The 2003 PBA season was the 29th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

2003 PBA season
DurationFebruary 23 – December 14, 2003
Number of teams10
TV partner(s)Local: NBN, IBC
International: The Filipino Channel
2003 PBA Draft
Top draft pickMike Cortez
Picked byAlaska Aces
Season MVPAsi Taulava
(Talk 'N Text Phone Pals)
All-Filipino Cup championsTalk 'N Text Phone Pals
  All-Filipino Cup runners-upCoca Cola Tigers
Invitational Cup championsAlaska Aces
  Invitational Cup runners-upCoca Cola Tigers
Reinforced Conference championsCoca-Cola Tigers
  Reinforced Conference runners-upSan Miguel Beermen
Seasons

Board of governors

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Executive committee

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  • Jose Emmanuel M. Eala (Commissioner)
  • Casiano Cabalan Jr. (Chairman, representing Barangay Ginebra Kings)
  • Manuel M. Encarnado (Vice-Chairman, representing Sta. Lucia Realtors)
  • Angelito Alvarez (Treasurer, representing FedEx Express)

Teams

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Team Company Governor Alternate Governor
Alaska Aces Alaska Milk Corporation Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Joaquin Trillo
Barangay Ginebra Kings La Tondeña Distillers, Inc. Casiano Cabalan Jr Ira Daniel Maniquis
Batang Red Bull Thunder Photokina Marketing Corporation George Chua Manuel Mendoza
Coca Cola Tigers Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. Jesse Macias
FedEx Express Airfrieght 2100, Inc. Angelito Alvarez Alberto Lina
Purefoods TJ Hotdogs Purefoods Corporation Francisco Alejo III Rene Pardo
Sta. Lucia Realtors Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Corporation Manuel Encarnado Ariel Magno
San Miguel Beermen San Miguel Brewery, Inc. Alberto Malapit Ely Capacio
Shell Turbo Chargers Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation Roberto Kanapi
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company Victorico Vargas Al Panlilio

Opening ceremonies

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The muses for the participating teams are as follows:

Team Muse
Alaska Aces Michelle Quizon
Batang Red Bull Thunder Four Binibining Pilipinas-Miss World
Barangay Ginebra Kings Aubrey Miles
Coca-Cola Tigers Zorayda Ruth Andam
FedEx Express Sandra Seifert
Purefoods TJ Hotdogs Maxene Magalona
San Miguel Beermen Apreal Tolentino
Shell Turbo Chargers Phoemela Baranda
Sta. Lucia Realtors Cindy Kurleto
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals Mika Lim

