Farewell to Alaska

The PBA won’t be the same without Alaska and at the end of the ongoing Governors’ Cup, the franchise exits the pro league for good, leaving a legacy of integrity, excellence and sportsmanship. Team owner Fred Uytengsu held back his tears in announcing the departure at a zoom press conference the other day. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial was earlier advised of the decision and an emergency Board of Governors meeting was convened to discuss the ramifications.

Uytengsu said the franchise may be sold or reverted back to the PBA in which case a dispersal draft will be conducted to allow the remaining teams a crack at the Alaska players. There were several business groups knocking on the PBA door before the pandemic and for sure, the PBA will reach out to check if the interest remains. A possible dispersal draft will be scheduled to coincide with the annual rookie draft.

Since the Dutch multinational dairy company Royal FrieslandCampina bought control of Alaska Milk Corp. in 2012, it seemed like just a matter of time before the withdrawal from the PBA. But the wait extended to 10 years until finally, the plug was pulled with the pandemic surely influencing the re-prioritization of corporate resources. Uytengsu was only 24 when the franchise was established in 1986 and admitted knowing little of how to run a basketball team. His passion for sports was the impetus for Alaska to take off. It wasn’t smooth sailing at the start and the team went through five coaches in its first three years from Tony Vasquez to Cesar Jota to Nat Canson to Turo Valenzona to Bogs Adornado.  Then, Uytengsu decided to give a basketball-crazy friend Tim Cone a chance at coaching the team. With no coaching experience, Cone parlayed his love for the game into a winning formula that brought 13 titles to the franchise.

Over 35 years, Alaska built a reputation of doing things the right way and in the process, collected 14 championships with 31 finals appearances. A jewel in its storied history is the Grand Slam in 1996. It could’ve been a second Grand Slam in 1998 but Uytengsu sacrificed glory to the franchise for glory to the country in allowing Alaska’s key players to join the national team.

“All good things come to an end,” said Uytengsu. He described the Alaska ride as “fantastic” and expressed his appreciation to the PBA for the strong partnership through the years. Uytengsu, who represented the Philippines in swimming at the 1981 SEA Games, never compromised his principles in overseeing the team’s affairs. “Teamwork and hard work win because talent doesn’t always show up and can take the day off,” he said. “You don’t win if you don’t practice hard. We’re proud of our transparency and honesty, how we run our franchise.” His favorite saying is “good enough never is” but the Aces will always be known for its “We Not Me” mantra.

In its farewell conference, Alaska will fight to the end. “We’ll give it our best shot,” said Uytengsu. “We’ve got a job to do. We want ring No. 15.” Uytengsu said for the PBA to continue to thrive, it’s key to “think league first” and “level the playing field.” It’s not the first time the PBA will lose a championship franchise. Through the years, teams have come and gone like Crispa, Toyota, Sunkist, Sta. Lucia Realty, Great Taste, Red Bull, Tanduay, U-Tex, Coca Cola and Shell. Alaska will claim its place as one of the greatest franchises ever.