1979 PBA season

The 1979 PBA season was the fifth season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Season highlights

• After a two-year absence of playing against each other in the championship between the league's most noted rivalry, Crispa and Toyota played again in the finals during the All-Filipino Conference. Crispa prevailed in five games, winning the deciding game, 118-111 on July 7.
• On September 4, the visiting Washington Bullets, which lost to Seattle SuperSonics in the 1979 NBA Finals, played against a PBA All-Star Selection at the Araneta Coliseum in an exhibition game attended by Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos, the Bullets with the line-up of hall of famers Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and among others, Greg Ballard, Dave Corzine and coach by Dick Motta, won the match, 133-123. The PBA selection were coach by Baby Dalupan and played with five imports and one locals from each of the nine ballclubs. ^[1]
• Royal Tru-Orange won their first PBA title in the Open Conference, defeating Toyota Tamaraws, 102-101 in Game 4, for a 3-1 series win. The Orangemen, led by imports Otto Moore and Larry Pounds, became the fourth team to win a championship in the 1970s.
• The Toyota Tamaraws avoided a third runner-up finish in the season by winning the Invitational championship against rival Crispa Walk Tall Jeans. The 3-1 series win was their first finals victory over Crispa, after losing five straight in their previous title showdown, as three different teams emerge champions in the league's fifth season. ^[2]

Opening ceremonies

The muses for the participating teams are as follows:

Champions

• All Filipino Conference: Crispa Redmanizers
• Open Conference: Royal Tru-Orange
• Invitational Championship: Toyota Tamaraws
• Team with best win-loss percentage: Toyota Tamaraws (44-18, .710)
• Best Team of the Year: Toyota Tamaraws (3rd)

Individual awards

• Most Valuable Player: Atoy Co (Crispa)
• Rookie of the Year: Arnie Tuadles (Toyota)
• Mythical Five:
  • Robert Jaworski (Toyota)
  • Atoy Co (Crispa)
  • Ramon Fernandez (Toyota)
  • Arnie Tuadles (Toyota)
  • Philip Cezar (Crispa)

Board of governors

• Leopoldo Prieto (Commissioner)
• Domingo Itchon (President, Elizalde and Co., Inc.)
• Dante Silverio (Vice-President, Delta Motor Corporation)
• Walter Euyang (Treasurer, Universal Textile Mills)
• Jose Castro, Jr. (Executive Secretary)
• Pablo Carlos (Delta Motor Corporation)
• Valeriano "Danny" Floro (P. Floro and Sons)
• Emerson Coseteng (Mariwasa Group)
• Leonardo "Skip" Guinto (San Miguel Corporation)
• Porfirio Zablan (CFC Corporation)
• Carlos Palanca III (La Tondeña, Inc.)

Cumulative standings

References