1996 Ginebra San Miguel season

Summary

All-Filipino Cup: Top draft pick Marlou Aquino debut with 29 points but Ginebra lost to Pepsi, 94-98, in their first game of the season on February 20, tying the record for the losing streak of 18 games set by Presto back in 1980, since dropping their final 17 games last season, dating back to the last year's Commissioner's Cup. In their next game on February 23, Ginebra finally snap out of that dubious record by nipping San Miguel, 100-99, the Ginebras lost three straight games and fell to 1-win, 4-loss, before the Gins ride high on a five-game winning run, starting with a 97-96 win against Alaska on March 10, with Jayvee Gayoso hitting two triples in the last 20 seconds, and big wins over Purefoods and Sunkist. The Ginebras' streak were stopped by Pepsi and they lost to Formula Shell on April 7 by one point, 84-85, on Ronnie Magsanoc's clutch-triple in the closing seconds. On April 14, Ginebra defeated Sta.Lucia, 73-70, for their seventh win and advances to the next round for the first time in four years, the Gins finish the eliminations with an even 7-7 won-loss card. They won their first three semifinal outings before losing their next three games, the Ginebras clinch a playoff for a finals berth by winning their last two matches against Shell and Purefoods. In a knockout game against Alaska on May 14 for the right to face Purefoods in the All-Filipino Cup finals, the Gins lost to the Milkmen, 83-96.

Commissioner's Cup: Import Henry James scored 48 points as Ginebra beats Mobiline, 117-107, in their first game on June 14. The Gins were tied with Sta.Lucia after the eliminations at second place with 6 wins and 4 losses behind Alaska's 8-2 won-loss slate. Ginebra won five of their first six games in the semifinals but Alaska got the first ticket to the finals by beating them, 102-98 on August 20, and Formula Shell earns a playoff by winning five games in the semifinals. On August 25, the Ginebras, which won over Shell in four previous meetings in the conference, lost in the playoff match to the Gas Kings, 86-89, as Shell import Kenny Redfield nailed a buzzer-beating triple with the huge crowd stunned in disbelief and the Ginebras were denied of a championship berth for the second time in the season.

Governors Cup: Reggie Fox played in 9 of Ginebra's 11 games in the eliminations as they raced to a 7-win, 4-loss card and made it to the semifinal round outright along with Alaska. Fox was replaced by Fred Cofield and after two failed trips to the finals during the first two conferences, Ginebra finally advances into the championship round for the first time in five years, going up against Grandslam-seeking Alaska Milkmen by winning over San Miguel Beermen in their best-of-five semifinal series, 3 games to 1. Ginebra lost to Alaska in the finals series in five games as the Milkmen achieved a distinction of winning a Grandslam.

Notable dates

August 2: Henry James knock in two triples in the last two minutes as Ginebra bested the Sta.Lucia Realtors, 99-92, in the opener of the Commissioner's Cup semifinal round.

August 4: Ginebra snatched a 99-96 victory over Formula Shell on Henry James' hurried three-point shot at the buzzer just beyond midcourt line for their second straight win in the semifinals.

Roster

_{Team Manager: Ramon Carballo}