Talk N' Text Phone Pals
Encyclopedia
The Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters is a professional basketball team in Philippine Basketball Association
.
The team was first owned by Pepsi
Philippines
of Luis Francisco R. Lorenzo
and was granted an expansion franchise prior to the 1990 PBA season
. The Pepsi Hotshots also used the names 7-Up Uncolas and Pepsi Mega Bottlers in their campaigns, netting no championships.
In 1996, telecommunications company Pilipino Telephone Corporation
bought the franchise and has since owned the team. After the franchise was bought, it was then renamed to the Mobiline Cellulars and later the Mobiline Phone Pals which won the special 1998 PBA Centennial Cup
. After Piltel became an MVNO in April 2000, the team was again renamed in 2001, this time as the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals, after a prepaid cellular phone service
. They have since won two titles and remains as one of the league's powerhouses. In 2008, the team changed their moniker from Phone Pals to Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, and in the process winning the team's second championship via the 2008-09 PBA Philippine Cup.
, joining soft drink
rival Pop Cola
. They were known as Pepsi Hotshots in their maiden year 1990, their first coach was the late Ed Ocampo, assisted by Olympian Bobby Littaua, and Team Manager was Steve Watson, after winning its inaugural game vs fellow expansion team Pop Cola, 149-130 with import Derek Hamilton scoring 77 points, the Hotshots lost all their remaining games in the first conference, the losing streak stretched in the All-Filipino, counting to a 15-game losing streak before finally winning again over Pop Cola, In the third conference, Derek Pumaren replaced Ed Ocampo as Hotshots head coach and the Pepsi franchise went 0 wins, 10 losses in the season-ending tournament..
In 1991
, Pepsi acquired Manny Victorino from Presto, and team improved its number of won games, but still failed to make past eliminations in the first two conferences. They attempted to become a competitive team by offering a 5-year, P25 million contract to Purefoods TJ Hotdogs' top gun Alvin Patrimonio
. However, Patrimonio to stayed with Purefoods after his mother team matched the offer. But despite this, this did not stop Pepsi from entering the semifinals and finishing fourth among the eight teams in the third conference.
In 1992
, Pepsi acquired ROY Eugene Quilban in a trade which sent Jun Reyes to Alaska, the hotshots placed 7th in the first conference. After the 349 controversy, they were known as the 7-Up Bottlers, one of the brands which Pepsi (Philippines) bottled and marketed in the Philippines.
7-Up would place runner-up in the 1992 Reinforced Conference. Their import was an NBA veteran point guard, Dell Demps
. They would be swept by the Swift Mighty Meaties
led by Tony Harris in the finals 4-0.
http://mypba.com/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=776&view=findpost&p=44535. Prior to the finals, Seven-Up and Swift were fined on a so-so game where Swift intentionally lose the match in order to eliminate Ginebra from the finals race.
Seven-Up was bannered by players Manny Victorino, Abet Guidaben, Eugene Quilban and Naning Valenciano. Quilban recorded 28 assists during a game that year, which is still a PBA record.
Despite getting 2nd overall pick Victor Pablo, 7-Up failed to reach the semifinals in the first two conferences of the season. In the third conference, the team reverted back to Pepsi Hotshots. Pepsi eventually placed fourth in the 1993
Governor's Cup.
Before the 1994 PBA Governor's Cup, Pepsi and Sunkist were involved in a rare coaching trade that saw Derrick Pumaren moving to the RFM franchise for Yeng Guiao
. Despite the coaching change, Pepsi's on and off performance continued with their best finish taking the third-place in the 1994
Governor's Cup with import Ronnie Coleman. In the 1995
, even with a strong start in the Governor's Cup, in which they had a 5-2 win-loss card but never took home a trophy at the end of the tournament.
Pepsi was also known as a hard-luck PBA team because it never found considerable success after finishing runner-up in the 1992 Reinforced Conference. After it failed to land Alvin Patrimonio in 1991, the ballclub attempted again in 1995 to dangle a 5-year, P28.8 million contract to Sta. Lucia Realtors
' main man Jun Limpot
. However, Sta. Lucia matched the offer and Pepsi had to contend with blue-collar players in Alvin Teng (acquired from San Miguel in exchange for Victor Pablo), Dindo Pumaren (from Purefoods in exchange for Richie Ticzon), Eugene Quilban and Boy Cabahug to lead the team.
The team still retained the lineage of the old Pepsi team in the past as prove in the Official PBA Annual, Hardcourt, in which the win-loss record of Pepsi from 1990-1995 are attached to the Mobiline teams.
The Cellulars retained the old Pepsi team with point guard Eugene Quilban and power forward Alvin Teng leading the team. But the name change did not help the Cellulars contend for the crown.
, Mobiline acquired the first overall pick from Pop Cola and used it to draft Filipino-American Andrew John Seigle
. The Cellulars also drafted Patrick Fran, Tony Boy Espinosa. Mobiline hired former San Miguel
coach Norman Black and acquired 1995 Rookie of the Year Jeffrey Cariaso from Alaska
via an offer sheet bearing a three-year contract worth P18.3 million.
In the All-Filipino, the Cellulars advanced to the semi-finals but faltered in the Commissioner's Cup with Isaish Morris as reinforcement. In the Governor's Cup, they paraded Artemus "Tee" McClary and hired a new coach in Derrick Pumaren and Tommy Manotoc as consultant. Mobiline posted a decent finish in the Governor's Cup but failed to enter the semis.
In 1998
, the Phone Pals struggled in the All-Filipino with a 4-7 record. In the Commissioner's Cup, another change was done as it hired former Purefoods mentor Eric Altamirano. The Pals, like in the '97 Governor's Cup were eliminated in the quarterfinals with Terquin Mott as import.
in Bangkok
. They captured the 1998 PBA Centennial (the Philippines was then celebrating its 100th anniversary of the independence from Spain
) Cup by beating Shell by a hairline, 67-66, in overtime led by imports Silas Mills and McClary, with the help of veteran locals Glen Capacio and Al Solis. However, the Centennial Cup was a special tournament and the title was not considered as an official championship.
The records after the elimination round of the tournament was carried over in the Governor's Cup. The Pals retained their winning way and advanced to the finals in a rematch with the Zoom Masters. Mobiline held a 3-2 series lead but lost the last two games to wind up in second place. Mills would end up winning the Best Import of the Governor's Cup.
to man the Pals frontline along with Seigle. Mobiline started the All-Filipino with a 7-0 record before losing a crucial game to San Miguel. The Pals end up with the best record after the elimination phase but was defeated by a gritty Barangay Ginebra Kings
squad despite a twice to beat advantage on Bal David's incredible last second shot.
The rest of the year, Mobiline would be eliminated in the quarters during the Commissioner's and Governor's Cup while Taulava's eligibility as a legitimate Filipino-foreigner was questioned. During the midseason, Mobiline traded Andy Seigle to Purefoods for veteran Jerry Codinera.
2000
saw some lineup change for the Phone Pals as it acquired Vic Pablo in the three-team trade that sent Jeffrey Cariaso to Tanduay
and Mark Telan to Shell Velocity
.
Taulava would be deported later in the year as the Pals were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the All-Filipino with new coach Louie Alas
. The Pals wound up with the best record in the elimination phase of the Governor's Cup. After surviving a quarterfinals meeting with Barangay Ginebra, Purefoods eliminate Mobiline in four games. The Phone Pals finished 4th after losing to Batang Red Bull Thunder in a knockout game for third place.
In 2001
, the Phone Pals tried to acquire Kenneth Duremdes
through free agency, but Alaska
matched Mobiline's offer sheet of a reported 48 million pesos, and Duremdes stayed with the Aces.
The Phone Pals drafted former Manila Metrostar Gilbert Demape, but the Phone Pals, for the sixth time in seven conferences, were eliminated by top seed Shell in the quarterfinals.
In the Commissioner's Cup, the Pals bannered Michigan University
standout Jerod Ward who exploded for 61 points in his debut. Later, Taulava returned to the Philippines after an apporval by the Justice Department
but despite that, the Phone Pals failed to get past the quarterfinals. The Governor's Cup was also the same fate for the Phone Pals despite changing their name to Talk 'N Text and having Brandon Williams as import.
coach Bill Bayno
despite numerous calls by the nationalist Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines to ban the American mentor. Although they lost Asi Taulava and Patrick Fran to the National Pool, Talk 'N Text was bannered by Richie Frahm
and Jerald Honeycutt
, a replacement for an original import. The Phone Pals end up as the top team in the elimination phase of the Governor's Cup but suffered the same fate as 1999 when the eighth seed San Miguel Beermen
upset the Pals.
But Talk 'N Text finally broke the spell in the Commissioner's Cup, led by Honeycutt and Pete Mickeal, the seventh seeded Phone Pals defeated Sta. Lucia in the quarterfinals and Alaska in a five game semis affair to enter their third Finals appearance in team history, and the first since 1998. In the end, Red Bull defeated Talk 'N Text in seven grueling games.
Bayno later left the team, but without some parting shots on the PBA when he accused the league of favoring the San Miguel Corporation
teams.
In the All-Filipino, Taulava returned to the team after his national team stint in the Asian Games
but the Phone Pals got the early boot in the quarterfinals under new head coach Paul Woolpert, another American coach who replaced the departed Bill Bayno.
