1991 PBA season

Updated on Dec 07, 2024

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Top draft pick Alejandro Araneta First Conference champions Ginebra San Miguel All-Filipino Conference champions Purefoods TJ Hotdogs Number of teams 8		Picked by Alaska Milkmen Runners-up Shell Rimula X Start date 1991 Season MVP Alvin Patrimonio
Duration February 17, 1991 – December 15, 1991 TV partner PBA on Vintage Sports (People's Television Network) Similar 1990 PBA season, 1994 PBA season, 1996 PBA season, 1998 PBA season, 1985 PBA season

The 1991 PBA season was the 17th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Season highlights

The PBA Rookie draft was aired on TV lived for the first time in league history.

Vintage sports commentator Joe Cantada covered his final game on TV during the April 9 replay of the controversial Shell-Purefoods game that took place on March 17.

An era in Philippine Basketball ended on April 21 when Virgilio "Baby" Dalupan resigned as head coach of Purefoods Hotdogs. Dalupan cited his difference with management as the reason for his resignation.

On May 19, Ginebra San Miguel made history in the PBA record books as the first team to come back from a 1-3 series deficit and beat Shell Rimula-X in game 7 of the best-of-seven 1st conference championship showdown. Rudy Distrito made a difficult baseline fadeaway shot against two Shell defenders with one second remaining to give Ginebra their third PBA title.

After the contract of Alvin Patrimonio with Purefoods expired in June, Pepsi Hotshots offered Patrimonio a P 25.3 million salary and a benefits package for 5 1/2 years, Purefoods matched Pepsi's multi-million peso contract to retain Patrimonio's services.

Due to numerous players requesting megabuck deals, the league initiated a "salary cap" starting the 1992 season. Swift, Shell, Alaska, Tivoli, Pepsi and Ginebra will have a P12 million cap while Purefoods and San Miguel will have a cap of P15 million.

Alvin Patrimonio won his first of his four MVP awards.

Before the third conference finals, the PBA took a break on November 24-December 5, with the staging of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila.

By the end of the season, Rudy Salud resigned as the commissioner of the league.