The past year was an eventful one for the PBA, especially since it coincided with its 50th founding anniversary. But what made 2025 so memorable for Asia’s first and oldest pay-for-play league were the moments that defined it, whether it was a rookie taking the PBA by storm, two storied franchises colliding for an epic Game 7, or a banner team returning to the mountaintop.
With that said, let’s take a look at seven of those moments:
— 1 —
Ginebra and TNT Deliver a Game 7 Classic
The PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals had it all: evenly matched, well-loved imports, talented lineups on both sides, and the kind of franchise gravitas only two storied teams—Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and TNT Tropang 5G—could ever bring. It also had storylines, like Ginebra looking for a breakthrough against a rival, Justin Brownlee showing what NSD is all about, and Rey Nambatac emerging as a superstar.
So, when that Finals reached a winner-take-all Game 7, fans lapped it up. They came in droves to the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and the fabled venue, together with nearly 20,000 fans, once again witnessed a classic unfold. Ginebra and TNT delivered a seminal do-or-die game that was tense, physical, and unrelenting—and that it went to OT on a magical JB trey only amped up the epic meter. TNT won in the end, but the ultimate winners were local hoops fans, who saw a classic Game 7 for all the marbles.
— 2 —
San Miguel Reasserts Philippine Cup Dominance
After the San Miguel Beermen lost to the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Cup of Season 48, it seemed to harken the beginning of the end of the Beermen’s dominance in the all-Filipino tourney. June Mar Fajardo, the centerpiece of the San Miguel juggernaut in the Philippine Cup, still looked formidable but appeared to have lost a step, and his supporting cast looked vulnerable.
But just when doubts began to surface, San Miguel did what it has done for much of the last decade: win when it mattered most. The Beermen’s Philippine Cup run was less about flash and more about institutional confidence—knowing where to go, who to trust, and how to close. In a season celebrating history, no team leaned on its pedigree more effectively than the Beermen, who foiled a Grand Slam bid in their return to glory.
— 3 —
PBA Celebrates Its 50th Founding Anniversary
The founding of the PBA was officially announced on January 23, 1975, but the first PBA game was played on April 9, 1975—and that marked the formal birth of Asia’s first-ever pay-for-play league. Nine teams comprised the league’s original cast—Mariwasa, CFC, Toyota, Concepcion, Seven-Up, Crispa, YCO, San Miguel, and U-Tex. The Mariwasa Porcelain Makers took on the Concepcion Carrier Weathermakers in the PBA’s very first game, followed by the Toyota Comets facing off against the Universal Textile Weavers.
On April 9, 2025, the PBA celebrated its 50th golden anniversary with a twin bill at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum that saw the Magnolia Hotshots take on the Converge FiberXers and the Meralco Bolts face off against league OG San Miguel. The Beermen and Bolts notably wore throwback jerseys to commemorate the PBA’s historic moment and provide a sense of nostalgia. But the league’s golden anniversary was more than a ceremonial marker. It was a moment of reflection, a reminder of how deeply the PBA is woven into the country’s sporting culture. It was a celebration that carried an unspoken challenge: Surviving 50 years is one thing; staying relevant is another.
— 4 —
Juan Gomez de Liaño Takes the PBA by Storm
In a season dominated by familiar names, Juan Gomez de Liaño provided something refreshing. He played without deference, without fear, and with the urgency of someone keenly aware that opportunities are never guaranteed. His emergence was not just a personal breakthrough; it was proof that the league still has room for new stories—if it is willing to let them breathe.
Crucially, with his torrid start to PBA Season 50, Gomez de Liaño may very well have become one of the new faces of the league. With most of local hoops’ young talent bypassing the PBA in favor of stints in Japan, South Korea, or elsewhere, JGDL choosing to play closer to home is a win for the league, whose search for superstars is an ongoing need after marquee names like James Yap and Mark Caguioa left long ago.
— 5 —
Gabe Norwood Names the Philippine Cup as His Final Ride
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters veteran Gabe Norwood isn’t a star in the traditional sense. He didn’t resonate like Robert Jaworski. He didn’t scintillate like Yap. Neither did he polarize like Caguioa. But he was highly respected, both by Rain or Shine fans and by Filipino hoops heads. He was humble, did everything the right way, and always represented the country.
So, when he announced via Instagram that this PBA Philippine Cup was going to be the last of his career, it landed with quiet weight. Norwood’s exit is symbolic of a generation slowly stepping aside—players who built the league’s modern era now yielding space, whether the league is fully ready or not. For fans of the artist once called “Mr. President,” the announcement brought a tinge of sadness. Gabe Norwood embodies everything good about the game and the PBA, and he has chosen to walk away with his head held high.
— 6 —
Calvin Abueva Is Unleashed
Few players polarize quite like Calvin Abueva, and in 2025, he was allowed to be fully himself again. Playing with freedom and edge, Abueva’s resurgence was chaotic, effective, and unmistakably impactful. It was a reminder that sometimes, structure works best when it knows when to loosen its grip.
And Titan Ultra Giant Risers coach Johnedel Cardel has done exactly that: He has loosened the restraints that so often held The Beast back in his years with the Alaska Aces, Phoenix Fuel Masters, and even the Magnolia Hotshots. Now, the entire PBA and its fans are seeing all the things Abueva can do on the basketball court—and just how good he is when he plays with a level of freedom to impact the game in different ways.
— 7 —
LA Tenorio Commands New Troops
Just when fans thought Ginebra legend LA Tenorio would be a ka-Barangay for life, Al Chua threw a glorious curveball by plucking Tinyente out from the Gin Kings’ lair and into the welcoming arms of the Magnolia Hotshots. It was one of the defining stories ahead of PBA Season 50 that gave the Hotshots a breath of fresh air.
Naturally, Tenorio’s first game as coach came against Ginebra, and since his winning debut, he has had his ups and downs, which would be par for the course for a new coach. But his transition has been a major storyline in this ongoing PBA Philippine Cup—and that he’s had to become a playing coach recently has only added intrigue to this interesting subplot.
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Taken together, these moments did not just define the PBA’s 50th year—they captured its current state. A league honoring its past, leaning on its veterans, welcoming new blood, and still searching for balance. In 2025, the PBA did not reinvent itself. But it did something just as important: It showed, once again, why its stories still matter.