In 2003
, the Phone Pals used two first round picks to draft Fil-Americans Harvey Carey
and Jimmy Alapag
, who was with the RP national pool in 2002. The Pals struggled early in the All-Filipino and midway to that tournament, Woolpert left the team and was replaced with Ateneo
coach Joel Banal, who led the Blue Eagles to the UAAP title in 2002
.
stint in the UAAP. The Phone Pals did not qualify for the semis but not without controversy. Needing to win by eight points over Red Bull Barako to qualify, the Phone Pals deliberately fouled several Red Bull players in the last two minutes to force an overtime or even reached the needed eight point margin. The game turned out to be more disgraceful when Jojo Manalo tried to hit a three-pointer on Red Bull's basket. The incident led to a hefty fine and a five game suspension to acting coach Ariel Vanguardia.
In the revived Reinforced Conference, Talk 'N Text was bannered by Damien Cantrell but the Phone Pals finished with a 7-6 mark, good for 4th place in Group B. They upset the top seeded Red Bull Barako 2-1 that ended with Jimwell Torion's clothesline on Jimmy Alapag's face that led to the latter's suspension for eight months, which was later reduced.
In the semis, Talk 'N Text was swept by eventual champions Coca-Cola, but the Phone Pals captured third place in the tournament after beating Sta. Lucia
in a one game playoff for third place.
Asi Taulava became the first Filipino-foreign player since Ricardo Brown in 1985 to win the coveted Most Valuable Player award. Jimmy Alapag
won the Rookie of the Year honors to wrapped up the Phone Pals' incredible year.
, the Phone Pals were bannered by 2002 MVP Willie Miller and Yancy de Ocampo in separate deals with Red Bull and FedEx.
The Phone Pals made it to the semis of the tournament, but lost in a three-game showdown with crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra Kings
.
In the 2004-05
Philippine Cup, the Phone Pals placed second in the classification phase to qualify for the semi-finals. The Phone Pals swept the Shell Turbo Chargers
but was defeated in six games by Barangay Ginebra.
During the said tournament, Asi Taulava was considered by the Department of Justice as one of six Filipino-foreigners suspected of falsifying their documents. Taulava was suspended by the PBA indefinitely, along with five other players.
Taulava gained some advantage from the Quezon City RTC, but the PBA still didn't gave Taulava the go-signal. In the Finals of the Philippine Cup, the Phone Pals used Taulava despite the league's refusal to allow Taulava. Talk 'N Text reasoned a court order that allows Asi to play in the series. The Phone Pals wound up winning Game One by double figures, but the game was forfeited two days later, awarding the win to Barangay Ginebra. The Phone Pals later announced that they will not allow Taulava to play for the rest of the series.
In the 2004-05
Fiesta Conference, the Phone Pals finished first after the classification phase, earning an outright semi-finals berth. In the semis, the Phone Pals eliminating the soon departing Shell Turbo Chargers
, 3-1, to face San Miguel in the finals series.
Taulava was once again used by Talk 'N Text, but this time the league gave the go-signal for Taulava to return and play for his mother ballclub. Asi showed rustiness during the series as the Phone Pals lost the series to San Miguel, 4-1. Willie Miller was named as the Best Player of the Conference.
and Mark Cardona
from the Air21 Express for Yancy de Ocampo
and Patrick Fran in separate deals.
The Phone Pals were considered as top favorites in the 2005-2006
Fiesta Conference. However, the Phone Pals lost in five grueling games to Air21 in the quarterfinals. During the series, import Damien Cantrell was replaced by former Detroit Piston
and NBA
champion Darvin Ham
. But Ham did not fit in Talk 'N Text's system and struggled.
After the disappointing finish in the said tournament, Joel Banal resigned as head coach and was replaced by former amateur coach Derrick Pumaren. The change made some good strides in the early stages of his second stint with Talk 'N Text. With Pumaren using the star players Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag, and mixing Harvey Carey and seldom-used rookie Mark Cardona, the Phone Pals went 5-4 through nine games of the Philippine Cup.
However, the Phone Pals suffered three succeeding losses, prompting team officials to land Ren-Ren Ritualo
from Air21 for Leo Avenido and a future first round draft pick, and Don Allado
from Alaska for Willie Miller
, John Ferriols
and a future first round pick on May 8. The move saw the Phone Pals as a potential title contender with the squad boasting a group of star players from their past teams along with Taulava, Alapag, Cardona and Carey. Even with a strong lineup, the trade put the Phone Pals in a deeper hole losing three more games before a win against Coca-Cola gave them a disappointing 6-10 card.
In the wildcard phase, the Phone Pals did not win a single game in the round-robin format. In their initial game, Talk 'N Text lost to Barangay Ginebra, eliminating them from quarterfinal contention before losing their final two games to Air21 and Sta. Lucia.
The Phone Pals had a shot of taking the No. 1 pick in the draft but they traded that rights to Air21 in a trade months ago, which dealt a big blow to the franchise. Rumors then speculated that TNT management was set to make drastic changes for the team after their disappointing season.
and Chris Cantonjos were not renewed, leaving the team with only 10 players. The Phone Pals participated in the 2006 NBA Summer Pro League
. In the 2006 PBA Draft
, the Phone Pals selected Mark Andaya
in the first round, their only pick in the draft.
Talk 'N Text managed to start off big in the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup
, but a string of losses put them beneath the standings. After a late surge, followed by a crucial Christmas Day victory over Ginebra, gave the team a 10-8 record and a quarterfinals berth against Purefoods. The Phone Pals won the series 3-1 dethroning the defending Philippine Cup champions by winning the next three games by convincing margins. At the semifinals, they took crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra Kings
to six games but they were eliminated by the eventual champions; they defeated Red Bull Barako in the third-place game.
In the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference
, the Phone Pals barged into the Finals after surviving a quarterfinal scare against the Air21 Express and upsetting first seed Red Bull Barako to face the Alaska Aces
. The Aces drew first blood by taking game 1 but fell behind with a 1-2 series deficit after newly crowned Best Player of the Conference Mark Cardona
scoring big. Newly crowned MVP candidate Willie Miller
erupted for 29 points to tie the series. Cardona then had an answer when he top-scored all locals on Game 5.
Cardona gave the ball away in the dying seconds for the Aces to tie the series 3-all. Game 7 was a tight affair but the Aces broke through with a Miller steal off Cardona to seal Talk 'N Text's third successive Finals defeat.
Taulava and the Tigers then had a 5-game winning streak, while the Phone Pals could only muster a three-game winning streak of their own. On the final game of the elimination round, with TNT needing to win to force a playoff for the last quarterfinal berth, Taulava and the Tigers beat the Phone Pals to deny them the playoff and instead arranged a sudden death wildcard game between the two teams. With Taulava and another ex-Phone Pal Mark Telan
playing inspired basketball, the Tigers eliminated the #6 seed Phone Pals in the first wildcard round.
This led to rumors of team management firing Derrick Pumaren and his staff but after a meeting with the players, it was decided to defer the decision until after the next tournament, the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference
.
However, on January 28, 2008, it was announced that former San Miguel Beermen
head coach Chot Reyes
would replace Pumaren as coach
In the 2008 Fiesta Conference, Talk 'N Text had a 5-game losing streak after starting with a 7–3 record to finish with a 9–9 record. This caused them to go through the wildcard phase once again; after beating Purefoods in a fight-marred contest, the Phone Pals dropped at the second wildcard round against the Sta. Lucia Realtors
to deny them of quarterfinal qualification for the 2007–08 season.
Jared Dillinger
and Singapore Slingers
' Jason Castro
, who had left the team after the team left Australia
's National Basketball League
, center Robert Reyes
. The Texters relied on Mark Cardona
to finish with a 11–7 record, good for second place and a semifinal berth, behind Alaska. Cardona participated in the last two plays that led to their Finals qualification, beating the San Miguel Beermen in Game 6. The Texters and the Aces faced off anew in the Finals, this time with Talk 'N Text winning in seven games, thanks to Cardona, Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo
's plays down the stretch in Game 7.
and dealt 18th draft pick Kevin White to the Gin Kings. They have also transferred Yousif Aljamal
and Rob Reyes to the Barako Bull.
finally was ousted from the Burger King Whoppers as he was forwarded to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in exchange for four first round future picks (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and undisclosed amount of money.
& Yancy de Ocampo
to the Air 21 in exchange fo JR Quinahan, Mark Yee
& Aaron Aban.
in Game 6. They finish the game 95-82. The Finals MVP are Jason Castro and Jimmy Alapag
. This is the 3rd Championship of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. 2 championships came from coach Chot Reyes
.
The TNT won the Championship in the 2011 Commissioner's Cup on May 8, 2011 in an epic OT win against the Barangay Ginebra Kings
in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series. They finish the game 99-96. The Finals MVP are still Jason Castro and Jimmy Alapag
. This is the 4th Championship of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. 3 championships came from coach Chot Reyes
.
