2001 San Miguel Beermen season

2001 San Miguel Beermen season
Head coach	Jong Uichico
Owner(s)	San Miguel Corporation
All-Filipino Cup results
Record	17–9 (65.4%)
Place	2nd seed
Playoff finish	Champions
Commissioner's Cup results
Record	13–8 (61.9%)
Place	1st seed
Playoff finish	Runner-up
Governors Cup results
Record	13–10 (56.5%)
Place	4th seed
Playoff finish	Runner-up
San Miguel Beermen seasons

The 2001 San Miguel Beermen season was the 27th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Draft picks

Main article: 2001 PBA Draft

Transactions

Players Added Via Draft Joey Mente Via Free Agency Henry Fernandez (From Pop Cola) Arnold Gamboa (Comebacking SMB player, last played in the MBA) Dorian Peña (Signed on April 11, recruited from the MBA)

Players Lost Via Free Agency June Carmona Ronilo Padilla Via Retirement Arturo dela Cruz

Championship (Finals stint)

The San Miguel Beermen contested for all three championships of the season. The Beermen won their 16th PBA title in the All-Filipino Cup by defeating Barangay Ginebra Kings in six games as they are now winners of five of the last six conferences.

Main article: 2001 PBA All-Filipino Cup Finals

In the Commissioner's Cup, San Miguel advances to the finals by winning over Alaska Aces, three games to two, in their best-of-five semifinal series. As the odds-on favorite against sophomore team Batang Red Bull, who were making their first trip to the championship, the defending champion Beermen were surprisingly upset by the Thunder in six games. It was coach Jong Uichico's first loss in the PBA finals since handling the Beermen at the start of the 1999 season.

San Miguel was back in the finals for the fifth straight conference in the season-ending Governor's Cup with import Lamont Strothers returning to help the Beermen defend the crown they won the past two seasons. San Miguel made it via 3–0 sweep over Shell Turbo Chargers in their best-of-five semifinal series and played the Sta.Lucia Realtors for the second time in the championship of the 2000 era. The Beermen lost to the Realtors in six games and placed runner-up in the last two conferences of the 2001 season.

Award

Danny Ildefonso won the Most Valuable Player trophy for the second straight time and becoming the third PBA player to win back-to-back MVP honors, joining William "Bogs" Adornado (1975–1976) and Alvin Patrimonio (1993–1994).

Roster

San Miguel Beermen roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # POB Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From G 1 Victoria, Emmanuel 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) San Beda C 3 Belasco, Nic 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Notre Dame (OH) C 6 Peña, Dorian 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Coppin State F 7 Mustre, Michael 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Letran F/C 10 Ildefonso, Danny 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) National-U F 15 Lago, Dwight 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) De La Salle G 17 Racela, Olsen 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Ateneo G 21 Mente, Joey 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Lyceum F/C 22 Gamboa, Arnold 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Far Eastern F 25 Abuda, Freddie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Visayas F Fernandez, Henry 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Visayas F 32 Duat, Rob 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Menlo F 42 Seigle, Danny 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Wagner F 24 Johnson, Nate (C) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Louisville G 33 Strothers, Lamont (G) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Christopher Newport	Head coach Jong Uichico Assistant coach(es) Siot Tanquingcen Arturo Dela Cruz Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (C) Commissioner's Cup import (G) Governor's Cup import Injured

^{Team Manager: Robert Non}

Eliminations (Won games)

DATE	OPPONENT	SCORE	VENUE (Location)
January 31	Brgy.Ginebra	92–88	Philsports Arena
February 4	Sta.Lucia	89–76	Araneta Coliseum
February 11	Pop Cola	85–79	Araneta Coliseum
February 18	Tanduay	96–79	Araneta Coliseum
March 4	Pop Cola	78–63	Philsports Arena
March 7	Purefoods	90–84 *OT	Ynares Center
March 17	Alaska	85–75	Bago
March 30	Red Bull	78–76	Philsports Arena
April 8	Mobiline	67–66	Araneta Coliseum
June 6	Purefoods	100–80	Philsports Arena
June 9	Shell	81–73	Malolos, Bulacan
June 17	Red Bull	87–83	Araneta Coliseum
June 22	Mobiline	92–73	Philsports Arena
July 1	Tanduay	95–83	Araneta Coliseum
July 11	Brgy.Ginebra	101–92	Philsports Arena
July 13	Pop Cola	107–76	Philsports Arena
September 12	Purefoods	114–91	Philsports Arena
September 16	Brgy.Ginebra	97–82	Cuneta Astrodome
October 12	Pop Cola	86–84	Cuneta Astrodome
October 14	Tanduay	85–79	Ynares Center
October 21	Alaska	71–64	Araneta Coliseum
October 26	Talk 'N Text	79–75	Philsports Arena
November 11	Sta.Lucia	81–76	Araneta Coliseum

  All-Filipino Cup   Commissioner's Cup   Governor's Cup