Here’s a rundown of the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup by the numbers.
20 – Commissioner’s Cups played in the PBA, including this conference. The first was held in 1993. San Miguel Beer has the most Commissioner’s Cup titles with four, two under coach Jong Uichico (1999, 2000) and two under coach Leo Austria (2017, 2019).
8 – teams involved in multi-player trades before the conference started.
5 – teams won’t make the playoffs at the end of the single-round eliminations where each squad plays 12 games.
11 – foreign guest teams, including the EASL Greater China club Bay Area Dragons this conference, to see action in PBA history. The only foreign team to win a championship was Nicholas Stoodley, starring Larry Pounds and Kenny Tyler, in the 1980 Invitationals. Emtex of Brazil and the Melbourne Panthers were the first foreign teams to play in the PBA, dating back to the 1977 Invitationals.
22 – rookies listed in rosters, excluding Bay Area.
15 – transferees making their first appearance with new teams, including Blackwater’s Troy Rosario, NLEX’ Brandon Rosser, Barangay Ginebra’s Jamie Malonzo, NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino, Converge’s Aljun Melecio, TNT’s Calvin Oftana and Phoenix’ Kurt Lojera.
6 – NBA players on team rosters (Bay Area’s Myles Powell, NLEX’ Earl Clark, Converge’s Quincy Miller, Meralco’s Johnny O’Bryant, San Miguel Beer’s Thomas Robinson, TNT’s Cameron Oliver). Waiting in the wings is another NBA veteran Andrew Nicholson who will replace Powell as Bay Area’s import starting the Dragons’ fifth game. Clark, Robinson and Nicholson were first round draft picks.
$27.1 million – Nicholson’s NBA earnings from 2012-13 to 2021-22 as reported by basketball-reference.com.
6 – players who are 40 and over (TNT’s Kelly Williams, 40; NLEX’ Larry Fonacier, 40; NorthPort’s Arwind Santos, 41; Meralco’s Reynel Hugnatan, 43; Magnolia’s Rafi Reavis, 45; NLEX’ Asi Taulava, 49).
23 – players who are 25 and under. Five players are 23 (Phoenix’ Encho Serrano and Kaleb Wesson, Blackwater’s Cameron Krutwig, Converge’s Justin Arana and Rain or Shine’s Gian Mamuyac).
61 – the regular slot (excluding the Gilas special draft) where Magnolia rookie Jed Mendoza was picked on the eighth round in the 2021 draft. He was the last player selected.
7-5 – Bay Area center Liu Chuanxing’s height, making him the tallest player ever to perform in the PBA. Two other towers who suited up in the PBA were Puerto Rican PJ Ramos (2014, Kia) and Croatian Bruno Sundov (2013, Rain or Shine), both standing 7-2 3/4. In PBA annals, there have been 16 players measuring 7-feet or over to invade the league, including Big Liu.
2 – guest teams to win a PBA title. The first was Nicholas Stoodley in 1980 and the second was Northern Consolidated, coached by Ron Jacobs, in the 1985 Reinforced.