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Alaska Aces (PBA)

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For the ice hockey team, see Alaska Aces (ECHL).
Alaska Aces
2015–16 Alaska Aces season
Alaska Aces logo
Founded1986
HistoryAlaska Milkmen (1986, 1988, 1992-2000)
Hills Bros. Coffee Kings (1987)
Alaska Air Force (1989–1992)
Alaska Aces (2000–present)
Team colorsRed, Black, and White
     
CompanyAlaska Milk Corporation
Board governorDickie Bachmann
Team managerDickie Bachmann
Head coachUnited States Alex Compton
OwnershipWilfred Uytengsu, Jr.
Retired numbers6 (6, 14, 16, 20, 22, 33)

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 14 PBA championships with the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup as their latest. They are one of the most popular teams in the league and the Philippines.

The Aces won nine PBA championships in the 1990s, including a rare grand slam (winning three championships in one season) during the 1996 season, joining the Crispa Redmanizers (1976, 1983), San Miguel Beermen (1989), and the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers (2013-14) as one of only four franchises to achieve the feat.

History

1986: First season

After the temporary departure of the Magnolia team prior to the start of the 1986 season, the league was reduced to only five teams. The Alaska Milk Corporation of Filipino-American owner Wilfred Uytengsu was accepted as the league's sixth team before the start of the 1986 season in April. Alaska acquired several holdovers from the old Magnolia team (Marte Saldana, Rudy Distrito and Biboy Ravanes among others) for their inaugural campaign.

Alaska's imports for the 1986 Reinforced Conference were former Utah Jazz Jerry Lee Eaves and former Toyota import Donnie Ray Koonce.

In its very first conference, Alaska would place fourth behind Tanduay, Great Taste, and Ginebra.

Norman Black stayed with Alaska as its import for the Open Conference teaming up with an import by the name of Mike Morrison. [1]

A list of the 1986 Alaska lineup is listed on this [2].

1987: Hills Bros. Coffee Kings

In 1987, Alaska Milk changed its name to the Hills Bros. Coffee Kings. After Manila Beer's disbandment, the Coffee Kings acquired Yoyoy Villamin to form a bruising tandem with Ricky Relosa, known as the "Bruise Brothers".

They also had former Crispa shooter William "Bogs" Adornado to banner the team, although the former three-time MVP was already slowing down at the time.

The All-Filipino saw the team finally jelling, with the emergence of the "Bruise Brothers" combination of Villamin and Relosa. It entered the Finals, where it got swept 3-0 by Great Taste Coffee. Despite the sweep, it was a brutal, physical Finals series with Villamin and Relosa being matched up against Great Taste's "Royal Brothers" Abe King and "The Sultan of Swat" Philip Cezar.

By virtue of its runner-up finish, Hills Bros. participated in the Coca Cola PBA-IBA World Challenge Cup. They ended up last in the four team tourney behind the Champion IBA selection Los Angeles Cougars (which had future Alaska import Sean Chambers in its line-up), Great Taste Instant Milk and San Miguel. The Coffee Kings were paraded by imports Alex Adams and Mckinley Singleton.

Reinforced Conference saw Hills Bros. parading a sweet-shooting import by the name of Jose Slaughter. On October 18, 1987 in a game which Hills Bros. won over Great Taste 129-115, Slaughter scored 79 points, the most ever scored by an Alaska/Hills Bros. player in a game. He also scored 14 three-point field goals.

The team also made the Finals, losing however to the Bobby Parks-reinforced San Miguel Beermen 4-1.

By the end of the year, Villamin and Relosa would be named the All-Defensive team. Villamin would also be named most improved player, the same award won by Ricky Relosa the year before. Nat Canson and former Tanduay bench tactician Turo Valenzona were the team's head coach during the '87 campaign.

After that year, Adornado announced his retirement from the league, his jersey no. 33 was retired and was hung in the rafters of the ULTRA during the opening of the 1988 season. He was the first player in Alaska/Hills Bros franchise to have his number retired and was later named as the team's coach. [3]

1989–1990: Alaska Air Force

In 1989, the team reverted to the Alaska name with the Air Force moniker. Some believe that the nickname was a sort of Uytengsu's support for the US soldiers that were based in Olongapo at that time.

The Air Force finished third place in both the Open and All-Filipino Conferences, In the PBA/IBA cup that year, Alaska, parade by imports Willie Bland and Eddie Cox, lost to Anejo-with Bobby Parks on loan from Shell in the Finals. Controversy then surrounds their high-flying import Willie Bland during the season-ending Reinforced Conference with Bogs Adornado now coach of Alaska, replacing Turo Valenzona. Bland was found to have been deliberately throwing away games in favor of their opponents, just the same he was given his walking papers.

Before the 1989 season, Alaska acquired three players in what many believed as the richest draft in league history. Paul "Bong" Alvarez, Ric-Ric Marata, and Elmer "Boy" Cabahug were taken from the draft. Same as the year before, Alaska won two third-place trophies in the Open and Reinforced Conferences with import Sean Chambers.

1991–2000: Alaska Milkmen

File:Alaskamilkmen.png
Alaska Milkmen logo from 1991 to 2000

Arrival of Tim Cone

In 1989, American Earl Timothy Cone became the new coach of the Air Force after Adornado was fired during the season (owner Uytengsu coached a won ballgame for the team). The year also saw the debut of Sean Chambers as Alaska's import.

In 1990, Alaska advanced in the finals of the Third Conference against a young Purefoods team. Their imports then were Carlos Clark and Chambers. After a 2-0 lead in the Best-of-five series, Alaska suffered one of the biggest collapses in league history as Purefoods won the next three games to win the title. The team had the top pick in the draft and grabbed Alex Araneta out of Ateneo. But in later years, Araneta was considered a bust and was out of the league by 1997.