Coming into the Governor's Cup, TNT were heavy favorites as they aimed for the rare triple crown conference. They ended up at solo first place in the elimination with a 6-2 win-loss record, and added three wins against two losses in the semifinal round to secure the first finals seat eventually facing the depleted Petron Blaze Boosters in a full seven game series, which started with a buzzer beater win by Petron. Their shot at the Grandslam was revived when they recovered from a 3-2 deficit to force a Game 7 but eventually lost to Petron, 85-73. Jimmy Alapag
was still named season MVP.
!width="40"|Pos.
!width="165"|Starter
!width="165"|Bench
!width="165"|Bench
!width="165"|Reserve
!width="165"|Inactive
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | C
| Japeth Aguilar
|| Ali Peek
|| Gilbert Lao
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | PF
| Ranidel de Ocampo
|| Harvey Carey
|| Rich Alvarez
||
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | SF
| Kelly Williams
|| Jared Dillinger
|| Aaron Aban
|| style="background:#b9e3ca" | || style="background:#efe196" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | SG
| Jason Castro
|| Larry Fonacier
|| || Emerson Oreta || style="background:#b9e3ca" | || style="background:#efe196" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | PG
| Jimmy Alapag
|| Ryan Reyes
|| John Raymundo
|| Shawn Weinstein
|| style="background:#efe196" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
|}
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
.
The team was first owned by Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
of Luis Francisco R. Lorenzo
Moro Lorenzo
Luis Francisco "Chitong" Lorenzo , better known as "Moro" Lorenzo and also as Luis F. Lorenzo, Sr., was a former Filipino basketball player and corporate executive. Lorenzo played college ball for the Ateneo de Manila, before moving on to play for Philippine Airlines in the Manila Industrial and...
and was granted an expansion franchise prior to the 1990 PBA season
1990 PBA season
The 1990 PBA season was the 16th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Season Highlights:*The PBA increased its membership from 6 teams to 8, with the entry of expansion teams, RFM/Cosmos Bottling, Inc. and Pepsi-Cola...
. The Pepsi Hotshots also used the names 7-Up Uncolas and Pepsi Mega Bottlers in their campaigns, netting no championships.
In 1996, telecommunications company Pilipino Telephone Corporation
Pilipino Telephone Corporation
The Pilipino Telephone Corporation , commonly known as Piltel, is a holding company of the PLDT Group for its venture into the electricity distribution industry. Previously, it was one of the mobile and fixed-line telephone service providers in the Philippines...
bought the franchise and has since owned the team. After the franchise was bought, it was then renamed to the Mobiline Cellulars and later the Mobiline Phone Pals which won the special 1998 PBA Centennial Cup
1998 PBA Centennial Cup
-See also:* 1998 PBA season...
. After Piltel became an MVNO in April 2000, the team was again renamed in 2001, this time as the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals, after a prepaid cellular phone service
Talk 'N Text
Talk 'N Text is a cellular service, based in The Philippines, which belongs to Smart Communications. This is formerly known as Mobiline and Phone Pal. By April 2000, Piltel launched its GSM brand, Talk 'N Text. Piltel also reported 16,590,737 subscribers to its GSM brand, Talk 'N Text, before its...
. They have since won two titles and remains as one of the league's powerhouses. In 2008, the team changed their moniker from Phone Pals to Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters, and in the process winning the team's second championship via the 2008-09 PBA Philippine Cup.
Under the Pepsi brand
Pepsi Mega was accepted as one of two new members of the PBA during the 1990 season1990 PBA season
The 1990 PBA season was the 16th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Season Highlights:*The PBA increased its membership from 6 teams to 8, with the entry of expansion teams, RFM/Cosmos Bottling, Inc. and Pepsi-Cola...
, joining soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
rival Pop Cola
Pop Cola Panthers
The Pop Cola Panthers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team from 1990-2001 under the ownership of Cosmos Bottling Corporation, a subsidiary of RFM Corporation. Cosmos was sold to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc., then-owned by San Miguel Corporation in 2001 which also includes the...
. They were known as Pepsi Hotshots in their maiden year 1990, their first coach was the late Ed Ocampo, assisted by Olympian Bobby Littaua, and Team Manager was Steve Watson, after winning its inaugural game vs fellow expansion team Pop Cola, 149-130 with import Derek Hamilton scoring 77 points, the Hotshots lost all their remaining games in the first conference, the losing streak stretched in the All-Filipino, counting to a 15-game losing streak before finally winning again over Pop Cola, In the third conference, Derek Pumaren replaced Ed Ocampo as Hotshots head coach and the Pepsi franchise went 0 wins, 10 losses in the season-ending tournament..
In 1991
1991 PBA season
The 1991 PBA season was the 17th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Season Highlights:*The PBA Rookie draft, was aired on TV lived for the first time in league history....
, Pepsi acquired Manny Victorino from Presto, and team improved its number of won games, but still failed to make past eliminations in the first two conferences. They attempted to become a competitive team by offering a 5-year, P25 million contract to Purefoods TJ Hotdogs' top gun Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Vergara Patrimonio , nicknamed "The Captain" and "Captain Lionheart" is a retired Filipino professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager of his former team, the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.Patrimonio holds several PBA records...
. However, Patrimonio to stayed with Purefoods after his mother team matched the offer. But despite this, this did not stop Pepsi from entering the semifinals and finishing fourth among the eight teams in the third conference.
In 1992
1992 PBA season
The 1992 PBA season was the 18th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable occurrences:*PBA Commissioner Rudy Salud, stepped down from his post, after four successful years of guiding the league at its highest level, PBA chairman Rey Marquez succeeded Atty.Salud as the new PBA...
, Pepsi acquired ROY Eugene Quilban in a trade which sent Jun Reyes to Alaska, the hotshots placed 7th in the first conference. After the 349 controversy, they were known as the 7-Up Bottlers, one of the brands which Pepsi (Philippines) bottled and marketed in the Philippines.
7-Up would place runner-up in the 1992 Reinforced Conference. Their import was an NBA veteran point guard, Dell Demps
Dell Demps
Dell Demps is a retired American professional basketball player and current general manager of the New Orleans Hornets. A 6'3" guard from the University of the Pacific, Demps played for the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Orlando Magic, despite being undrafted. Demps played high...
. They would be swept by the Swift Mighty Meaties
Pop Cola Panthers
The Pop Cola Panthers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team from 1990-2001 under the ownership of Cosmos Bottling Corporation, a subsidiary of RFM Corporation. Cosmos was sold to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc., then-owned by San Miguel Corporation in 2001 which also includes the...
led by Tony Harris in the finals 4-0.
http://mypba.com/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=776&view=findpost&p=44535. Prior to the finals, Seven-Up and Swift were fined on a so-so game where Swift intentionally lose the match in order to eliminate Ginebra from the finals race.
Seven-Up was bannered by players Manny Victorino, Abet Guidaben, Eugene Quilban and Naning Valenciano. Quilban recorded 28 assists during a game that year, which is still a PBA record.
Despite getting 2nd overall pick Victor Pablo, 7-Up failed to reach the semifinals in the first two conferences of the season. In the third conference, the team reverted back to Pepsi Hotshots. Pepsi eventually placed fourth in the 1993
1993 PBA season
The 1993 PBA season was the 19th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable events:*The league moves to its new home, the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.*The league unveils their new logo during the opening ceremonies.*Sta...
Governor's Cup.
Before the 1994 PBA Governor's Cup, Pepsi and Sunkist were involved in a rare coaching trade that saw Derrick Pumaren moving to the RFM franchise for Yeng Guiao
Yeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Guiao is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and was also the head coach of the Philippine National Basketball Team. Guiao won four PBA titles since starting his head coaching job for Swift in...
. Despite the coaching change, Pepsi's on and off performance continued with their best finish taking the third-place in the 1994
1994 PBA season
The 1994 PBA season was the 20th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Season Highlights:The San Miguel Beermen won the All-Filipino championship over Coney Island and represented the country in the 1994 Asian Games. Amateur standouts Marlou Aquino and Kenneth Duremdes join the RP-San...
Governor's Cup with import Ronnie Coleman. In the 1995
1995 PBA season
The 1995 PBA season was the 21st season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Season Highlights:*The PBA returned to the Araneta Coliseum, after a decade of absence, with the scheduled games on Friday being held at the Big Dome....
, even with a strong start in the Governor's Cup, in which they had a 5-2 win-loss card but never took home a trophy at the end of the tournament.
Pepsi was also known as a hard-luck PBA team because it never found considerable success after finishing runner-up in the 1992 Reinforced Conference. After it failed to land Alvin Patrimonio in 1991, the ballclub attempted again in 1995 to dangle a 5-year, P28.8 million contract to Sta. Lucia Realtors
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
' main man Jun Limpot
Jun Limpot
Zandro P. Limpot, Jr. , also known as "The Main Man" Jun Limpot, is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association.- Career :...
. However, Sta. Lucia matched the offer and Pepsi had to contend with blue-collar players in Alvin Teng (acquired from San Miguel in exchange for Victor Pablo), Dindo Pumaren (from Purefoods in exchange for Richie Ticzon), Eugene Quilban and Boy Cabahug to lead the team.
