From MBA to PBA smooth crossover

MANILA, Philippines — Some 20 years ago, there ran a league that featured region-based squads, nurturing regional pride and showcasing several talents that soon blossomed into bigtime hoops stars – the Metropolitan Basketball Association.

MBA memories were rekindled on the recent passing of MBA champion coach Aric del Rosario then of player Maui Huelar.

From 1998 to 2002, the home-and-away MBA fed the fans’ passion for basketball especially in the provinces.

And from the packed gyms in San Andres to Cebu and Davao down south emerged heroes who continued their path to greatness in the PBA.

Two-time PBA MVP Willie Miller, Ginebra great Jayjay Helterbrand, and former San Miguel and Gilas Pilipinas sniper Dondon Hontiveros led the merry cast of MBAers with successful PBA crossovers.

Miller played two years for Nueva Ecija (1999 and 2000) before being picked first overall by Red Bull.

“Thriller Miller” won four titles in a 14-year PBA career with Talk n Text, Alaska, Ginebra, Barako Bull and GlobalPort. The nine-time All Star won MVP honors in 2002 and 2007 and Best Player of the Conference two times.

Helterbrand played briefly for Batangas before hooking up with Ginebra in 2000. The six-time champ reached the pinnacle of his career when he was named MVP in 2008-09.

Cebu Gems’ gunner Hontiveros was best remembered for his 45-point explosion in Game 5 of the 1999 national finals in Cebu.

The Cebuano hotshot jumped to the PBA the following year via Tanduay and later found his way to San Miguel, where he spent most of his career.

A three-time champion and 13-time All Star, Hontiveros served Gilas and got a silver medal in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha.

They’re joined in this club by eight-time PBA champ and 2008 All Stars MVP PJ Simon, who was Davao’s gunner before becoming Purefoods’ “Scoring Apostle” as well as Rudy Hatfield (Laguna), Romel Adducul (Manila), Wynne Arboleda (Laguna), and Gilbert Demape (Manila).

Simon, Hatfield, Adducul, Arboleda, and Demape gained Mythical Selection citations.

MBA big men Rafi Reavis (San Juan), Reynel Hugnatan (Negros) and Dorian Peña (Cebu) landed in the PBA scoring leaders list with at least 3,000 points. Reavis owns 11 rings while Hugnatan has three titles to his name, and Peña was in the Mythical First Team twice.