Notable occurrences

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  • The NBN/IBC consortium took over the league's TV coverage after winning the TV rights over the league's TV partner Viva Television in December 2002.[1]
  • Noli Eala became the league's sixth commissioner after Jun Bernardino retired at the end of the 2002 season.
  • The league reintroduced the Invitational Championship and the Reinforced Conference.
  • The league reverted their rules of playing 12-minute quarters and the use of the 6.75 m (22.1 feet) three point line. The eight-second backcourt rule was retained. In 2002, the league adopted all of the FIBA basketball rules to prepare the players that will play for the Asian Games in Busan.[2]
  • The Talk 'N Text Phone Pals filed a game protest on their match against the Barangay Ginebra Kings on March 21 and questioned the nullification of a possible game-winning shot of Asi Taulava with 0.2 seconds remaining in the first overtime. Barangay Ginebra eventually won the match, 122-117 in the second overtime.[3] On March 26, PBA commissioner Noli Eala ordered to replay the game on April 22. All game statistics from the nullified game, including the 45-point, 18 rebound explosion of Eric Menk of Barangay Ginebra, and the 40-point, 14-assist output of Jimmy Alapag of Talk 'N Text will be removed from the PBA records.[4] The replay was won by Talk 'N Text, 90-87. [5]
  • The league's greatest rivalry; the Crispa Redmanizers and Toyota Tamaraws clash in a reunion game coinciding the league's All-Star Weekend at the Araneta Coliseum. [6] The Toyota Tamaraws won, 65-61.
  • The NBN/IBC consortium and the PBA contested the placement of logos of Beam Toothpaste at the Araneta Coliseum's basketball flooring. The advertisement placements were done between the Araneta Coliseum and Nelson Macaraig's Jonels Promotion.[7] A same agreement was done by Jonels Promotion for the PhilSports Arena weeks after.[8] The league considered this as "backdoor advertising" as Macaraig did not enter an agreement with the PBA to put Beam's logos in the league's main playing venues and threatened the management of both venues that they will not hold their games at Araneta Coliseum and PhilSports Arena unless both will remove the Beam Toothpaste advertisements.[9]
  • An estafa case was filed against Nelson Macaraig and Jonels Promotion after Macaraig issued a bounced check for P5 million for payment for the Beam Toothpaste advertisements at the Araneta Coliseum and PhilSports Arena.[10]
  • Commissioner Noli Eala sanctioned the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals with a P250,000 fine, for shooting at their opponent's basket at the closing seconds of their match against Red Bull Barako on August 13, 2003. Talk 'N Text was leading with one point 88-87 and wanted to force the game to overtime since Talk 'N Text needed to win at least eight points to enter the playoffs. Talk 'N Text coach Ariel Vanguardia was separately fined with P50,000 and suspended for five games.[11]
  • A random drug testing was initiated by the league and two players were suspended for testing positive in illegal substance: Alex Crisano of the Barangay Ginebra Kings and Jimwell Torion of Red Bull Barako.[12]

2003 PBA All-Filipino Cup

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Elimination round

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Group A

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 San Miguel Beermen 12 6 .667 Quarterfinal round
2 FedEx Express 10 8 .556 2
3 Alaska Aces 9 9 .500 3
4 Sta. Lucia Realtors 8 10 .444 4
5 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 5 13 .278 7
Source: PBA.ph

Group B

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Batang Red Bull Thunder 14 4 .778 Quarterfinal round
2 Coca-Cola Tigers 11 7 .611 3
3 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 10 8 .556 4
4 Barangay Ginebra Kings 6 12 .333 8
5 Shell Turbo Chargers 5 13 .278 9
Source: PBA.ph

Quarterfinal round

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Group A

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Alaska Aces 2 1 .667[a] Semifinals
2 Sta. Lucia Realtors 2 1 .667[a]
3 San Miguel Beermen 1 2 .333[b] 1
4 FedEx Express 1 2 .333[b] 1
Source: PBA.ph
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head record: Alaska 1–1 Sta. Lucia (Alaska +5)
  2. ^ a b Head-to-head record: FedEx 1–1 San Miguel (San Miguel +1)

Group B

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Coca-Cola Tigers 3 0 1.000 Semifinals
2 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 2 1 .667 1
3 Batang Red Bull Thunder 1 2 .333 2
4 Barangay Ginebra Kings 0 3 .000 3
Source: PBA.ph

Playoffs

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Semifinals
(Best-of-5)
Finals
(Best-of-7)
      
A1 Alaska 2
B2 Talk 'N Text 3
B2 Talk 'N Text 4
B1 Coca-Cola 2
B1 Coca-Cola 3
A2 Sta. Lucia 1 Third-place playoff
A1 Alaska 102
A2 Sta. Lucia 79

Finals

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Team 1 Series Team 2 Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7
(B1) Coca-Cola Tigers 2–4 (B2) Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 93–79 92–89 59–67 91–99 92–97 (OT) 76–78

2003 PBA Invitational championship

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Qualification

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PBA Philippine Cup

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Combined standings from the 2002 PBA All-Filipino Cup:

