
This allowed PBA teams like Talk 'N Text and Tanduay to negotiate directly with MBA players or MBA prospects for their services.
However, the league folded on July 26, 2002, due to extremely high expenses on funding a regional basketball league, and most especially when broadcast partner ABS-CBN withdrew funding for the league. Several players went to the semi-professional Philippine Basketball League en route to the PBA.

Season format

The MBA had a season similarly styled to that of the National Basketball Association. The teams were grouped into two conferences: Northern and Southern. The season concluded with the MBA National Finals, where the Northern Conference champion faced the Southern Conference champion to decide the MBA Championship.
After the league adapted a semi-commercial format, several methods were used to in determining its champion. In their final season, they have adapted a three-conference format, similar with the PBA.

Teams

Northern Conference

Teams19981999200020012002
Batangas Blades / LBC-Batangas Blades
Cagayan de Oro Nuggets/Amigos / Casino CDO Amigos
Cebu Gems / Cebuana Lhuillier Gems
Davao Eagles / Professional Davao Eagles
Iloilo Volts/Megavoltz
Laguna Lakers / FedEx-Laguna Lakers
Manila Metrostars
Negros Slashers / RCPI-Negros Slashers
Nueva Ecija Patriots
Gilbey's-Olongapo Volunteers
Pampanga Dragons/Stars
Pangasinan Presidents / Osaka Pangasinan Waves
Pasig Blue Pirates/Pasig-Rizal Pirates
San Juan Knights / Andok's-San Juan Knights
SocSarGen Marlins / Taguig Marlins
Surigao Miners/Warriors

Coaches

The MBA had a set of its unique rules compared to the PBA:
  1. The shot clock was reduced to 23 seconds, as opposed to the PBA's 24 seconds.
  2. The time limit for a team to advance the ball over the center line was reduced to eight seconds, as opposed to PBA's 10 seconds. The PBA later adopted the 8-second limit in 2004, two years after the MBA disbanded.
  3. Free-three - An option to trade a player's two free throws for a free three at the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. This option was later made available any time during the game by 1999.
  4. One-for-one situation - There were two penalty situations in the MBA, first is if the team fouls of the opposing team reaches five fouls, the fouled player needed to shoot the first free throw before getting the second. Two free throws were only given to a player if the opposing team incurred seven team fouls.
  5. Blitz Three - Any field goal converted within five seconds of a change of possession will be worth three points. A red siren is installed at the backboard to indicate the Blitz Period.
  6. Foreigners were allowed to play in the league, provided that the player is born in the Philippines.

    MBA Most Valuable Players

MBA Champions

Teams in bold won the MBA National Championship.
SeasonNorthern ConferenceSouthern ConferenceSeries
1998Pampanga DragonsNegros Slashers4-1
1999Manila MetrostarsCebu Gems4-2
2000San Juan KnightsNegros Slashers4-2
2001 First PhaseAndok's-San Juan KnightsNegros Slashers3-1
2001 Second PhaseLBC-Batangas BladesNegros Slashers3-1
2002LBC-Batangas BladesRCPI-Negros Slashers0-3

Commissioners