The 2009–10 PBA Season was the 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The season formally opened on October 11, 2009 and ended on August 18, 2010. The league started the season with the Philippine Cup, or the traditional All-Filipino Conference, while finishing the season with the import-laiden Fiesta Conference.
The 2009 PBA Draft was held on August 2, 2009 at the Market! Market!, and Japeth Aguilar was selected first overall by the Air21 Express. The Puerto Princesa City Government hosted the 2010 PBA All-Star Weekend at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum in Palawan on April 25, 2010.
Key transactions:
Trades:
Burger King traded Arwind Santos to San Miguel for Marc Pingris and Ken Bono. Both players were later traded to Purefoods in exchange for the team's 2010 1st and 2nd round picks.
Barangay Ginebra traded Paul Artadi, Rafi Reavis, and the rights to 2009 draftee Chris Timberlake for Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, Celino Cruz, and Paolo Bugia of Purefoods.
Burger King traded Pocholo Villanueva to Ginebra for rights to rookie Orlando Daroya and future picks.
Sta. Lucia traded Dennis Miranda to San Miguel for future draft picks.
Sta. Lucia traded Dennis Espino to Coca Cola for two future draft picks and Jason Misolas.
Signing:
Rain or Shine signed Mike Hrabak.
Coca-Cola signed Norman Gonzales.
Resigning:
Barangay Ginebra re-signed center Eric Menk.
The PBA board approved the rule changes for implementation starting in the pre-season games:
The third set of inductees for the PBA Hall of Fame were awarded on October 9 at the Shangri-la Hotel in Makati.
The pre-season was started on September 25 but was cut short due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila.
The season began on October 11 with the Purefoods TJ Giants defeating the Burger King Whoppers, 90-83.
The muses for the participating teams are as follows:
After playing with just one game with the Burger King Whoppers, top rookie pick Japeth Aguilar was traded to Talk 'N Text after a three way trade involving Barako Bull. Burger Kings was able to get Barako Bull’s 2010 (previously acquired by Talk ‘N Text) and 2012 first-round picks and will also take Talk ‘N Text’s 2013 and 2014 first-round picks. Barako Bull will now have the rights on Orlando Daroya while Talk ‘N Text will get Aguilar, who will be loaned to Smart Gilas.
Wynne Arboleda of the Burger King Whoppers was suspended without pay for the rest of the season plus one game after a violent altercation with a fan during their game against Smart Gilas last October 16. He also drew a PhP20,000 fine. While serving his suspension, Arboleda cannot be present at the playing venues during Burger King’s games.
On October 29, 2009. The PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios announced that the games played by the Smart Gilas National Team will have no effects on the standings of the other teams of the PBA. This decision was made by the commissioner because of the intensity of the games played against Smart Gilas that resulted in the suspension of and the possibility of criminal charges against Wynne Arboleda as a result of him attacking a fan at courtside in Araneta Coliseum when the Burger King Whoppers played the Smart Gilas National Team.
Talk 'N Text walked out of the playing court during their quarterfinal game with Barangay Ginebra leading 27–20 with a minute left in the first quarter after Ranidel de Ocampo was called for a flagrant foul against Ronald Tubid. Besides forfeiting Game 4 to their opponent, Commissioner Sonny Barrios penalized the telecommunication franchise of fines ranging over P1 million. The P500,000 for the forfeiture (the said amount going to Barangay Ginebra as indicated to the league's by-laws), an additional P500,000 fine, which will go directly to the league's Players’ Educational Trust Fund, and the team's share in the gate receipts and TV revenues for that particular game, which ranges anywhere between P200,000 to P250,000.
†Games involving Smart Gilas are not included in the team standings.
Tiebreakers:
Alaska defeated San Miguel in both of their elimination round games.
Purefoods and Barangay Ginebra split their elimination round games, and both won by eight points against each other. Purefoods won by having a better overall point differential.
Coca-Cola and Burger King split their elimination round games, Coca-Cola won by having a better point differential in games between the two teams.