  • Top 5 teams qualify outright
  • Bottom 5 teams proceed to last-chance qualifying Mabuhay Cup
Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Batang Red Bull Thunder 14 4 .778 Qualify to Invitational tournament
2 San Miguel Beermen 12 6 .667 2
3 Coca-Cola Tigers 11 7 .611 3
4 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 10 8 .556 4
5 FedEx Express 10 8 .556 4
6 Alaska Aces 9 9 .500 5 Proceed to Mabuhay Cup
7 Sta. Lucia Realtors 8 10 .444 6
8 Barangay Ginebra Kings 6 12 .333 8
9 Shell Turbo Chargers 5 13 .278 9
10 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 5 13 .278 9
Source: PBA.ph

PBA-Samsung Mabuhay Cup

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Alaska Aces 4 0 1.000 Qualify to Invitational tournament
2 Barangay Ginebra Kings 2 2 .500 2
3 Sta. Lucia Realtors 2 2 .500 2
4 Shell Turbo Chargers 2 2 .500 2
5 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 0 4 .000 4
Source: PBA.ph

Elimination round

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Group A

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 FedEx Express 3 1 .750[a] Semifinals
2 Red Bull Barako 3 1 .750[a]
3 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 3 1 .750[a]
4 KK Novi Sad (Yugoslavia) (G) 1 3 .250 2
5 Yonsei University (South Korea) (G) 0 4 .000 3
Source: PBA.ph
(G) Guests
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Head-to-head quotient: FedEx 1.032, Red Bull 1.025, Talk 'N Text 0.949

Group B

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Alaska Aces 4 0 1.000 Semifinals
2 Coca-Cola Tigers 3 1 .750 1
3 San Miguel Beermen 2 2 .500 2
4 Cebuana Lhuillier (Philippine national team) (G) 1 3 .250 3
5 Magnolia-Jilin (China) (G) 0 4 .000 4
Source: PBA.ph
(G) Guests

Playoffs

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Semifinals
(single elimination)
Finals
(best-of-3)
      
A1 FedEx 83
B2 Coca-Cola 91
B2 Coca-Cola 1
B1 Alaska 2
B1 Alaska 95
A2 Red Bull 87 Third-place playoff
A1 FedEx 99
A2 Red Bull 84

Finals

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Team 1 Series Team 2 Game 1 Game 2 Game 3
(B1) Alaska Aces 2–1 (B2) Coca-Cola Tigers 81–94 78–76 (OT) 91–86

2003 PBA Reinforced Conference

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Elimination round

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Group A

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Sta. Lucia Realtors 8 5 .615 Quarterfinals
2 FedEx Express 5 8 .385 3
3 San Miguel Beermen 5 8 .385 3
4 Alaska Aces 4 9 .308[a] 4
5 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 4 9 .308[a] 4
Source: PBA.ph
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Fourth-seed playoff: Alaska 93–88 Purefoods

Group B

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Pos Team W L PCT GB Qualification
1 Red Bull Barako 11 2 .846 Quarterfinals
2 Coca-Cola Tigers 11 2 .846
3 Barangay Ginebra Kings 7 6 .538 4
4 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 7 6 .538 4
5 Shell Turbo Chargers 3 10 .231 8
Source: PBA.ph

Playoffs

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Quarterfinals
(Best-of-3)
Semifinals
(Best-of-5)
Finals
(Best-of-7)
         
A1 Sta. Lucia 2
A4 Alaska 1
A1 Sta. Lucia 0
A3 San Miguel 3
A2 FedEx 0
A3 San Miguel 2
A3 San Miguel 3
B2 Coca-Cola 4
B1 Red Bull 1
B4 Talk 'N Text 2
B4 Talk 'N Text 0 Third place
B2 Coca-Cola 3
B2 Coca-Cola 2 B4 Talk 'N Text 123
B3 Barangay Ginebra 1 A1 Sta. Lucia 106

Finals

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Team 1 Series Team 2 Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7
(B2) Coca-Cola Tigers 4–3 (A3) San Miguel Beermen 81–84 103–79 81–86 87–84 86–84 80–85 92–84