In 1991, Eugene Quilban joined Alaska from the rookie draft to bolster the Alaska squad. Jojo Lastimosa was acquired after being taken from Purefoods in a trade with Elmer Cabahug. After a third-place showing in the All-Filipino, they returned to the finals of the Third Conference against crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel and former Laker Wes Matthews. Alvarez, Lastimosa, and their teammates dominated the series that saw them winning it, 3 games to 1 for their first title in team history.

Alvarez was then eased out of the team when his one-on-one style didn't suit the new offensive scheme being enforced by Tim Cone – the triangle offense. Quilban later left Alaska for 7-Up, in which he led the team to a finals loss to Swift. [4]

Alaska managed one third-place finish in 1992. In the 1993 draft, the Milkmen drafted Far Eastern University point guard Johnny Abarrientos, an energetic and exciting little man who can drive to the basket against taller opponents. The Milkmen never won a trophy during their '93 campaign.

In 1994, Alaska acquired Bong "The Hawk" Hawkins from Sta. Lucia which helped him resurrect his career. Alaska lost to Purefoods in the Commissioner's Cup Finals. In the Governor's Cup, Alaska defeated Swift to win their third PBA title with Abarrientos, Lastimosa, Hawkins, and import Sean Chambers leading the team.

In 1995, Alaska got Jeffrey Cariaso from the draft and added center Edward Juinio to the team. Alaska made it to the Finals of all conferences of 1995. In the All-Filipino, they lost a seven-game tussle against Sunkist. In the rematch, the Ronnie Grandison-led Juicers once again over-powered the Derrick Hamilton-led Alaska to win the Commissioner's Cup crown. But in the Governor's Cup, the Milkmen overcame a 2-3 deficit to defeat San Miguel in seven games with a strong performance by Lastimosa. Jeffrey Cariaso won Rookie of the Year honors at the end of this year.

1996 Grand Slam

In the All-Filipino Conference, the Milkmen defeated the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs team of Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera in five games. In the series-clincher, Jeffrey Cariaso was fouled in the final second on an inbound play by Bong "The Raven" Ravena, Purefoods' baseline specialist at that time. Cariaso sank both free-throws to seal Alaska's first title of the year.

Their toughest championship series was in the Commissioner's Cup Finals against a tough Formula Shell team of Benjie Paras, Victor Pablo, and import Kenny Redfield. After six grueling games, the Milkmen captured the seventh and final game to win their fifth title in franchise history with Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa and Bong Hawkins leading the team alongside import Sean Chambers, who came in to replace Derrick Hamilton midway through the conference.

Chambers returned for Alaska in the Governor's Cup and for the eighth straight time since 1994, Alaska was back in the Finals against crowd-favorite Ginebra San Miguel who ousted sister team San Miguel in the semis. But it was a one-sided affair as the Milkmen went to win the first three games of the series before defeating Ginebra in Game five to capture the feat.

By season's end, Hawkins, Lastimosa, and Cariaso were included in the Mythical team while Abarrientos became the smallest man in PBA history to capture the coveted Most Valuable Player award.

Post-grand slam

Alaska suffered one of the biggest losses prior to the 1997 season when Jeffrey Cariaso signed with new PBA franchise, Mobiline Phone Pals. The Milkmen failed to enter the semis of the All-Filipino Cup.

In the Commissioner's Cup, the first ten games of the tournament was bannered by former Ginebra import Sylvester Gray. He was eventually replaced by Kevin Holland and the Milkmen advanced to the Finals against Gordon's Gin Boars. The Boars took a 3-0 series lead but Alaska managed to win the next two games to cut the deficit to 3-2. However, Gordon's won Game Six as Alaska fell short again.

In the Governor's Cup, they acquired veteran center Jack "The Ripper" Tanuan and the high-flying Kenneth Duremdes in exchange for Dwight Lago and Boyet Fernandez from Pop Cola. The 24-year-old Duremdes became a perfect replacement for Cariaso and a perfect running mate for Lastimosa and Abarrientos. Alaska, with Chambers once again as import, defeated Purefoods to win the title in five games.

In 1998, Alaska traded for former San Sebastian Stag Rodney Santos from the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs. Alaska then dominated the All-Filipino Cup and took on San Miguel in the finals. The Beermen led 3-2 after a strong showing by Nelson Asaytono in game five. But, Alaska won the next two games to capture another title.

Dreadlock-sporting Devin Davis powered Alaska in the Commissioner's Cup, winning Best Import honors. The team advanced to the finals in a rematch against the Beermen. Duremdes was named as the Best Player of the Conference while defeating San Miguel in six games for their ninth title despite losing Bong Hawkins to a season-ending injury.

By then, basketball experts and the fans of the Aces were hyping a possible 'Grand Slam II' for the team. But, with the 1998 Asian Games set in December and Cone being named head coach, the Aces's line-up was weakened as Abarrientos, Duremdes, and Lastimosa were tapped to lead the Philippine team. The 1998 Philippine Centennial Team went on to win the Bronze Medal during the said games. The Alaska Aces gave up the chance to win another Grand Slam in the PBA for the chance and honor of representing Flag and Country.

Assistants Jun Reyes and Dickey Bachmann took over for Alaska. But despite a strong showing from the slasher Rodney Santos and their resident shooter, Rhoel Gomez, the Milkmen failed to enter the semis of both the special 1998 PBA Centennial Cup and the season-ending Governor's Cup.

Duremdes was named the Most Valuable Player at the end of the year, the second Alaska Milkman to win the coveted individual award.

With the arrival of some talented Filipino-American cagers in the league, the Milkmen opted to stick with the same core for the 1999 season. In the All-Filipino, the Milkmen was eliminated by expansion team Tanduay in the semis.

In the Commissioner's Cup, Devin Davis made his return to the team, but the young San Miguel team of Danny Ildefonso and Danny Seigle conspired with their import, Terquin Mott, to eliminate the Aces in five games. They finished third in the tournament.

Alaska advanced to the Finals of the Governor's Cup with Chambers at the helm but San Miguel, led by Lamont "The Helicopter" Strothers, defeated the Milkmen in six games despite Alaska getting an early 2-1 series lead.

