Sport Basketball Inaugural season 2015 No. of teams 6 | Founded October 11, 2015 Commissioner Joel Banal Country Philippines | |
Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League (also known as PCBL) is a commercial amateur basketball tournament based in the Philippines that caters to the development and grassroots program for future Filipino basketball players, inspired from the MICAA and the Philippine Basketball League (PBL). The league was established by nine commercial teams, some of which have played in the PBA D-League. The PCBL does not intend to compete with the existing semi-professional leagues that focuses on the development in Philippine basketball, including Filsports Basketball Association (FBA), PBA D-League and planned Countrywide Basketball League (CWBL). The current chairman of the league is Buddy Encarnado, who was the board governor representing the Sta. Lucia Realtors during its stint in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
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The PCBL is sanctioned and officiated by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the Philippine governing body of basketball. The league was tasked by the SBP to form the national basketball teams that will participate in the Southeast Asia Basketball (SEABA) and the Southeast Asian Games, replacing the Gilas Cadets program.
History
The league envisions a three-conference first season (2015-2016). Its inaugural conference, the Founders Cup, began on October 11, 2015. The games were held at the Pasig City Sports Center and Filoil Flying V Arena. Games are aired on AksyonTV on a delayed basis.
The second conference, which started on March 2016, is envisioned to be an import-reinforced tournament, while the third conference called the Commissioner's Cup will be an invitational tournament, and the fourth conference Homegrown Cup will be an All-Filipino conference. The PCBL also planned to have out-of-town games in Baguio, Lipa, Batangas and Lucena.
The PCBL's second conference will be headed by five returning teams - Jumbo Plastic Linoleum Giants (Founder's Cup champion), Euro-Med, Supremo Lex Builders, Foton, Sta. Lucia Realty, - and new teams, Mighty Sports & SCTEX Road Warriors.
On May 27, 2016, the 2016 PCBL Chairman's Cup title was awarded to Jumbo Plastic Linoleum Giants setting the first record for back to back championship wins for the Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League, after beating the heavily star-studded team Mighty Sports 80-68 on game 3.
In October 2016, PCBL Chairman Buddy Encarnado officially bared that the league will expand its reach to Cebu by forming the PCBL-Cebu league. 11 teams have signified their intention to join the league, which will be start in January before the Sinulog Festival annual festivities. The league planned to stage games at the Minglanilla Sports Complex.