Mobiline Cellulars
After the 1996 PBA All-Filipino Cup, Pepsi Hotshots was renamed as the Mobiline Cellulars, a product of telecommunications company Pilipino Telephone Corporation (Piltel). There is some confusion or lack of information on how the team was renamed from a soft drink product to a cellphone brand. One fan from MYPBA.com explained his own take.- My opinion is that the Piltel franchise came to be only in 1996 even if then Pepsi owner Luis "Moro" LorenzoMoro LorenzoLuis Francisco "Chitong" Lorenzo , better known as "Moro" Lorenzo and also as Luis F. Lorenzo, Sr., was a former Filipino basketball player and corporate executive. Lorenzo played college ball for the Ateneo de Manila, before moving on to play for Philippine Airlines in the Manila Industrial and...
was somehow a stockholder of Piltel. My recollection is that when Mobiline became the "new name" of Pepsi Hotshots, it was Choy Cojuangco who was already running the basketball operations of the team. He then eventually turned the reins over to his brother Tonyboy who thereafter, sold his shares to Manny PangilinanManuel V. PangilinanManuel V Pangilinan , also known as Manny Pangilinan and MVP, is a Filipino businessman. He is the Chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, from 1998 up to the present....
and the Metro Pacific Group.
The team still retained the lineage of the old Pepsi team in the past as prove in the Official PBA Annual, Hardcourt, in which the win-loss record of Pepsi from 1990-1995 are attached to the Mobiline teams.
The Cellulars retained the old Pepsi team with point guard Eugene Quilban and power forward Alvin Teng leading the team. But the name change did not help the Cellulars contend for the crown.
Mobiline Phone Pals
In 19971997 PBA season
The 1997 PBA season was the 23rd season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable occurrences:*The entry of Fil-Americans in the PBA, for the first time in league history, the top two picks of the Annual Rookie draft was born outside the Philippines, the 6-9 Andrew John Seigle, a discovery...
, Mobiline acquired the first overall pick from Pop Cola and used it to draft Filipino-American Andrew John Seigle
Andy Seigle
Andrew John Seigle is a retired Filipino-American professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a member of the Philippine national basketball team. He is the brother of Danny Seigle, also a basketball player in the same league...
. The Cellulars also drafted Patrick Fran, Tony Boy Espinosa. Mobiline hired former San Miguel
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
coach Norman Black and acquired 1995 Rookie of the Year Jeffrey Cariaso from Alaska
Alaska Aces (PBA)
The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
via an offer sheet bearing a three-year contract worth P18.3 million.
In the All-Filipino, the Cellulars advanced to the semi-finals but faltered in the Commissioner's Cup with Isaish Morris as reinforcement. In the Governor's Cup, they paraded Artemus "Tee" McClary and hired a new coach in Derrick Pumaren and Tommy Manotoc as consultant. Mobiline posted a decent finish in the Governor's Cup but failed to enter the semis.
In 1998
1998 PBA season
The 1998 PBA season was the 24th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Season Highlights:*The PBA is in their toughest challenge for the year, with the formation of a new league called Metropolitan Basketball Association, backed by the giant network ABS-CBN, is perceived to be a threat...
, the Phone Pals struggled in the All-Filipino with a 4-7 record. In the Commissioner's Cup, another change was done as it hired former Purefoods mentor Eric Altamirano. The Pals, like in the '97 Governor's Cup were eliminated in the quarterfinals with Terquin Mott as import.
Centennial Cup Champions
Andy Seigle and Jeffrey Cariaso were borrowed by the national team for the 1998 Asian GamesAsian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. They captured the 1998 PBA Centennial (the Philippines was then celebrating its 100th anniversary of the independence from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) Cup by beating Shell by a hairline, 67-66, in overtime led by imports Silas Mills and McClary, with the help of veteran locals Glen Capacio and Al Solis. However, the Centennial Cup was a special tournament and the title was not considered as an official championship.
The records after the elimination round of the tournament was carried over in the Governor's Cup. The Pals retained their winning way and advanced to the finals in a rematch with the Zoom Masters. Mobiline held a 3-2 series lead but lost the last two games to wind up in second place. Mills would end up winning the Best Import of the Governor's Cup.
Asi Taulava era
Seeking for bigger things in 1999, the Pals acquired Filipino-Tongan Pauliasi TaulavaAsi Taulava
Pauliasi M. Taulava also known as Asi Taulava is a American-born Filipino-Tongan professional basketball player playing in the Philippines for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association....
to man the Pals frontline along with Seigle. Mobiline started the All-Filipino with a 7-0 record before losing a crucial game to San Miguel. The Pals end up with the best record after the elimination phase but was defeated by a gritty Barangay Ginebra Kings
Barangay Ginebra Kings
The Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
squad despite a twice to beat advantage on Bal David's incredible last second shot.
The rest of the year, Mobiline would be eliminated in the quarters during the Commissioner's and Governor's Cup while Taulava's eligibility as a legitimate Filipino-foreigner was questioned. During the midseason, Mobiline traded Andy Seigle to Purefoods for veteran Jerry Codinera.
2000
2000 PBA season
The 2000 PBA season was the 26th of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable occurrences:*PBA's TV partner, Vintage Television was absorbed by Viva Entertainment.*Batang Red Bull Energizers entered the league as an expansion team....
saw some lineup change for the Phone Pals as it acquired Vic Pablo in the three-team trade that sent Jeffrey Cariaso to Tanduay
Tanduay Rhum Masters
The Tanduay Rhum Masters is a former Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association , Philippine Basketball Association and Philippine Basketball League basketball team.-History:...
and Mark Telan to Shell Velocity
Shell Turbo Chargers
The Shell Turbo Chargers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints...
.
Taulava would be deported later in the year as the Pals were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the All-Filipino with new coach Louie Alas
Louie Alas
Francisco Luis "Louie" Alas is a multi-titled Filipino basketball head coach. He is currently the head coach of the Letran Knights in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and will soon coach the Philippine Patriots in the Asean Basketball League...
. The Pals wound up with the best record in the elimination phase of the Governor's Cup. After surviving a quarterfinals meeting with Barangay Ginebra, Purefoods eliminate Mobiline in four games. The Phone Pals finished 4th after losing to Batang Red Bull Thunder in a knockout game for third place.
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
| Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Uniforms | |
In 2001
2001 PBA season
The 2001 PBA season was the 27th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable occurrences:*During the preseason, Tanduay made soundwaves in the PBA when they signed Danny Ildefonso of corporate rival San Miguel Beermen a whopping 16-year, 98 million peso offersheet...
, the Phone Pals tried to acquire Kenneth Duremdes
Kenneth Duremdes
Kenneth Duremdes is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Powerade Tigers...
through free agency, but Alaska
Alaska Aces (PBA)
The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
matched Mobiline's offer sheet of a reported 48 million pesos, and Duremdes stayed with the Aces.
The Phone Pals drafted former Manila Metrostar Gilbert Demape, but the Phone Pals, for the sixth time in seven conferences, were eliminated by top seed Shell in the quarterfinals.
In the Commissioner's Cup, the Pals bannered Michigan University
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
standout Jerod Ward who exploded for 61 points in his debut. Later, Taulava returned to the Philippines after an apporval by the Justice Department
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
but despite that, the Phone Pals failed to get past the quarterfinals. The Governor's Cup was also the same fate for the Phone Pals despite changing their name to Talk 'N Text and having Brandon Williams as import.
Under foreign coaches
Before the 2002 season, Alas was fired by Talk 'N Text and hired former UNLVUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
coach Bill Bayno
Bill Bayno
Bill Bayno is an American basketball coach and former player. He was the head men's basketball coach at Loyola Marymount University from 2008 to 2009, resigning due to medical reasons...
despite numerous calls by the nationalist Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines to ban the American mentor. Although they lost Asi Taulava and Patrick Fran to the National Pool, Talk 'N Text was bannered by Richie Frahm
Richie Frahm
Richie Frahm is an American professional basketball player.After he went undrafted following a college career at Gonzaga University and brief overseas stints, among others in the Philippine Basketball Association, and in Turkey, the 6'5" shooting guard signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2003,...
and Jerald Honeycutt
Jerald Honeycutt
Jerald DeWayne Honeycutt is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round of the 1997 NBA Draft. Honeycutt played 2 years in the NBA for the Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 5.1 ppg in his career...
, a replacement for an original import. The Phone Pals end up as the top team in the elimination phase of the Governor's Cup but suffered the same fate as 1999 when the eighth seed San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
upset the Pals.
But Talk 'N Text finally broke the spell in the Commissioner's Cup, led by Honeycutt and Pete Mickeal, the seventh seeded Phone Pals defeated Sta. Lucia in the quarterfinals and Alaska in a five game semis affair to enter their third Finals appearance in team history, and the first since 1998. In the end, Red Bull defeated Talk 'N Text in seven grueling games.
Bayno later left the team, but without some parting shots on the PBA when he accused the league of favoring the San Miguel Corporation
San Miguel Corporation
Established in 1890 as a brewery, San Miguel Corporation is Southeast Asia's largest publicly listed food, beverage and packaging company with over 17,000 employees in over 100 major facilities throughout the Asia-Pacific....
teams.
In the All-Filipino, Taulava returned to the team after his national team stint in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
but the Phone Pals got the early boot in the quarterfinals under new head coach Paul Woolpert, another American coach who replaced the departed Bill Bayno.
In 2003
2003 PBA season
The 2003 PBA Season was the 29th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable occurrences:*The NBN/IBC consortium took over the league's TV coverage after winning the TV rights over the league's longtime TV partner Vintage Television in December 2002.*Noli Eala became the league's...