In 2000, Jojo Lastimosa was traded to Pop Cola as part of the team's future plan to rebuild. Alaska won their 10th PBA title at the expense of Purefoods in the All-Filipino Conference. Purefoods won Game one of this series but the Milkmen won the next four games to win the series.

The Milkmen failed to enter the Finals of the Commissioner's Cup after they were eliminated by the Beermen in the semi-finals.

2000–Present: Alaska Aces

As part of the league's move to strengthen its marketing through the PBA Properties, Alaska adopted a new moniker the Alaska Aces. Despite the change Alaska failed to reach the Finals of the Governor's Cup once again.

2000-01 season

Before the 2001 season, the Aces traded popular star Johnny Abarrientos to the Pop Cola Panthers for forward Ali Peek and guard Jon Ordonio. In the draft, Alaska used the fifth pick to draft fil-am John Arigo. The Aces also signed Duremdes to a reported 48 million peso deal for seven years. In the All-Filipino conference, the Aces were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Abarrientos and Pop Cola. In the Commissioners Cup, a strong showing by Peek gave defending champion San Miguel a fight but still loss in five games of the semis. In the Governors Cup, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Chambers retired three games into the Governors Cup. In a simple ceremony, the Aces retired his #20 jersey, becoming the second player in team history to have his number retired.

2001-02 season

Duremdes was borrowed by the Philippine National Team in 2002 and Lastimosa made his return to Alaska. The Aces, with Ron Riley and Montreal Dobbins as imports, but after 6 games, Dobbins was replaced by James Head, advanced to the finals of the Governor's Cup against Purefoods. The Aces led 2-0 in the seven game series, but the TJ Hotdogs won the next three games. After Alaska tied it up in Game Six, Purefoods won Game seven to deny the Aces its 11th title. In the Commissioner's Cup, Ajani Williams and Chris Carawell bannered the Aces but was eliminated by Talk N' Text in the semi-finals. Duremdes returned for the Aces in the All-Filipino and made it to the finals. After winning Game 1, the Aces lost the next three games to settle another runner-up finish.

2002-03 season: Invitational Champs

In the 2003 PBA Draft, Alaska shocked the league by trading their superstar, Kenneth Duremdes to the Sta. Lucia Realtors for the fifth pick of the first round. This enabled Alaska to get Brandon Cablay as the team's top draft pick. The Aces also held the first overall pick in the draft and selected De La Salle University-Manila star point guard Mike Cortez, who was considered as the next great point guard in the Alaska franchise's history, following Johnny Abarrientos.

During halftime of their season opening game, Alaska retired Jojo Lastimosa's #6 jersey. During the offseason, Lastimosa announced his retirement after playing 15 seasons in the league. He became one of the team's assistant coaches under coach Cone's era.

In the All-Filipino, Alaska failed in its bid to enter the Finals as they were eliminated by Talk 'N Text in a grueling five-game series. However, the Aces won the third-place trophy via a blowout in expense of the San Miguel Beermen.

In the Invitational tournament, Alaska had to play in the qualifying round to enter the tournament. The Aces swept the elimination round, winning all four of its games, to make it to the semis. In a one-game showdown, Alaska defeated Red Bull Barako to face Coca-Cola in the Finals.

The Tigers won Game One of the series, but the Aces won the next two games to win their 11th PBA title, this time with a different set of players. Brandon Cablay was named as Finals MVP, while Ali Peek won Best Player of the Conference honors.

In the Reinforced Conference, Alaska struggled in the tournament and was eliminated by Duremdes and Sta. Lucia in the quarters.

2003–04 Fiesta Conference

Alaska paraded former NBA journeyman Galen Young for the 2004 Fiesta Conference. The Aces placed second after the elimination round of the tournament. But, they failed to enter the finals of the said tournament winning only one game in three outings in the semi-finals.

2004-05 season

In the 2004–05 season, the Aces managed to finished fourth in the qualifying round. After eliminating FedEx in the Wild-Card phase, they were swept by San Miguel in the quarters. During the tournament, Arigo and Peek were shipped to Coca-Cola for Jeffrey Cariaso and Reynel Hugnatan. Bong Hawkins also made his return to the Aces, reuniting him with Cariaso, assistant coach Jojo Lastimosa, and Cone. Alaska hired Leon Derricks for the Fiesta Conference. However, his inconsistent game led to his replacement by former Chicago Bull Dickey Simpkins. The addition of Simpkins helped Alaska climbed into third place at the end of the classification round. The Aces faced San Miguel Beermen in the semis. A back injury sustained by Simpkins, after being elbowed in the back by Dorian Peña, prevented him from playing at full strength during the series. Former Alaska Ace, Bryan Gahol, hit the last second shot in Game three to eliminate Alaska from the tournament.

2005–06 season

Prior to the start of the 2005–06 PBA season, the Aces built up their lineup by acquiring national team pool members, Tony dela Cruz and Rich Alvarez from the disbanding Shell Turbo Chargers. They also acquired the services of former Mobiline and Coca-Cola import Artemus "Tee" McClary for the Fiesta Conference. After the Aces placed second behind Team Pilipinas in the Brunei Sultan's Cup, with Dela Cruz playing for the said team, the team was considered as one of the top contenders to win the upcoming season. However, they went on a slide after a good start. After Alaska blowing a 28-point lead and losing to the Purefoods Chunkee Giants, the team went on a downhill since. With McClary's decline starting to show, he was eventually replaced by the 3-point shooting Odell Bradley who showed some impressive scoring outputs. However, Alaska still finished seventh in the classification phase with a 7-9 record. The Aces swept Sta. Lucia in a best-of-three matchup in the wildcard phase before being swept in a best-of-five affair by eventual champion Red Bull Barako.