Awards

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Awards given by PBA Press Corps

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Cumulative standings

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Pos Team Pld W L PCT Qualification
1 Batang Red Bull Thunder 43 30 13 .698 Semifinalist
2 Coca-Cola Tigers 65 44 21 .677 Champions
3 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 56 32 24 .571
4 Alaska Aces 56 31 25 .554
5 San Miguel Beermen 51 28 23 .549 Finalist
6 FedEx Express 43 21 22 .488 Semifinalist
7 Sta. Lucia Realtors 50 23 27 .460
8 Barangay Ginebra Kings 41 16 25 .390 Quarterfinalist
9 Shell Turbo Chargers 35 10 25 .286 Elimination round
10 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 36 9 27 .250
11 KK Novi Sad (G) 4 1 3 .250
12 Cebuana Lhuillier (G) 4 1 3 .250
13 Yonsei University (G) 4 0 4 .000
14 Magnolia-Jilin (G) 4 0 4 .000
Source: [citation needed]
(G) Guests

Elimination round

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  • The Mabuhay Cup records are treated as if they're elimination round games.
Pos Team Pld W L PCT
1 Batang Red Bull Thunder 35 28 7 .800
2 Coca-Cola Tigers 35 25 10 .714
3 Alaska Aces 39 21 18 .538
4 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 35 20 15 .571
5 San Miguel Beermen 35 19 16 .543
6 FedEx Express 35 18 17 .514
7 Sta. Lucia Realtors 35 18 17 .514
8 Barangay Ginebra Kings 35 15 20 .429
9 Shell Turbo Chargers 35 10 25 .286
10 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 35 9 26 .257
11 KK Novi Sad (G) 4 1 3 .250
12 Cebuana Lhuillier (G) 4 1 3 .250
13 Yonsei University (G) 4 0 4 .000
14 Magnolia-Jilin (G) 4 0 4 .000
Source: [citation needed]
(G) Guests

Playoffs

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Pos Team Pld W L
1 Coca-Cola Tigers 30 19 11
2 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals 21 12 9
3 Alaska Aces 17 10 7
4 San Miguel Beermen 16 9 7
5 Sta. Lucia Realtors 15 5 10
6 FedEx Express 8 3 5
7 Batang Red Bull Thunder 8 2 6
8 Barangay Ginebra Kings 6 1 5
9 Purefoods TJ Hotdogs 1 0 1
10 Shell Turbo Chargers 0 0 0
11 KK Novi Sad (G) 0 0 0
12 Cebuana Lhuillier (G) 0 0 0
13 Yonsei University (G) 0 0 0
14 Magnolia-Jilin (G) 0 0 0
Source: [citation needed]
(G) Guests

References

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  1. ^ Board, NBN/IBC seal TV deal, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, January 17, 2003
  2. ^ Zone, 12-minute quarter mulled, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, January 8, 2003
  3. ^ [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8Vk1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZCUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=539%2C26101450 Phone Pals to protest Kings' double OT win, June Navarro, Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 22, 2003
  4. ^ Technical Error: Ginebra-Talk 'N Text replay set April 22, Dennis Eroa, Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 26, 2003
  5. ^ Phone Pals foil Kings in replay, June Navarro, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 23, 2003
  6. ^ Crispa, Toyota clash for old times' sake, Philippine Daily Inquirer
  7. ^ NBN - 4 protests Big Dome deal, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, February 20, 2003
  8. ^ PBA to go after PSC, too, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, July 17, 2003
  9. ^ PBA moving out of Big Dome?, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, March 28, 2003
  10. ^ PBA to file estafa raps for bouncing check, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, July 23, 2003
  11. ^ Farce costs Pals P.3M in fines, suspension, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, August 16, 2003
  12. ^ Drugs, TV woes hound PBA, Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star, May 1, 2003
  13. ^ Asi is PBA's best for 2003, Philippine Daily Inquirer