Philippine Cup Finals: (3) Purefoods (12-6) def. (1) Alaska (13-5), 4 games to 0.
Finals MVP: James Yap (Purefoods)
Third place: San Miguel (def. Brgy. Ginebra 95-88 in a one-game playoff)
Best Player of the Conference: James Yap (Purefoods)
Key transactions:
Trades:
Air21 traded JR Quiñahan, Mark Yee and Aaron Aban to Talk 'N Text for Yancy de Ocampo and Renren Ritualo.
Air21 traded Yancy de Ocampo and their second round pick for the 2010 PBA Draft to Barangay Ginebra for Rich Alvarez and Doug Kramer.
Air21 traded Alex Cabagnot to San Miguel for Mike Cortez.
Sta. Lucia Realtors traded Joseph Yeo to San Miguel for Bonbon Custodio.
Team re-brandings
The Burger King Whoppers returned to their previous identity as the Air21 Express.
San Miguel Corporation changed the name of the Purefoods TJ Giants to the Derby Ace Llamados.
The Barako Bull Energy Boosters changed their moniker to the Barako Energy Coffee Masters.
The board of governors approved stiffer penalties for teams that would walk out of a game and rookie draftees who would turn their back on the league.
Wynne Arboleda returned as an active player of the Air21 Express after he was reinstated by the Office of the Commissioner after serving eight months of suspension.
y – clinched outright semifinals, x – clinched outright quarterfinals, w – clinched wild card, e – eliminated
NA* = teams tied for 2nd and 3rd, 5th and 6th, and 8th and 9th would have to play an extra game regardless of the results of their classification round games. For all other ties, they are broken via point differential from the games among the tied teams. If they are still tied, point differential from all games will be considered.
Fiesta Conference Finals: (4) Alaska Aces (11-7) def. (2) San Miguel (13-5), 4 games to 2.
Finals MVP: Cyrus Baguio and LA Tenorio (Alaska)
Third place: Talk 'N Text (def. Derby Ace 113-95 in a one-game playoff)
Best Player of the Conference: Jay Washington (San Miguel)
Best Import of the Conference: Gabe Freeman (San Miguel)
The 2010 PBA All-Star Weekend was held from April 22 to 25 at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The winners were:
Obstacle Challenge: Jonas Villanueva (San Miguel Beermen)
Three-point Shootout: Mark Macapagal (Coca-Cola Tigers)
Slam Dunk Competition: Niño Canaleta (Derby Ace Llamados)
Most Valuable Player: James Yap Derby Ace
Rookie of the Year: Rico Maierhofer (Derby Ace)
First Mythical Team:
LA Tenorio (Alaska)
James Yap (Derby Ace)
Jay Washington (San Miguel)
Arwind Santos (San Miguel)
Sonny Thoss (Alaska)
Second Mythical Team:
Roger Yap (Derby Ace)
Mark Cardona (Talk 'N Text)
Joe Devance (Alaska)
Kelly Williams (Talk 'N Text)
Asi Taulava (Coca Cola)
All-Defensive Team:
Arwind Santos (San Miguel)
Marc Pingris (Derby Ace)
Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine)
Roger Yap (Derby Ace)
Ryan Reyes (Talk 'N Text)
Most Improved Player: LA Tenorio (Alaska)
Sportsmanship Award: Cyrus Baguio (Alaska)
Coach of the Year: Ryan Gregorio (B-Meg Derby Ace)
Mr. Quality Minutes: KG Canaleta (B-Meg Derby Ace)
Comeback Player of the Year: Kelly Williams (Talk 'N Text)
Executive of the Year: Wilfred Uytengsu (Alaska)
Referee of the Year: Manolito Quilingen
All-Rookie Team
Rico Maierhofer (B-Meg Derby Ace)
Josh Urbiztondo (Sta. Lucia)
Ronnie Matias (Air21)
Ogie Menor (Barako Bull)
Jervy Cruz (Rain or Shine)