, the Phone Pals used two first round picks to draft Fil-Americans Harvey Carey
Harvey Carey
Harvey Carey is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is known for his defense and tenacious rebounding skills. Even though undersized at his position, he still manages to be effective...
and Jimmy Alapag
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
, who was with the RP national pool in 2002. The Pals struggled early in the All-Filipino and midway to that tournament, Woolpert left the team and was replaced with Ateneo
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
coach Joel Banal, who led the Blue Eagles to the UAAP title in 2002
UAAP Season 65
UAAP Season 65 is the 2002-2003 season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, which was hosted by National University. The season opened on July 13, 2002.-Elimination round:Host team in boldface.-Bracket:-Juniors' Division:...
.
2003 All-Filipino Championship
Since then, Talk 'N Text rose to the tournament and captured the All-Filipino Cup over defending champion Coca-Cola in six games. After an overtime win in Game Five, the Phone Pals became the first team since 1982 to come back from a 0-2 deficit to win the next four games after a hard-fought Game Six victory. Taulava was named as the PBA Finals MVP, after winning the Best Player of the Conference award.Post-championship era
They also qualified in the 2003 PBA Invitationals where four guest teams were invited. Joel Banal left the team for the moment to concentrate on his Ateneo Blue EaglesAteneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles is the name of the collegiate men's varsity basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University that plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady...
stint in the UAAP. The Phone Pals did not qualify for the semis but not without controversy. Needing to win by eight points over Red Bull Barako to qualify, the Phone Pals deliberately fouled several Red Bull players in the last two minutes to force an overtime or even reached the needed eight point margin. The game turned out to be more disgraceful when Jojo Manalo tried to hit a three-pointer on Red Bull's basket. The incident led to a hefty fine and a five game suspension to acting coach Ariel Vanguardia.
In the revived Reinforced Conference, Talk 'N Text was bannered by Damien Cantrell but the Phone Pals finished with a 7-6 mark, good for 4th place in Group B. They upset the top seeded Red Bull Barako 2-1 that ended with Jimwell Torion's clothesline on Jimmy Alapag's face that led to the latter's suspension for eight months, which was later reduced.
In the semis, Talk 'N Text was swept by eventual champions Coca-Cola, but the Phone Pals captured third place in the tournament after beating Sta. Lucia
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
in a one game playoff for third place.
Asi Taulava became the first Filipino-foreign player since Ricardo Brown in 1985 to win the coveted Most Valuable Player award. Jimmy Alapag
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
won the Rookie of the Year honors to wrapped up the Phone Pals' incredible year.
2004-05 season
Joel Banal resigned as Ateneo head coach to concentrate on the Talk 'N Text team. In the 2004 PBA Fiesta Conference2004 PBA Fiesta Conference
The 2004 PBA Fiesta Conference, or known as the 2004 Gran Matador Brandy-PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, was tournament held by the Philippine Basketball Association and the first ever edition of the PBA Fiesta Conference....
, the Phone Pals were bannered by 2002 MVP Willie Miller and Yancy de Ocampo in separate deals with Red Bull and FedEx.
The Phone Pals made it to the semis of the tournament, but lost in a three-game showdown with crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra Kings
Barangay Ginebra Kings
The Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
.
In the 2004-05
2004-05 PBA season
The 2004-05 PBA season is the 30th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. Instead of the usual calendar year of February-December, the league changed its schedule to the current October-July format, while limiting the number of conferences from three to two...
Philippine Cup, the Phone Pals placed second in the classification phase to qualify for the semi-finals. The Phone Pals swept the Shell Turbo Chargers
Shell Turbo Chargers
The Shell Turbo Chargers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints...
but was defeated in six games by Barangay Ginebra.
During the said tournament, Asi Taulava was considered by the Department of Justice as one of six Filipino-foreigners suspected of falsifying their documents. Taulava was suspended by the PBA indefinitely, along with five other players.
Taulava gained some advantage from the Quezon City RTC, but the PBA still didn't gave Taulava the go-signal. In the Finals of the Philippine Cup, the Phone Pals used Taulava despite the league's refusal to allow Taulava. Talk 'N Text reasoned a court order that allows Asi to play in the series. The Phone Pals wound up winning Game One by double figures, but the game was forfeited two days later, awarding the win to Barangay Ginebra. The Phone Pals later announced that they will not allow Taulava to play for the rest of the series.
In the 2004-05
2004-05 PBA season
The 2004-05 PBA season is the 30th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. Instead of the usual calendar year of February-December, the league changed its schedule to the current October-July format, while limiting the number of conferences from three to two...
Fiesta Conference, the Phone Pals finished first after the classification phase, earning an outright semi-finals berth. In the semis, the Phone Pals eliminating the soon departing Shell Turbo Chargers
Shell Turbo Chargers
The Shell Turbo Chargers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints...
, 3-1, to face San Miguel in the finals series.
Taulava was once again used by Talk 'N Text, but this time the league gave the go-signal for Taulava to return and play for his mother ballclub. Asi showed rustiness during the series as the Phone Pals lost the series to San Miguel, 4-1. Willie Miller was named as the Best Player of the Conference.
2005-06 season
Talk 'N Text acquired rookies Anthony WashingtonAnthony Washington
Anthony Washington is a former American discus thrower, who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics for his native country. At the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Washington won the gold medal in discus throw.His personal bests are 71.14 m in discus and 59.58 m in hammer throw...
and Mark Cardona
Mark Cardona
Mark "Macmac" Cardona is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association...
from the Air21 Express for Yancy de Ocampo
Yancy de Ocampo
Yancy Rozal de Ocampo is a Filipino professional basketball player who will play for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association. At 6'9", he is a good outside shooter and a low post threat. He is also among the PBL's Top 20 Players of All-time...
and Patrick Fran in separate deals.
The Phone Pals were considered as top favorites in the 2005-2006
2005-06 PBA season
-Final results:*Fiesta Conference Finals: Red Bull def. Purefoods , 4 games to 2**Finals MVP: Lordy Tugade *Third place: Air21 -Final results:*Fiesta Conference Finals: (3) Red Bull (9-7) def. (1) Purefoods (10-6), 4 games to 2**Finals MVP: Lordy Tugade (Red Bull)*Third place: Air21 -Final...
Fiesta Conference. However, the Phone Pals lost in five grueling games to Air21 in the quarterfinals. During the series, import Damien Cantrell was replaced by former Detroit Piston
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
and NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
champion Darvin Ham
Darvin Ham
Darvin Ham is an American former professional basketball player. He played eight seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005 and later for the Philippine Basketball Association and NBA Development League until 2008.- Basketball career :...
. But Ham did not fit in Talk 'N Text's system and struggled.
After the disappointing finish in the said tournament, Joel Banal resigned as head coach and was replaced by former amateur coach Derrick Pumaren. The change made some good strides in the early stages of his second stint with Talk 'N Text. With Pumaren using the star players Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag, and mixing Harvey Carey and seldom-used rookie Mark Cardona, the Phone Pals went 5-4 through nine games of the Philippine Cup.
However, the Phone Pals suffered three succeeding losses, prompting team officials to land Ren-Ren Ritualo
Ren-Ren Ritualo
Florendo Ritualo, Jr. better known as Renren Ritualo is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Shopinas.com Clickers...
from Air21 for Leo Avenido and a future first round draft pick, and Don Allado
Don Allado
Don Carlos Allado is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association....
from Alaska for Willie Miller
Willie Miller
William Ferguson Miller, MBE is a former professional football player who made a club record 558 league appearances for Aberdeen. He is currently the club's Director of Football...
, John Ferriols
John Ferriols
Hubert John B. Ferriols , better known simply as John Ferriols, is a Filipino professional basketball player for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association....
and a future first round pick on May 8. The move saw the Phone Pals as a potential title contender with the squad boasting a group of star players from their past teams along with Taulava, Alapag, Cardona and Carey. Even with a strong lineup, the trade put the Phone Pals in a deeper hole losing three more games before a win against Coca-Cola gave them a disappointing 6-10 card.
In the wildcard phase, the Phone Pals did not win a single game in the round-robin format. In their initial game, Talk 'N Text lost to Barangay Ginebra, eliminating them from quarterfinal contention before losing their final two games to Air21 and Sta. Lucia.
The Phone Pals had a shot of taking the No. 1 pick in the draft but they traded that rights to Air21 in a trade months ago, which dealt a big blow to the franchise. Rumors then speculated that TNT management was set to make drastic changes for the team after their disappointing season.
2006-07 season
Talk 'N Text has released Poch Juinio while the contracts of Vergel MenesesVergel Meneses
Vergel Meneses - nicknamed "The Aerial Voyager" - is a retired Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a former PBA Most Valuable Player and a many-time member of the Philippine National team...
and Chris Cantonjos were not renewed, leaving the team with only 10 players. The Phone Pals participated in the 2006 NBA Summer Pro League
Summer Pro League
The Summer Pro League, officially known as The Southern California Summer Pro League is a basketball league held every summer in Long Beach, California where first and second round draft picks in the NBA are able to improve their skills. It is also a place where undrafted players are able to...
