The 1999 Tanduay Gold Rhum Masters season was the first season of the new franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
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League return
A multi-titled team in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), having won several championships since it resurfaced in 1995, the Tanduay Gold Rhum Masters, now owned by Tanduay Distillers, Inc., makes a grand return to the PBA after a 12-year absence.
Off-season transactions
Tanduay was allowed to elevate six players from their farm team in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) namely; Eric Menk, Mark Telan, Chris Cantonjos, Jomer Rubi, Alvin Magpantay and Derrick Bughao. The Rhum Masters also added Bobby Jose, a PBA returnee who played for Tanduay in the PBL the past two seasons. Two more players from their farm team; Rene Alforque and Jorge Gallent soon join them in the pro ranks.
Summary
All-Filipino Cup: The Tanduay Rhum Masters will be handled by their winning PBL coach Alfrancis Chua. The Rhum Masters lost their first two games of the season, on opening day on February 7 to Mobiline, 64-90, and against San Miguel, 79-89 on February 14. Tanduay pick up their first win over Barangay Ginebra, a 94-85 overtime victory on February 19. In their next game against Sta.Lucia in Bustos, Bulacan on February 24, rookie Sonny Alvarado registered a conference-high early with 46 points in a 94-78 Tanduay win over the Realtors. The Rhum Masters split their eight games in the first round of eliminations with two other victories coming against Purefoods and Shell.
Seeded second after the eliminations and tied with Alaska and Shell with nine wins and seven losses. The Rhum Masters advances in the best-of-five semifinal series by eliminating Pop Cola and went on to play the defending champions Alaska Milkmen. The Rhum Masters took a commanding 2-0 lead and while the Milkmen bounced back with a victory in Game three, Sonny Alvarado poured in 32 points in Game four as Tanduay makes it to the All-Filipino Cup finals series with a 111-93 victory. In the championship series against the Benjie Paras led-Formula Shell, the Rhum Masters were on a verge of achieving a cinderella finish but the Shell Zoom Masters, after losing Game one, took four of the next five games of the series to win the All-Filipino Cup title as Tanduay had to settle for runner-up honors.
Commissioner's Cup: Nigerian import Ime Uduok played one game before being replaced by Ira Clark. Tanduay had a 5-0 win-loss start but dropped their last three games in the eliminations and slide down to fifth place in a twice-to-beat disadvantage. The Rhum Masters were eliminated by the San Miguel Beermen in the quarterfinals.
Governors Cup: Tanduay brought in Ronnie Fields as their import in the third conference. The Rhum Masters were tied with Purefoods on top of the standings with a 7-1 won-loss slate. They advanced into the best-of-five semifinal series and were swept in three games by the San Miguel Beermen. The Rhum Masters placed third in the season-ending conference.
Occurrences
On March 8, The living legend of Philippine Basketball, Senator Robert Jaworski on his 53rd birthday, formally joined the Tanduay ballclub as Team Consultant and Chief Endorser/Spokesman of their liquor product in a press conference held at the Century Park Hotel, there were speculations that Jaworski might appear in one game for Tanduay and play one last time in the PBA.
Roster
Team Manager: David de Joya