Weeks before the start of the Philippine Cup, Alaska traded Brandon Cablay to San Miguel in exchange for veteran Nic Belasco. On May 8, 2006, they traded Don Allado to Talk 'N Text for guard Willie Miller and forward John Ferriols. Alaska finished with a 9-7 record in the classifications, thus earning an outright berth in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, the Aces defeated the Coca-Cola Tigers, with former Alaska star Johnny Abarrientos on the squad, 3-1. The opening game of the series saw Alaska winning on a last second three-pointer by Nic Belasco. In the semi-finals against top-seed Purefoods Chunkee Giants, the Aces led 3-1 and was a win away from a finals berth but failed to win all of the remaining games. Alaska would end the tournament on a winning note, capturing the third-place trophy with a 102-95 win over San Miguel, their 12th third-place finish in team history.

2006–07 season: Fiesta Conference Champions

Head coach Tim Cone signed a contract extension to remain with the team, erasing speculation of his possible dismissal. In the 2006 PBA Draft, Alaska selected Letran's Aaron Aban and UST's Christian Luanzon.

Alaska started the 2006–07 PBA Philippine Cup poorly but rebounded to finish with an 8-10 record for a wildcard berth. After losing in a last-second overtime thriller against Coca-Cola, and a win by Sta. Lucia on the next game date eliminated Alaska from contention despite winning their last game against Sta. Lucia.

Injuries to Reynel Hugnatan and Mike Cortez affected the team's play throughout the said conference.

However, Alaska started the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference with a 7-4 card before the All-Star break, with Roselle Ellis as their import. Shooting Guard, Willie Miller provided a strong performance for the Aces during the tournament posting numerous 20 point-games.

The return of Cortez sparked a late surge by the team by finishing with a 12-6 record and beat Ginebra in a one-game playoff to earn an outright semifinals berth.

After eliminating the San Miguel Beermen in the semifinals via a 4-2 series win, the Aces entered the finals for a 19th time to meet the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals.

Despite a 1-2 and a 2-3 deficit in the titular showdown, Miller, named the league's Most Valuable Player, erupted for 29 points to tie the series in Game 4 and recovered from a dismal performance in Game 5 with a sterling 37-point output in Game 6 to force a decider.

The seventh game was a seesaw battle before Miller fired a go-ahead layup and a Reynel Hugnatan freethrow in the last two minutes to seal a 99-96 championship win for Alaska.

2007–08 season

Alaska picked Adamson stalwart, Ken Bono, and University of Visayas Green Lancers starting center, JR "Baby Shaq" Quiñahan as the 6th and 7th overall picks of the 2007 PBA Draft along with second round selection Ardy Larong.

In order to free up some cap spaces, the team traded veteran forward Nic Belasco to Welcoat in exchange for Junjun Cabatu while signing free agent Ariel Capus.

In the 2007–08 Philippine Cup, the Aces lost at the semis against Sta. Lucia.

Before the start of the Fiesta Conference, Alaska acquired former King Blue Eagles LA Tenorio and Larry Fonacier in exchange for ace point guard Mike Cortez and 1st round draft pick Ken Bono. They also tapped former Chicago Bull and Talk 'N Text import Randy Holcomb as their reinforcement to help them defend the crown. Alaska, started slowly winning only 2 of their 6 matches including a 4-game losing streak. Then came a rumor that Holcomb will be replaced by former Milwaukee Buck Daniel Santiago. However, it was confirmed that the rumors were not true and they were not in negotiations with the Puerto Rico national team starting center. Alaska came on to a conference high 6-game winning streak and made their record to 8-6 and had a chance of getting a semi-final seat.

In their 2nd round game against Magnolia, Alaska was trailing along the way until the final minute which they came in and even grabbed the lead, but Alaska's semi-final dream came to an end when a call by the referee with 0.3 seconds left caused them the game. Tied at 99 all, former Alaska Ace Mike Cortez split his freethrows to give Magnolia a one-point lead. However, Larry Fonacier's jumper went in front of the rim as time expired and Magnolia escaped with a nail-biting 100-99 win over the defending champions.

2008–09 season: On the road to 13th title

In the 2008 Annual Rookie Draft held on August 31, 2008 at Market! Market!, Taguig City, Alaska drafted scoring guard Solomon Mercado at fifth in the first round and grabbing Mapúa star Kelvin dela Peña at fifteenth in the second round. A day after the draft, the team acquired 2007 first overall pick and team leading scorer Joe Devance from Rain or Shine (formerly Welcoat Dragons) in exchange for Solomon Mercado and wingman Eddie Laure.

On September 4, 2008, the team signed 2004 7th overall pick Ervin Sotto. While on September 22, 2008, Alaska traded J.R. Quiñahan to the Air21 Express in exchange for 2008 6th overall pick Mark Borboran. Meanwhile, the team also signed veteran 6-9 Eric Canlas through free agency.

The Aces started their campaign on their quest for their 4th All-Filipino crown on a high note including a 4-0 start. They struggled in the middle part of the conference but still remained the leader in the standings. Alaska finished as the number one team after the elimination round winning 12 games in 18 matches and was the first team to secure a seat in the Semifinals giving them a long rest. After three weeks of waiting, they faced the defending Philippine Cup champion Sta. Lucia Realtors, a re-match of last year's Semifinals which went to a seven-game grueling series. The Realtors swept the depleted-lineup of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Quarterfinals. The Aces beat the defending champion Realtors in six games to advance and arranged a Finals showdown with the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. They had a 2-0 lead first but Talk 'N Text tied the series 2-2. In Game 5, Alaska won 95-93 courtesy by Willie Miller's tough three-point shot. In Game 6, Talk 'N Text tied the series 3-3 to force a Game 7. In Game 7, they had a chance to win the title but the missed free throws during the crucial seconds of the game by Miller and Joe Devance gave Talk 'N Text the win and the title, 93-89.

