1986 Ginebra San Miguel season

The 1986 Ginebra San Miguel season was the 8th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

1986 Ginebra San Miguel season
Head coach	Robert Jaworski
Owner(s)	La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.
Reinforced Conference results
Record	15–9 (.625)
Place	3rd
Playoff finish	Semifinals
All Filipino Conference results
Record	10–9 (.526)
Place	2nd
Playoff finish	Runner-up
Open Conference results
Record	17–5 (.773)
Place	1st
Playoff finish	Champion
Ginebra San Miguel seasons

Transactions

Transactions
Joey Loyzaga ^Acquired from defunct Magnolia
Dante Gonzalgo ^Acquired from defunct Magnolia
Chito Loyzaga ^Acquired from Great Taste in a trade with Steve Watson
Dondon Ampalayo ^Rookie draft pick signed
Leo Isaac ^Rookie free agent signed during the All-Filipino Conference
Mukesh Advani ^Rookie free agent signed during the All-Filipino conference

Championship

After eight years since joining the league in 1979, the La Tondeña ballclub won their first PBA championship by winning the Open Conference crown over Manila Beer, four games to one. On the memorable night of December 11, 1986, Ginebra San Miguel clinched the trophy with a 130-120 victory in Game five. The Living Legend Robert Jaworski became the first playing coach to steered a team to a PBA title.

Awards

• Dondon Ampalayo was named the season's Rookie of the Year.
• Playing-coach Robert Jaworski made it to the Mythical team's first five selection.

Occurrences

A bitter rivalry since the Crispa-Toyota days was born during the All-Filipino championship between Tanduay Rhum and crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel. Former Toyota teammates Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski played on opposite sides in the finals for the first time. Adding color to their rivalry was Tanduay coach Arturo Valenzona, who steered Ginebra (then Gilbey's Gin) to three trips in the finals from 1982-1984 and the same coach the Big J replaced on the Ginebra bench starting in 1985.

In the Open (3rd) Conference, Billy Ray Bates, known as "The Black Superman", who led the famed Crispa Redmanizers to a Grandslam in 1983, teamed up with last year's Ginebra reinforcement and best import Michael Hackett in an explosive combination that have captured the excitement of PBA fans from the moment it made headlines. [1]

League pioneer Francis Arnaiz retired from active playing after seeing action only in the first round of eliminations in the Third Conference.

Notable dates

August 21: Ginebra clinch one of the two finals berth in the All-Filipino Conference with a 91-83 win over Shell Helix. This marks the fourth time the La Toñdena ballclub are playing in the championship series and the first since Robert Jaworski became player-coach of the team in 1985. Ginebra San Miguel were going up against Tanduay Rhum Makers in the finals, who were seeking their second straight title. [2]

September 25: In a highly anticipated first game of Ginebra in the Third Conference with the comebacking Billy Ray Bates and Michael Hackett going up against Alaska's comebacking imports as well, Norman Black and Donnie Ray Koonce, Ginebra won, 122-115. Bates scored 46 points and Hackett scored 38 points.

October 7: Ginebra turns back Manila Beer in an exciting contest, 113-109, after trailing for the most part of the game. Both teams were unbeaten with three wins each before their match.

December 9: In Game four of the Open Conference finals, playing coach Robert Jaworski, along with imports Billy Ray Bates and Michael Hackett, played a total of 58 minutes in a 145-135 double-overtime victory over Manila Beer and put the Ginebras on a threshold of winning their first title with a 3-1 series lead.

Roster

Ginebra San Miguel roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. G/F 3 Marquez, Joey 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Angeles University G 5 Advani, Mukesh 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) San Beda College F 6 Ampalayo, Dondon 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) San Jose-Recoletos G 7 Jaworski, Robert 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) UE G 8 Arnaiz, Francis 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Ateneo de Manila G 9 Isaac, Leo 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Mapua Tech C 10 Ducut, Eduardo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Letran College C 11 Mamaril, Romulo 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Mapua Tech G/F 12 Gonzalgo, Dante 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Lyceum F 13 Saldaña, Terry 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Letran G 14 Loyzaga, Joey 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) San Beda College F 20 Buhay, Rolando 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) NCBA F 41 Loyzaga, Chito 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) San Beda College G 77 Perez, Rey 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Mapua Tech	Head coach Robert Jaworski Assistant coach(es) Rino Salazar Legend (C) Team captain Injured

Imports

Tournament	Name	#	Height	From
1986 PBA Reinforced Conference	Terry Duerod	1	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	University of Detroit Mercy
	Anthony Hunter		6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	University of Colorado
	Clinton Wheeler	0	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	William Paterson University
	Keith Gray	32	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	University of Detroit Mercy
1986 PBA Open Conference	Michael Hackett	00	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	Jacksonville University
	Billy Ray Bates	2	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Kentucky State University

References

1. "PBA's first 100-point man recalls Ginebra glory days". ABS-CBN News.
2. "Ginebra makes it".