. In the 2006 PBA Draft
2006 PBA Draft
The 2006 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event was held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 20, 2006. The Sta. Lucia Realtors chose Kelly Williams of Oakland University and PBL-Magnolia as the first...
, the Phone Pals selected Mark Andaya
Mark Andaya
Mark Anthony Andaya is a professional basketball player who last played for the Barako Bull Energy Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was drafted eighth overall by Talk 'N Text in 2006. After playing for the Philippine Patriots in the Asean Basketball League, he was acuqired by...
in the first round, their only pick in the draft.
Talk 'N Text managed to start off big in the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup
2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup
The 2006-07 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup or known as the 2006-07 Talk 'N Text PBA Philippine Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the first conference of the 2006-07 PBA season. It started on September 28, 2006 in Guam and ended on February 7, 2007...
, but a string of losses put them beneath the standings. After a late surge, followed by a crucial Christmas Day victory over Ginebra, gave the team a 10-8 record and a quarterfinals berth against Purefoods. The Phone Pals won the series 3-1 dethroning the defending Philippine Cup champions by winning the next three games by convincing margins. At the semifinals, they took crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra Kings
Barangay Ginebra Kings
The Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
to six games but they were eliminated by the eventual champions; they defeated Red Bull Barako in the third-place game.
In the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference
2007 PBA Fiesta Conference
-Barangay Ginebra-San Miguel series:-Talk 'N Text-Air21 series:-Red Bull-Talk 'N Text series:-Alaska-San Miguel series:-Third-place playoff:-Finals:Prior to Game 1, Sandwich performed "Laban kung Laban," the TV theme song of the PBA....
, the Phone Pals barged into the Finals after surviving a quarterfinal scare against the Air21 Express and upsetting first seed Red Bull Barako to face the Alaska Aces
Alaska Aces (PBA)
The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
. The Aces drew first blood by taking game 1 but fell behind with a 1-2 series deficit after newly crowned Best Player of the Conference Mark Cardona
Mark Cardona
Mark "Macmac" Cardona is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association...
scoring big. Newly crowned MVP candidate Willie Miller
Willie Miller (basketball player)
Willie V. Miller, Jr. , better known simply as Willie Miller, is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association....
erupted for 29 points to tie the series. Cardona then had an answer when he top-scored all locals on Game 5.
Cardona gave the ball away in the dying seconds for the Aces to tie the series 3-all. Game 7 was a tight affair but the Aces broke through with a Miller steal off Cardona to seal Talk 'N Text's third successive Finals defeat.
The end of the Asi Taulava era
Talk 'N Text was a rising powerhouse team after the 2007 Fiesta Conference Finals, with a star-studded line-up bannered by Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag, Don Allado, Jay Washington, Harvey Carey, Renren Ritualo, Mac-Mac Cardona, and Yousif Aljamal. However, former MVP Taulava's point production dipped when he opted to concentrate on the defensive end. His dismal performance in the team cost him his slot at the Phone Pals roster. On November 26, 2007, the Asi Taulava era at Talk 'N Text officially ended when the prized Fil-Tongan center was shipped to the Coca-Cola Tigers in exchange for Ali Peek and a 2008 first-round draft pick.Taulava and the Tigers then had a 5-game winning streak, while the Phone Pals could only muster a three-game winning streak of their own. On the final game of the elimination round, with TNT needing to win to force a playoff for the last quarterfinal berth, Taulava and the Tigers beat the Phone Pals to deny them the playoff and instead arranged a sudden death wildcard game between the two teams. With Taulava and another ex-Phone Pal Mark Telan
Mark Telan
Mark Clemence Telan is a Filipino professional basketball player who last suited up for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. A former De La Salle Green Archer, he was 2-time UAAP basketball Most Valuable Player. Telan entered the professional league in 1999...
playing inspired basketball, the Tigers eliminated the #6 seed Phone Pals in the first wildcard round.
This led to rumors of team management firing Derrick Pumaren and his staff but after a meeting with the players, it was decided to defer the decision until after the next tournament, the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference
2008 PBA Fiesta Conference
The 2008 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference or known as the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, is the last conference of the 2007-08 PBA season. The tournament began on March 29 with a game between the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals at...
.
However, on January 28, 2008, it was announced that former San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
head coach Chot Reyes
Chot Reyes
Vincent P. Reyes , better known as Chot Reyes, is a Filipino basketball head coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
would replace Pumaren as coach
In the 2008 Fiesta Conference, Talk 'N Text had a 5-game losing streak after starting with a 7–3 record to finish with a 9–9 record. This caused them to go through the wildcard phase once again; after beating Purefoods in a fight-marred contest, the Phone Pals dropped at the second wildcard round against the Sta. Lucia Realtors
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
to deny them of quarterfinal qualification for the 2007–08 season.
Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters
The team announced a new name for the 2008–09 season, the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. The Tropang Texters drafted2008 PBA Draft
The 2008 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which will allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event is set to be held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 31, 2008. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters selected Gabe Norwood of the George Mason...
Jared Dillinger
Jared Dillinger
Jared Ryan Dillinger is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. Dillinger is the second pick overall in the very talented draft class of 2008. He is a very versatile player that can play the 2,3, and...
and Singapore Slingers
Singapore Slingers
The Singapore Slingers are an Asian basketball team that formerly competed in the Australian National Basketball League. They were the first - and so far the only - Asia-based club to compete in the NBL when they joined at the start of the 2006/07 season....
' Jason Castro
Jason Castro (basketball player)
Jason Williams Castro is a Filipino basketball player. He played for the Philippine Christian University Dolphins in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Philippine Basketball League teams Hapee-PCU Teeth Protectors and Harbour Centre Batang Pier...
, who had left the team after the team left Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
, center Robert Reyes
Robert Reyes
Robert "Rob" Reyes is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He spent his college years in the United States at Flagler College. He was drafted fourth overall in the 2008 PBA Draft by the Talk 'N Text...
. The Texters relied on Mark Cardona
Mark Cardona
Mark "Macmac" Cardona is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association...
to finish with a 11–7 record, good for second place and a semifinal berth, behind Alaska. Cardona participated in the last two plays that led to their Finals qualification, beating the San Miguel Beermen in Game 6. The Texters and the Aces faced off anew in the Finals, this time with Talk 'N Text winning in seven games, thanks to Cardona, Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo
Ranidel de Ocampo
Ranidel Rozal de Ocampo , better known as Ranidel de Ocampo, is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. de Ocampo currently plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters after he was traded by Air21 Express. He is the younger brother of Yancy de Ocampo...
's plays down the stretch in Game 7.
2009-10 season preparations
During the off-season, Tropang Texters signed Nic BelascoNic Belasco
Nicholas Belasco better known as Nic Belasco, is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who last played for the Sta. Lucia Realtors. He was drafted 2nd overall by Sunkist in 1997.-Player Profile:Belasco is one of the many reliable big men in the league...
and dealt 18th draft pick Kevin White to the Gin Kings. They have also transferred Yousif Aljamal
Yousif Aljamal
Yousif Aljamal is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He most recently played for the Meralco Bolts. He is also a former NCAA Most Valuable Player for its 82nd season with the San Beda Red Lions....
and Rob Reyes to the Barako Bull.
Japeth to TNT
After a lot of deliberation, Japeth AguilarJapeth Aguilar
Japeth Paul C. Aguilar , better known as Japeth Aguilar born in Pampanga, Philippines, is a Filipino basketball player. He recently played for Smart Gilas, and will play for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
finally was ousted from the Burger King Whoppers as he was forwarded to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in exchange for four first round future picks (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and undisclosed amount of money.
2009-2010 season
The TNT walk out against Ginebra during their Game 4 of the Quarter Finals and they failed to defend their title. As a preparation to the Fiesta Conference they traded Ren-Ren RitualoRen-Ren Ritualo
Florendo Ritualo, Jr. better known as Renren Ritualo is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Shopinas.com Clickers...
& Yancy de Ocampo
Yancy de Ocampo
Yancy Rozal de Ocampo is a Filipino professional basketball player who will play for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association. At 6'9", he is a good outside shooter and a low post threat. He is also among the PBL's Top 20 Players of All-time...
to the Air 21 in exchange fo JR Quinahan, Mark Yee
Mark Yee
Mark Yee is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association. He plays the Small Forward position.-External links:...
& Aaron Aban.
2010-2011 Champions
The TNT won the Championship in the 2010-2011 Philippine Cup on February 4, 2011. They defeated the San Miguel BeermenSan Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
in Game 6. They finish the game 95-82. The Finals MVP are Jason Castro and Jimmy Alapag
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
. This is the 3rd Championship of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. 2 championships came from coach Chot Reyes
Chot Reyes
Vincent P. Reyes , better known as Chot Reyes, is a Filipino basketball head coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
.
The TNT won the Championship in the 2011 Commissioner's Cup on May 8, 2011 in an epic OT win against the Barangay Ginebra Kings
Barangay Ginebra Kings
The Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
in Game 6 of their best-of-seven series. They finish the game 99-96. The Finals MVP are still Jason Castro and Jimmy Alapag
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
. This is the 4th Championship of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. 3 championships came from coach Chot Reyes
Chot Reyes
Vincent P. Reyes , better known as Chot Reyes, is a Filipino basketball head coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
.