2009–10 season: two straight Finals appearances and their 13th title

In the All-Filipino Cup, Alaska started strong and finished in first place in the standings, earning them an automatic semi-final seat. Willie Miller led the Aces in scoring with LA Tenorio continued to blossom for the Aces. They swept Ginebra in the semi-finals and faced Purefoods for the championship, who defeated San Miguel in the semis. Despite their strong output during the eliminations, Purefoods swept them in the finals, including three straight game heart-breaking losses.

In the Fiesta Conference, Alaska paraded import Diamon Simpson. Simpson, who played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, an NBA D-League team and affiliate of back-to-back NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers before coming to the PBA, was very impressive and fit perfectly into Tim Cone's Triangle System. He nearly averaged 30 points and 20 rebounds a game and made Alaska the favorites to win it all in the import-laden conference. In the middle of the conference, leading scorer Willie Miller was traded to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in exchange for high flyer Cyrus Baguio. It was stated by Miller's agent [1] that Miller wanted out of Alaska before the season started. After the trade was approved and made, in a coincidence, Alaska's next game was against Ginebra. In that game, the Aces trailed most of the game until the fourth quarter, when Cyrus Baguio finally exploded for 14 points to lead Alaska to a come from behind win. The Aces put team captain Jeffrey Cariaso in the reserve list in what would have been his retirement but a few games later, Cariaso returned to play once more. Alaska also signed veteran guard Topex Robinson during the season.

Alaska met rival Talk N Text in the semi-finals. LA Tenorio was awarded as the Most Improved Player in the league. Former Alaska point guard Johnny Abarrientos announced his retirement after playing 15 seasons in the league. The Aces defeated the Tropang Texters in a grueling seven-game series despite being down 2-3. The Aces met top seed San Miguel Beermen led by best import Gabe Freeman in the finals. The Aces dominated the Beermen and won their 12th Championship in six games. LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio were named co-Finals MVPs of the series.

At the end of the season, Jeffrey Cariaso retired and Tony Dela Cruz was named the new captain of the team.

2010-11 season: The franchise's 25th anniversary

Before the season began, the Aces celebrated their 25th anniversary as a PBA franchise on September 28, 2010. During the commemoration, they formally retired the jerseys of Bong Hawkins (#16) and Johnny Abarrientos (#14). Both players were instrumental for their grandslam finish in 1996. On draft day, they traded shooter Larry Fonacier to Talk 'N Text in exchange for the fourth overall pick which was used to pick former UE Warrior Elmer Espiritu. With Jeffrey Cariaso already retired, they traded their second round pick to Meralco for another former UE player Bonbon Custodio. They also drafted JRU's Marvin Hayes as #2 pick in the second round.

For the duration of the Philippine Cup, they sported their throwback early 1990s light uniform temporary replacing their current light jersey. They finished the conference with a 7-7 record. Thanks to Joe Devance's improved play, good enough for them to be qualified in the quarterfinals. However, they were defeated by Ginebra in a do-or-die five games series despite leading 2-0 and up by 20 in game 5.

In the 2011 Commissioner's Cup, they paraded former Chicago Bull Eddie Basden as their import. Before the conference started, the Aces played in Cebu for an Invitational Tournament that made them the champions in the said league. However, Basden failed to pass the height limit requirement for imports which was 6'4. They quickly replaced him with 2010 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Champion LD Williams. They also traded long time bruiser Reynel Hugnatan to Meralco for young guns Hans Thiele and Paolo Bugia, released Marvin Hayes and signed guard Don Dulay. Topex Robinson, who still has a live contract with Alaska, joined Tim Cone's crew as one of the assistant coaches of the team.

Before the start of the 2011 Governor's Cup, they traded rookie Elmer Espiritu to Air21 in exchange for swingman Wesley Gonzales. On May 27, 2011, Alaska was forced to let go of Joe Devance after the talented Fil-Am forward begged off. Team manager Joaqui Trillo, however, stressed Devance is guaranteed of the maximum pay through the end of his current contract. They eventually decided to trade him to Air21 Express for Jay-R Reyes. On the next day, Commissioner Salud requested Air21 to add up another player or its 2011 first round pick as he finds the trade "uneven". The Express responded with the 2011 and 2012 second round picks making Salud nod in the deal. The Aces also signed PBA Veteran Aries Dimaunahan. In the third conference, they had a slow start, losing their first two games but quickly bounced back winning four of their last five games, thanks to import Jason Forte's hustle play. The team's improved play led by LA Tenorio and Cyrus Baguio plus newcomer Wesley Gonzales' "real game" started to pay off, and the Aces qualified to the step ladder semifinals. The Aces finished with 8 wins in 13 outings including the semifinals despite losing key players Cyrus Baguio and Wesley Gonzales to injuries. But due to the controversial quotient system, Alaska failed to enter the finals with Petron having the superior quotient despite with the same records with Ginebra and the Aces itself.

2011-12 Tim Cone era ends; Joel Banal succeeds

The Aces released Paolo Bugia, Don Dulay and Mike Burtscher, while guard Aries Dimaunahan returned to Shopinas.com Clickers where his rights are based. In the 2011 PBA draft, Alaska picked former FEU main man and Smart-Gilas standout Mac Baracael at sixth overall in the first round. In the second round, the Aces have four picks and used it to get former Blue Eagle leading scorer Eric Salamat at the 13th, mystery Fil-Am Julius Pasculado at the 14th, and big man Ariel Mepana at the 15th. The Aces also owned the 17th pick but decided to trade it to Meralco for its 2014 second round pick.

On September 1, 2011, Alaska team owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu held a rare press conference announcing Tim Cone's departure as head coach of the Aces after spending 22 years at the helm with the team. He said that the Cone is leaving Alaska to seek opportunities outside of the organization. He is succeeded by his lead assistant Joel Banal, who inked a three-year deal to lead the team. In his first conference as the Aces' new tactician, the team struggled in the All-Filipino Cup and had one of their worst finishes in years, winning only three games out of fourteen outings. They recruited 6'10 Matt Haryasz out of Stanford University as their reinforcement for the Commissioner's Cup. However, Haryasz was replaced by returning import and Mexico national team member Adam Parada before the start of the conference. The Aces also signed swingman Niño Gelig to bolster their lineup. Gelig is a former teammate of Cyrus Baguio and were known as the dynamic combo during their UST days in the UAAP as well as in the now-defunct PBL.

