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1979 PBA season

1979 PBA season
DurationApril 1 – December 15, 1979
Number of teams9
TV partner(s)GTV
Season MVPFortunato Co, Jr
(Crispa Redmanizers)
All-Filipino Conference championsCrispa Redmanizers
  All-Filipino Conference runners-upToyota Tamaraws
Open Conference championsRoyal Tru-Orange
  Open Conference runners-upToyota Tamaraws
Invitational championship championsToyota Tamaraws
  Invitational championship runners-upWalk Tall Jeansmakers
Seasons

The 1979 PBA season was the fifth season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Season highlights

  • After a two-year absence of playing against each other in the championship between the league's most noted rivalry, Crispa and Toyota played once again in the finals during the All-Filipino Conference. Crispa prevailed in five games, winning the deciding game, 118–111 on July 7.
  • On September 4, the visiting Washington Bullets, which lost to Seattle SuperSonics in the 1979 NBA Finals, played against a PBA All-Star Selection at the Araneta Coliseum in an exhibition game attended by Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos, the Bullets with the line-up of hall of famers Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and among others, Greg Ballard, Dave Corzine and coach by Dick Motta, won the match, 133–123. The PBA selection, made up of one local player from each of the nine PBA teams that year, was coached by Baby Dalupan and reinforced by five imports. [1]
  • Royal Tru-Orange won their first PBA title in the Open Conference by defeating Toyota Tamaraws, 102–101 in Game 4 for a 3–1 series win. Imports Otto Moore and Larry Pounds led the Orangemen as they became only the fourth team to win a championship in the 1970s apart from Toyota, Crispa and U/tex.
  • Three different teams emerged champions in the league's fifth season as the Toyota Tamaraws avoided a third runner-up finish by winning the invitational championship against rival Crispa Walk Tall Jeans. [2]

Opening ceremonies

The muses for the participating teams are as follows:

Team Muse
Crispa Redmanizers Pearl Razon
Filmanbank Regina Prada
Gilbey's Gin Chris Stuttard and Ann Rose Blas
Great Taste Discoverers Carolina Lacap
Honda Wildcats Beth de Mesa
Royal Tru-Orange Joanna Paras
Tanduay Esquires Bessie Badilla and Diane Benisano
Toyota Tamaraws Alicia Cuenca
U/Tex Wranglers Janet Bordon

Champions

Individual awards

Board of governors

Cumulative standings

Team GP W L PCT
Toyota Tamaraws 62 44 18 .710
Crispa Redmanizers/Walk Tall Jeansmakers 62 42 20 .677
Royal Tru-Orange 47 28 19 .596
U/Tex Wranglers 44 23 21 .528
Tanduay Esquires 47 24 23 .511
Great Taste Discoverers 47 21 26 .447
Filmanbank 47 16 31 .340
Gilbey's Gin 44 13 31 .295
Honda Wildcats 36 7 29 .194

References