Coming into the Governor's Cup, TNT were heavy favorites as they aimed for the rare triple crown conference. They ended up at solo first place in the elimination with a 6-2 win-loss record, and added three wins against two losses in the semifinal round to secure the first finals seat eventually facing the depleted Petron Blaze Boosters in a full seven game series, which started with a buzzer beater win by Petron. Their shot at the Grandslam was revived when they recovered from a 3-2 deficit to force a Game 7 but eventually lost to Petron, 85-73. Jimmy Alapag
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
was still named season MVP.
Current roster
Depth Chart
{| style="text-align: center; background:#AA151B; color:#F1BF00"!width="40"|Pos.
!width="165"|Starter
!width="165"|Bench
!width="165"|Bench
!width="165"|Reserve
!width="165"|Inactive
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | C
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
| Japeth Aguilar
Japeth Aguilar
Japeth Paul C. Aguilar , better known as Japeth Aguilar born in Pampanga, Philippines, is a Filipino basketball player. He recently played for Smart Gilas, and will play for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
|| Ali Peek
Ali Peek
Albert Henry Peek better known as Ali Peek is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He plays mostly at the Center position, although he is also used as a Power Forward occasionally...
|| Gilbert Lao
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | PF
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
| Ranidel de Ocampo
Ranidel de Ocampo
Ranidel Rozal de Ocampo , better known as Ranidel de Ocampo, is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. de Ocampo currently plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters after he was traded by Air21 Express. He is the younger brother of Yancy de Ocampo...
|| Harvey Carey
Harvey Carey
Harvey Carey is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is known for his defense and tenacious rebounding skills. Even though undersized at his position, he still manages to be effective...
|| Rich Alvarez
Rich Alvarez
Richard D. "Rich" Alvarez is a Filipino professional basketball player and currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. Alvarez was the first overall pick of 2004 PBA Draft by the Shell Turbo Chargers...
||
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | SF
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
| Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
|| Jared Dillinger
Jared Dillinger
Jared Ryan Dillinger is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. Dillinger is the second pick overall in the very talented draft class of 2008. He is a very versatile player that can play the 2,3, and...
|| Aaron Aban
Aaron Aban
Aaron Abril G. Aban , better known as Aaron Aban, is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. Born in Cagayan de Oro City and went to Colegio de San Juan de Letran in college...
|| style="background:#b9e3ca" | || style="background:#efe196" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | SG
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
| Jason Castro
Jason Castro
Jason René Castro is an American acoustic/folk-pop/contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and was the fourth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol...
|| Larry Fonacier
Larry Fonacier
Larry Alexander N. Fonacier is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters...
|| || Emerson Oreta || style="background:#b9e3ca" | || style="background:#efe196" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
! style="background:#efe196" | PG
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
| Jimmy Alapag
Jimmy Alapag
Jim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
|| Ryan Reyes
Ryan Reyes
Ryan Jay Reyes is a professional Filipino / American basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association and is a shooting guard for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. Nicknamed "D-Energizer" for his energetic style of play, he was drafted third overall by the Sta...
|| John Raymundo
John Raymundo
John Murphy "Pamboy" Raymundo is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was drafted 12th overall in 2011 by the Tropang Texters....
|| Shawn Weinstein
Shawn Weinstein
Shawn Weinstein is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He played 3 season for the St. Edwards University in the NCAA Men's Division and 2 season for the Elitzur Maccabi Netanya in the Ligat...
|| style="background:#efe196" |
|-style="height:40px; background:white; color:black"
|}
Season-by-season records
- Records from the last 3 seasons:
*one-game playoffsSeason |Conference | Elimination round | Playoffs Finish W L % Stage Results Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 2008-2009 Philippine Cup 2nd 11 7 .611 Semifinals
FinalsTalk 'N Text 4, San Miguel 2
Talk 'N Text 4, AlaskaAlaska Aces (PBA)The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
3Fiesta Conference 2009 PBA Fiesta ConferenceThe 2009 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference or known as the 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, is the last conference of the 2008-09 PBA season. It started on February 28 and finished on July 17...
7th 7 7 .500 Wildcard phase Purefoods 126, Talk 'N Text 123 (2OT)* 2009-2010 Philippine Cup 5th 11 7 .611 Quarterfinals Barangay Ginebra Barangay Ginebra KingsThe Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
3, Talk 'N Text 2Fiesta Conference 2010 PBA Fiesta ConferenceThe 2010 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference, is the last conference of the 2009-10 PBA season. It started on March 21 and finished on August 18, 2010...
3rd 15 3 .833 Semifinals
3rd-place playoffAlaska Alaska Aces (PBA)The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
4, Talk 'N Text 3
Talk 'N Text 113, B-Meg Derby Ace 95*2010-2011 Philippine Cup 1st 11 3 .786 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
FinalsTalk 'N Text**107, Rain or Shine 92
Talk 'N Text 4, B-Meg Derby Ace 2
Talk 'N Text 4, San Miguel 2Commissioner's Cup 2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup-Air21-Alaska series:-Talk 'N Text-Air21 series:-Smart Gilas-Barangay Ginebra series:-Finals:- Imports :The following is the list of imports, which had played for their respective teams at least once, with the returning imports in italics...
1st 8 1 .889 Semifinals
FinalsTalk 'N Text 3, Air21 0
Talk 'N Text 4, Barangay GinebraBarangay Ginebra KingsThe Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
2Governors Cup 2011 PBA Governors Cup- Imports :The following is the list of imports, which had played for their respective teams at least once, with the returning imports in italics. Highlighted are the imports who stayed with their respective teams for the entire conference....
1st 6 2 .750 Semifinals
Finals1st overall (9–4), 3–2 in semifinals
Petron 4, Talk 'N Text 3Elimination round 69 30 .697 | 7 post-wildcard appearances Playoffs 36 25 .590 | 3 championships
PBA's 25th anniversary all-time team
- Jerry CodiñeraJerry CodiñeraJerry Codiñera is a retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is nicknamed the "Defense Minister" for his prowess at the defensive end. He is also a member of the 25 Best Players of all Time of PBA and Philippine men's national basketball team of the 1994...
- played for the Mobiline Phone Pals from 1999 to 2001. - Abet GuidabenAbet GuidabenAlberto "Abet" Guidaben is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983...
- played for 7/Up-Pepsi squad from 1990 to 1993. - Vergel MenesesVergel MenesesVergel Meneses - nicknamed "The Aerial Voyager" - is a retired Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a former PBA Most Valuable Player and a many-time member of the Philippine National team...
- "The Aerial Voyager" played for Talk 'N Text in the 2006 Philippine Cup.
Other notable players
- Dennis Abbatuan
- Peter Aguilar
- Jonathan Aldave
- Yousif AljamalYousif AljamalYousif Aljamal is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He most recently played for the Meralco Bolts. He is also a former NCAA Most Valuable Player for its 82nd season with the San Beda Red Lions....
- Don AlladoDon AlladoDon Carlos Allado is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association....
- Pongkee Alolor
- Eric AltamiranoEric AltamiranoEric Altamirano is a former Filipino basketball player. He is currently the head coach of the National University Bulldogs.-Early career:...
- Bong Alvarez
- Leo AustriaLeo AustriaLeovino R. Austria , better known as Leo Austria, born in Sariaya, Quezon, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player and former head coach of the Welcoat Dragons and the Shell Turbo Chargers in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is also the 1985 PBA Rookie of the Year...
- Gido BabiloniaGido BabiloniaVegildo "Gido" Babilonia was a former Filipino basketball player.-Early life and career:Born Vegildo Quezon T. Babilonia on August 19, 1966. He was a native of Quezon.-Basketball career:...
- Felix Belano
- Nic BelascoNic BelascoNicholas Belasco better known as Nic Belasco, is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who last played for the Sta. Lucia Realtors. He was drafted 2nd overall by Sunkist in 1997.-Player Profile:Belasco is one of the many reliable big men in the league...
- Egay BillonesEgay BillonesErnesto Billiones or better known as Egay Billiones is a Filipino Professional basketball player of the Asean Basketball League. He last played for the Philippine Patriots...
- Lowell Briones
- Elmer Cabahug
- Chris Cantonjos
- Glenn Capacio
- Harvey CareyHarvey CareyHarvey Carey is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is known for his defense and tenacious rebounding skills. Even though undersized at his position, he still manages to be effective...
- Jeffrey CariasoJeffrey CariasoJeffrey J. Cariaso is a retired Filipino professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is the former starting off-guard for the Alaska Aces.-Alaska:...
- "The Jet" - Joy Carpio
- Merwin Castelo
- Jason Castro
- Gec ChiaGec ChiaGeorge Christian T. Chia , better known as Gec Chia, is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Barako Bull Energy Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
- Harmon Codiñera
- Tim Coloso
- Gabby Cui
- Jonathan de Guzman
- Richard del Rosario
- Jherome Ejercito
- Pong EscobalPong EscobalJohn Paul Escobal also known as Pong Escobal is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Shopinas.com Clickers in the Philippine Basketball Association, having played for Meralco Bolts. He played in San Beda's back-to-back-to-back titles in the NCAA...
- Tony Boy Espinosa
- John FerriolsJohn FerriolsHubert John B. Ferriols , better known simply as John Ferriols, is a Filipino professional basketball player for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association....