On April 16, 2012, Banal stepped down as coach. Alaska owner Wilfred Uytengsu appointed long-time assistant coach Luigi Trillo, son of the current PBA governor Joaqui Trillo to handle the team for the rest of the season. They also brought back Jason Forte as reinforcement in the Governor's Cup. They went on and finished 9th in the league winning only two of their nine outings. The Aces failed to enter the quarter-finals with the team having its worst finish in a season since it joined the league.

2012-13 season: The Calvin Abueva era,Champions again

Having earned the second worst record the season before, Alaska was awarded with the second overall pick in the draft lottery. On August 19, 2012 at the PBA Rookie Draft, the Aces selected NCAA Season 87 MVP Calvin Abueva of the San Sebastian Stags as the second overall pick. As most of the analysts said that Abueva, who was monickered as "the Beast" due to his impressive basketball skills, is the most talented player in the draft. Abueva leads the NCAA in points, rebounds and assists directory. While in the second round, the Aces snatched former UE Warrior point guard Raphy Reyes and swingman Karl Dehesa. They also retained head coach Luigi Trillo and hired Alex Compton, Louie Alas and reinstated Topex Robinson as assistant coaches. Leo Austria is supposedly to join the Aces' coaching staff as well but focused first with his head coaching job at Adamson University, making him available for next year. Dickie Bachmann was promoted to assistant manager while Jojo Lastimosa was tasked to man the sports camp director post.

Two weeks after the draft, the Aces made another blockbuster deal involving four other teams. As a result, they sent point guard LA Tenorio to Ginebra and acquired JVee Casio, Dondon Hontiveros, and Ginebra’s 2015 2nd Round Pick.[2] They also signed second round draft pick Raphy Reyes to boost their back court and brought back veterans Nic Belasco and Eddie Laure, who helped the Aces win the championship last 2007. After the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags bowed out at the hands of Letran Knights in the NCAA Final Four, Abueva signs with the Aces in a three-year max rookie deal.

The Aces managed to finish 5th in the standings with eight wins on fourteen meetings to qualify the quarterfinals. They swept 4th-seed Meralco Bolts, who has a twice-to-beat advantage and entered the semifinals to face defending champion Talk 'N Text. Many are surprised with the Aces' performance as they pushed the defending champions in six grueling games before losing.

In the Commissioner's Cup, Alaska tapped former University of Memphis Tiger Robert Dozier as their reinforcement. They also nabbed Aldrech Ramos from San Mig Coffee after trading Mac Baracael to Ginebra. Dozier fit perfectly well in the Aces' system and thanks to his brilliant performance plus support from local stars Cyrus Baguio, Sonny Thoss, JVee Casio, Calvin Abueva and sixth man Dondon Hontiveros, Alaska topped the standings with an 11-3 record at the end of the eliminations and gained twice to beat advantage in quarterfinal round. They beat Air21 in the quarterfinals to face San Mig Coffee in the semis, setting up an attempt to finally beat former Alaska long-time coach Tim Cone. San Mig won Game 1 on a Bowles game winner but Alaska regained the momentum as they won the last three games to advance to the Finals against Barangay Ginebra. They swept the Kings in three lopsided games to win the 2013 Commissioner's Cup trophy. This was the 14th championship for the Aces and the first one without their long-time coach, Tim Cone. Rob Dozier was the run-away Best Import of the Conference, while Sonny Thoss was minted the Finals MVP.

In the Governor's Cup, Alaska tapped former New Mexico State standout Wendell McKines as import. Though McKines was consistent in the tournament by averaging a 30 point-20-rebounds every game, Alaska struggled during the conference but was good enough to qualify in the Playoffs with four wins in nine outings. They faced San Mig Coffee, which has a twice-to-beat advantage. The Aces came back from a 15-point deficit in the first game to force a do-or-die match-up but lost in the second game, bowing out of the Governor's Cup. During the Finals, Alaska rookie Calvin Abueva was named the Rookie Of The Year and included in the PBA Mythical First Team. Guard Cyrus Baguio and Center Sonny Thoss was included in the Mythical Second Team while JVee Casio won the Sportsmanship Award.

On the 12th of November 2013, the PBA Press Corps awarded Luigi Trillo as the Coach of the Year for the 2012-13 Season beating Grand Slam coaches Norman Black of Talk N' Text and former Alaska head coach Tim Cone of the San Mig Coffee Mixers. Trillo steered Alaska from a lottery team in 2011-12 to a title contender last season. Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva was named in the All-Rookie Team along with Petron Blaze Boosters' Junemar Fajardo, Meralco Bolts' Cliff Hodge, San Mig Coffee Mixers' Alex Mallari and hotshot Chris Tiu of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

2013-14 Season: Trillo Out, Compton In

Long-time Alaska Governor/Team Manager Joaqui Trillo announced his retirement effectively at the start of the 2013-14 PBA Season. Former Aces assistant coach Dickie Bachmann has been tapped as his replacement.

In the 2013 PBA Draft, Alaska used their 8th overall pick to select former Blue Eagle Ryan Buenafe, former FEU Tamaraw Chris "Ping" Exciminiano in the second round, and PBA D-League bigman Raymund Ilagan in the third round. The Aces traded their other second round pick to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters for a future second round pick as well. They also signed former ABL MVP Leo Avenido to bolster their lineup in the upcoming 2013-14 PBA Philippine Cup. The Aces managed to win 8 games in 14 outings and qualify for the playoffs as an eight seed and faced top-seeded Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, who has a twice-to-beat advantage. Alaska forced a do-or-die by taking Game 1 but fell short in Game 2, eliminating them in the process.