- Patrick Fran
- Niño GeligNiño GeligNiño Batayola Gelig is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who last played for the Welcoat Dragons...
- Willie Generalao - "The General"
- Jeffrey Graves
- Nap Hatton
- Paul HarrisPaul Harris (basketball)Paul Harris is an American professional basketball player who recently played for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association...
- Mark IsipMark IsipMark Gracer Isip is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Meralco Bolts. He was drafted sixth overall by Sta. Lucia in 2006...
- Padim IsraelPadim IsraelFederico Israel, Jr. , better known as Padim Israel, is a former Filipino basketball player. He played college ball for the Ateneo de Manila University before eventually going on to play professional basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association...
- Jun Jabar
- Dwight Lago
- Elmer Lago
- Gilbert LaoGilbert LaoGilbert Lao is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association.- References :...
- Noli LocsinNoli LocsinManuel Luis Locsin , better known as Noli Locsin, is a retired Filipino professional basketball player. He spent most of his career for the Ginebra San Miguel franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association...
- Romy Lopez
- Totoy Marquez
- Peter Martin
- Carlito Mejos
- Willie MillerWillie MillerWilliam Ferguson Miller, MBE is a former professional football player who made a club record 558 league appearances for Aberdeen. He is currently the club's Director of Football...
- "The Triller" - Jose Cadel Mosqueda
- Vic Pablo
- Ali PeekAli PeekAlbert Henry Peek better known as Ali Peek is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He plays mostly at the Center position, although he is also used as a Power Forward occasionally...
- "Man Mountain" - Franz Pumaren - "The Missile"
- Dindo Pumaren - "The Bullet"
- Eugene Quilban
- Kevin Ramas
- Badong Ramos
- Bong Ravena
- Ricky Relosa
- Eric Reyes
- Gilbert "Jun" Reyes
- Robert ReyesRobert ReyesRobert "Rob" Reyes is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He spent his college years in the United States at Flagler College. He was drafted fourth overall in the 2008 PBA Draft by the Talk 'N Text...
- Ren-Ren RitualoRen-Ren RitualoFlorendo Ritualo, Jr. better known as Renren Ritualo is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Shopinas.com Clickers...
- Joey Santamaria
- Andy SeigleAndy SeigleAndrew John Seigle is a retired Filipino-American professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a member of the Philippine national basketball team. He is the brother of Danny Seigle, also a basketball player in the same league...
- 1997 PBA Rookie of the Year - Al Solis
- Mark Anthony Tallo
- Asi TaulavaAsi TaulavaPauliasi M. Taulava also known as Asi Taulava is a American-born Filipino-Tongan professional basketball player playing in the Philippines for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association....
- 2003 PBA Most Valuable Player - Mark TelanMark TelanMark Clemence Telan is a Filipino professional basketball player who last suited up for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. A former De La Salle Green Archer, he was 2-time UAAP basketball Most Valuable Player. Telan entered the professional league in 1999...
- Alvin Teng - "Robocop"
- Ritchie Ticzon
- Zeuberg Torres
- Naning Valenciano
- Manny Victorino
- Yoyoy Villamin - "The Bicolano Superman"
- Larry Villanil
- Vernie Villarias
- Anton Villoria
- Rey Yñcierto
- Tonichi Yturri
Imports
- Todd Bernard
- Derick Canada
- Damian Cantrell
- Ronnie ColemanRonnie ColemanRonnie Dean "Big Ron" Coleman is an American professional bodybuilder who holds the record of eight straight wins as Mr. Olympia, a record career total that he shares with Lee Haney.-Biography:...
- Lanard CopelandLanard CopelandLanard Copeland is a retired American-born Australian professional basketball player. He played in the NBL from 1992-2008....
- Paul HarrisPaul Harris (basketball)Paul Harris is an American professional basketball player who recently played for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association...
- Dell DempsDell DempsDell Demps is a retired American professional basketball player and current general manager of the New Orleans Hornets. A 6'3" guard from the University of the Pacific, Demps played for the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Orlando Magic, despite being undrafted. Demps played high...
- Richie FrahmRichie FrahmRichie Frahm is an American professional basketball player.After he went undrafted following a college career at Gonzaga University and brief overseas stints, among others in the Philippine Basketball Association, and in Turkey, the 6'5" shooting guard signed with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2003,...
- Darvin HamDarvin HamDarvin Ham is an American former professional basketball player. He played eight seasons in the NBA from 1996 to 2005 and later for the Philippine Basketball Association and NBA Development League until 2008.- Basketball career :...
- Derrick HamiltonDerrick HamiltonDerrick T. Hamilton is a Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
- Jeff Hodge
- Jerald HoneycuttJerald HoneycuttJerald DeWayne Honeycutt is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round of the 1997 NBA Draft. Honeycutt played 2 years in the NBA for the Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 5.1 ppg in his career...
- Danny Johnson
- Terence Leather
- Artemus McClary
- Perry McDonald
- Aaron McGheeAaron McGheeAaron DeShon McGhee is an American professional basketball forward, currently playing for Khimik Yuzhny in Ukrainian League.- College career :...
- Pete MickealPete MickealFenton Pete Mickeal is an American professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round in the 2000 NBA Draft...
- Silas Mills
- Terquin Mott
- Kenny Redfield
- Larry RobinsonLarry RobinsonLarry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...
- Jose SlaughterJose SlaughterJose Dan Slaughter is a retired American basketball player. He was a 6'5" shooting guard and attended the University of Portland....
- Carlos Strong
- Alyun Taylor
- Jerod WardJerod WardJerod Davanta Ward is an American professional basketball player, currently playing for Adepal in Spain Leb Oro.Ward was the #1 recruit in the nation coming out of Clinton, Mississippi in 1994. He signed with the University of Michigan and comprised part of its highly-touted Fab Five II that...
- Brandon WilliamsBrandon Williams (basketball)Brandon Williams is an American basketball player.Williams played collegiately for Davidson College. He played professionally in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors , San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks . His career totals are 18 games with averages of 9.1 MPG, 2.3 PPG and 1.0 RPG...
- James Todd "J. J." Sullinger
- Tiras Wade
- Rashad Bell
- Shawn DanielsShawn DanielsShawn Daniels is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays in the National Basketball League of Canada for the London Lightning basketball team.-High school and college career:...
Coaches
- Ed OcampoEdgardo OcampoEdgardo L. Ocampo, also known as Ed Ocampo and Eddie Ocampo, was a former Filipino basketball player and head coach. Ocampo was born in Pampanga, Philippines. He played college ball for the Ateneo de Manila University, where he led the team to two championships in 1957 and 1958...
(1990–1991) † - Dante SilverioDante SilverioDante Lorna Silverio, better known simply as Dante Silverio, is a former Filipino basketball coach, and champion race car driver. He is best known as the coach of the Toyota Tamaraws in the Philippine Basketball Association. Silverio guided Toyota to five of its total nine PBA Championships. He...
(1991–1992) - Derrick PumarenDerrick PumarenFrederick S. Pumaren, better known as Derrick Pumaren, is a Filipino basketball coach.-Career:Derrick Pumaren was a member of the UE Red Warrior 1978 and 1979 Championship Teams, PBA Consultant, and a National Team Coach...
(1992–1994, 2006–2008) - Yeng GuiaoYeng GuiaoJoseller "Yeng" Guiao is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and was also the head coach of the Philippine National Basketball Team. Guiao won four PBA titles since starting his head coaching job for Swift in...
(1994–1997) - Norman BlackNorman BlackNorman Augustus Black is an American retired professional basketball player in the CBA, NBA, and PBA who has since settled in the Philippines. He is also a former head coach of the San Miguel Beermen, Mobiline Phone Pals, Pop Cola 800s, and Sta. Lucia Realtors...
(1997) - Tommy ManotocTommy ManotocTommy Manotoc is a former Filipino professional basketball coach in the PBA, for the U/Tex Wranglers, San Miguel Beer, Crispa Redmanizers, and the Mobiline Phone Pals and later became deputy commissioner of the PBA after Mariano Yenko died. He was also a former broadcaster for the PBA on Viva TV...
(1997–1998) - Eric AltamiranoEric AltamiranoEric Altamirano is a former Filipino basketball player. He is currently the head coach of the National University Bulldogs.-Early career:...
(1998–2000) - Louie AlasLouie AlasFrancisco Luis "Louie" Alas is a multi-titled Filipino basketball head coach. He is currently the head coach of the Letran Knights in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and will soon coach the Philippine Patriots in the Asean Basketball League...
(2000–2002) - Bill BaynoBill BaynoBill Bayno is an American basketball coach and former player. He was the head men's basketball coach at Loyola Marymount University from 2008 to 2009, resigning due to medical reasons...
(2002–2003) - Paul Woolpert (2003–2004)
- Joel BanalJoel BanalJoel Banal is a former Filipino professional basketball player, currently serving as head coach of Alaska Aces in the Philippine Basketball Association. Banal played college ball for the Mapúa Institute of Technology, before venturing into professional basketball with the Great Taste Coffee...
(2004–2006) - Chot ReyesChot ReyesVincent P. Reyes , better known as Chot Reyes, is a Filipino basketball head coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
(2008–Present)