In the Commissioner's Cup, the Aces brought back reigning best import Robert Dozier, who helped Alaska snatch their 13th title the year before. They traded Aldrech Ramos to Air21 Express for bruiser Vic Manuel to beef up their frontline. The Aces had a 1-3 slow start but managed to win their remaining five games to earn the number 3 seed in the playoffs. They faced sixth seed San Mig Super Coffee Mixers in a best-of-three series. The Aces took game 1 but lost Games 2 and 3 and again, they failed to enter the semifinals for the third straight conference.

Alaska tapped former NBA player Bill Walker, who suited up for the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks as their reinforcement in the Governor's Cup. After splitting their first two games, Luigi Trillo stepped down as head coach of Alaska. Trillo, who was awarded as the PBA Coach of the Year in 2013, resigned because of "family reasons". With Trillo throwing the towel, team owner Wilfred Uytengsu appointed lead assistant Alex Compton as the team's new tactician. Alaska suffered its worst defeat in history, a 51-point deficit at the hands of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Rumors sparkled that the team is being put on sale to newcomer NLEX Corp, who wanted to buy an existing franchise instead of starting from scratch. Team manager Dickie Bachmann shut down the rumors stating the team is "here to stay." Uytengsu also denied the rumors and stated that he is not selling the second winningest franchise in the PBA. He called the reports as "silly and laughable". The following week, Alaska extended the contracts of main core players Cyrus Baguio, Sonny Thoss and JVee Casio for another three years. The Aces finished the conference with a 5-4 record making them the third seed and earning a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs. They eliminated crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the quarterfinals, 92-81. The Aces entered the semifinals and faced the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Despite leading the series two games to one, the Aces lost the series in five grueling games and finished third place in the tournament.

2014-15 Season: The birth of Comeback Kids and #WeNotMe

In the 2014 PBA draft, Alaska used the 5th overall pick to select Filipino-Italian guard Chris Banchero, who led the San Miguel Beermen to a championship in the ABL, and in the second round, they drafted San Beda stalwart Rome Dela Rosa. The Aces also traded two future second round picks to Global Port Batang Pier in exchange for former PBA MVP Eric Menk. In their preparations for the upcoming season, they hired Rob Beveridge, a well-known successful coach in the Australian Basketball League to improve the team's performance focusing on defense. After signing their rookies Banchero and Dela Rosa to their respective contracts, they also signed veteran swingman Josh Vanlandingham from the free agent market. They started the season 6-0 atop of the standings in the Philippine Cup [3] but suffered their first loss at the hands of Barako Bull. [4] After winning a road game against GlobalPort in Cagayan de Oro City, they were denied of an outright semi-finals berth after losing two crucial games against Barangay Ginebra and Rain or Shine, respectively. Yet, they still earn a twice-to-beat advantage in the Quarterfinals. After demolishing NLEX in their quarterfinal matchup, the Aces faced Meralco Bolts in the knockout phase and won the game in a blowout fashion to set a rematch with Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in a best-of-seven semi-finals series. They finished the series in six games to face San Miguel in the Finals for their 27th finals appearance. They battled the Beermen in seven gruelling games before eventually lost Game 7 by two points.

Alaska tapped D.J. Covington as their import for the Commissioner's Cup. After four games, he was replaced by Damion James. They also traded bruising forward Gabby Espinas to GlobalPort for defensive center Nonoy Baclao. Even with James as their reinforcement, the Aces could not come up with winning streaks, owing to injuries to key players Abueva, Casio, and Thoss. They recorded a 5-6 win loss record after the eliminations. Somehow, they punched a ticket to the Quarterfinals as the #6 seed after beating Barangay Ginebra in their last game, to set up a match with Purefoods, who eventually swept them in the Quarterfinal rounds.

In the Governors'Cup, the Aces acquired the services of Romeo Travis, who is LeBron James' childhood friend and high school teammate at St. Vincent-St. Mary. They won the first three games of the conference, but lost two of their next three games to Talk N'Text and NLEX, respectively. Since then, they won four straight to clinch the top spot in the elimination round with 8-3 win-loss record, although they dropped their last game to GlobalPort. They easily deposed Barangay Ginebra in the quarterfinal rounds to set up a semis showdown against Star Hotshots. They swept the Hotshots, 3-0 and earned a ticket to the Finals for their 28th finals appearance. They set up a rematch against San Miguel, who eventually swept them, 4-0.

2015-16 season: Drive for 15th continues

Alex Compton and the Aces during a timeout.

The Aces drafted Letran standout Kevin Racal with the 11th pick in the rookie draft, as well as big man Marion Magat. During the offseason, Alaska allowed Calvin Abueva, Sonny Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros and Coach Alex Compton join the Gilas Pilipinas 3.0 national team, who won silver medals in both the 2015 William Jones Cup and 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

On November 12, 2015, The PBA franchise celebrated their 30th anniversary with the recognition night for the 30 greatest players in the team's history held in the Enderun College, Taguig.[5]

Alaska was consistent all through out the All-Filipino eliminations, thanks to their intact lineup, team play and suffocating defense, they won nine out of their eleven outings. The Aces earned the number one spot in the standings, hence, giving them an outright semifinals berth. Alaska faced the Global Port Batang Pier in the semi-finals. After losing the first game, the Aces won their next four outings to clinch the first seat in the 2015-16 PBA Philippine Cup Finals and set up last year's finals rematch against the San Miguel Beermen.

The Aces won the 1st 3 games of the series and was on the verge of winning the championship after leading by 11 points with less than 4 minutes remaining in the pivotal Game 4. However, the Aces would be denied by the combined efforts of former Aces player, Gabby Espinas, sharpshooter Marcio Lassiter and defensive stalwart, Chris Ross. Alaska suffered the most disappointing finals ever when the Beermen took the last four games and win the championship.

Alaska once again tapped former Best Import Robert Dozier for the Commissioner's Cup. However, Dozier got injured before the start of the season during practice. With their import sidelined by plantar fasciitis, back up reinforcement Shane Edwards filled in and provided good numbers and led the Aces to five wins in eight outings. Dozier returned three games before the end of the eliminations and the Aces finished third in the standings to qualify for the playoffs. Alaska beat Tropang TNT in the quarterfinals in a do-or-die best of three series. The Aces will look for a third consecutive PBA Finals trip as they face the Meralco Bolts in the semifinals. Alaska currently leads the series 1-0 in a best-of-five duel.

Mascot

E. Cow doing a shootaround during the halftime break of the Aces' game against Barangay Ginebra.

E. Cow is the main mascot of the Alaska Aces.[6] He was first introduced during the mid-1990s and is the longest tenured PBA mascot. His image is also used for Alaska Milk advertisements.

Season-by-season records

Main article: List of Alaska Aces (PBA) seasons

Current roster

Converge FiberXers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. # POB Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From
F 0 Thailand Fornilos, Inand 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Ateneo
F 1 United States Vigan-Fleming, Kamron 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 1998–12–23 Bethesda
G/F 2 Hong Kong Andrade, BJ 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1996–07–26 Ateneo
F/C 4 New Zealand Maagdenberg, Patrick Injured 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 242 lb (110 kg) 1997–04–25 Ateneo
G 5 Philippines Cabagnot, Alex 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1982–12–08 Hawaiʻi–Hilo
F 7 Philippines Nieto, Mike (C) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1997–05–31 Ateneo
G/F 8 United States Winston, Schonny 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1998–07–22 De La Salle
F 9 Philippines Flores, Andre (IN) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 1999–07–17 Ateneo
G 12 United States Stockton, Alec 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1998–06–24 Far Eastern
C 15 Philippines Arana, Justin 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 231 lb (105 kg) 1999–03–21 Arellano
F 16 Philippines Racal, Kevin (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1991–05–16 Letran
F/C 18 Philippines Ambohot, Jeo 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1996–11–18 Letran
G 23 Philippines delos Santos, JL 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 176 lb (80 kg) José Rizal
F 26 Philippines Santos, Bryan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1997–05–26 UST
F 27 Philippines Caralipio, King 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 176 lb (80 kg) Letran
F/C – Philippines Baltazar, Justine (DP) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1997–02–19 De La Salle
C – Mali Diallo, Cheick (CI) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 219 lb (99 kg) 1996–09–13 Kansas
G – Australia Heading, Jordan 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1996–01–30 Cal Baptist
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Team manager


Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (CI) Commissioner's Cup Import
  • (GI) Governors' Cup Import
  • (EI) EASL Import
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • (R) Rookie
  • Injured Injured

Roster


Injured/Reserved


Team Depth Chart

Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Robert Dozier Nonoy Baclao Eric Menk
PF Sonny Thoss Vic Manuel
SF Tony Dela Cruz Calvin Abueva Kevin Racal
SG Cyrus Baguio Dondon Hontiveros Chris Exciminiano
PG RJ Jazul Chris Banchero

Players of note

Members of the PBA's 25 greatest players

  • Johnny Abarrientos – "The Flying A" played for team from 1993–2000; led Alaska to numerous PBA title and was the 1996 PBA Most Valuable Player
  • Bogs Adornado – played for Hills Bros. in the 1987 season; became the team's head coach after his retirement
  • Kenneth Duremdes – "Captain Marbel" played for the team from 1996–2003; led Alaska to four PBA titles and was the 1998 PBA Most Valuable Player
  • Abet Guidaben – played for the team from 1989–1990 before being traded to Pepsi for Harmon Codiñera.
  • Jojo Lastimosa – "The 4th Quarter Man" led Alaska to nine PBA titles and was named to numerous Mythical Team selections

Alaska Aces 30 greatest players

On November 12, 2015, the Alaska Aces celebrated its 30th year anniversary.[5]

Team captains

Not to be forgotten

Imports

Retired numbers

Alaska Aces retired numbers
N° Player Position Tenure
6 Jojo Lastimosa G 1991-2000
2002-2003[a]
14 Johnny Abarrientos G 1993–2001[b]
16 Bong Hawkins F 1993-2000
2005-2006[b]
20 Sean Chambers F 1990–2001[c]
22 Jeffrey Cariaso G 1995–1997
2004-2010[d]
33 William "Bogs" Adornado G 1987–1988[e]
  • a  – retired during the opening of the 2003 season
  • b  – retired during the Alaska 25th anniversary reunion last September 27, 2010
  • c  – retired after Chambers announced his retirement in the 2001 Governor's Cup
  • d  – retired during the semifinals of the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference
  • e  – retired during the opening ceremonies of the 1988 PBA season

Coaches

References

  1. ^ "Miller wants out of Alaska; Purefoods, Coca-Cola interested". GMA News and Public Affairs. July 10, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  2. ^ Atayde, Aaron. "Five-Team Trade is Complete, LA Tenorio to Ginebra". www.slamonlineph.com. Slam Philippines. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ^ "ALASKA DEFENSE POWERS ACES TO 6-0 START IN PBA PHILIPPINE CUP". AlaskaAces.com.ph. AlaskaAces.com.ph. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  4. ^ "ALASKA ACES DROP 78-85 DECISION TO BARAKO BULL". AlaskaAces.com.ph. AlaskaAces.com.ph. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b Fernandez, Rhoel (2015-11-12). "Alaska honors '30 greatest players' in franchise history to celebrate 30th year in PBA". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  6. ^ "Holy Cow: Alaska mascot hoping to join bonus trip to Disney to meet idol Mickey". Spin.ph. May 24, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by PBA Third Conference Champions
1991 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PBA Governors Cup Champions
1994–1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PBA All-Filipino Cup Champions
1996
1998
2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PBA Commissioner's Cup Champions
1996
1998
2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Grand Slam winners
1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by PBA Invitational Conference Champions
2003 		Succeeded by
(last)
Preceded by PBA Fiesta Conference Champions
2007
2010 		Succeeded by
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