The PBA Governors' Cup is one of three active conferences in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is also one of two conferences, the other being the Commissioner's Cup which allows teams to hire a single foreign player, known as an "import". The Governors' Cup also refers to the trophy awarded to the champion team.
The first run of the Governors' Cup lasted from 1993 to 2002. In 2003, it was replaced by the returning Reinforced Conference, and from 2004 to 2010, the Fiesta Conference was held as the lone import-laden conference. The conference was then reinstated 2011 when the league reverted to a three-conference format.
The TNT Tropang 5G are the current defending Governors' champions, winning the 2024 PBA Governors' Cup when they were known as the TNT Tropang Giga. The San Miguel Beermen have won the most Governors' Cup titles with five.
History During the 1993 PBA season, the league renamed the Third Conference as the Governors' Cup, a reference to the members of the PBA Board of Governors. The singular name "Governor" refers to the board representative of each team. The conference usually was the last tournament held in a PBA season.
After San Miguel won the first Governors Cup in 1993, Alaska dominated the tournament from 1994-1997. In 1998, due to the league's commitment with the Philippine Centennial Team, they allowed each team to take two imports with a combined height of 12 feet. Shell, with no players taken for the national team, won the tournament over Mobiline.
San Miguel Beer won the tournament from 1999-2000 before Sta. Lucia upset the Beermen a year later, giving the Realtors its first PBA title. In 2002, due to the league's commitment to the national team, the Governors Cup became the first conference, while moving the All-Filipino Conference as its third and last tournament. Since most of the teams' star players were with the national squad, the PBA once again allowed teams to take two imports with a 12-foot maximum total height limit. Purefoods beat Alaska in seven games to win the title.
The tournament was retired in 2003 after the re-introduction of the Reinforced Conference as the third conference of the season but was eventually reactivated in 2011 after the league restored the three-conference season format.
Tournament format Between 1993 and 1994, the teams were divided into two groups in the group stage, a slightly modified post eliminations format was adopted. Instead, the top six teams will advance to the quarterfinal round for another single round robin. The top four team will then be seeded in a best-of-five series with the winners advancing to the finals.
From 1995 to 1998, the league adopted a quarterfinal-semifinal playoff format with the top two seeds advancing automatically to the semifinals and the next four teams will be matched up in the quarterfinals. The winners will advance to the semifinal round and to compete against the two top seeded teams in a best-of-five series. The winners of the semifinal round will then advance to the best-of-seven championship series.
Between 1999 and 2000, a new quarterfinal-semifinal playoff format was introduced due to the entries of the Tanduay Rhum Masters and Batang Red Bull Thunder. The top eight teams after a round-robin eliminations will advance to the quarterfinals. The top two seeds will have a twice-to-beat advantage against the last two seeded teams. Other seeded teams will compete in a best-of-three playoffs.
Between 2001 and 2002, the teams in the same group will play against each other once and against teams in the other group twice (13-games) or single (11-games). After the eliminations, the top six teams will advance to a single round-robin semifinals. A playoff incentive will be given to a team that will win five semifinal games should they fail to get the top two finals berths. The top two teams (or the No. 1 team and the winner of the playoff between team with at least 5 semifinal wins and the No. 2 team) will face each other in a best-of-seven championship series.
After the reintroduction of the tournament in 2011, the league adopted a tournament format similar on what was used in 2002. Dubbed as the "classic PBA format", the tournament begins in a single round-robin eliminations. The top six teams will advance in a single round-robin semifinals. A playoff incentive will be given to a team that will win four of their five semifinal games should they fail to get the top two finals berths. The top two teams (or the No. 1 team and the winner of the playoff between team with at least 5 semifinal wins and the No. 2 team) will face each other in a best-of-seven championship series. Two-years later in 2013, the league adopted a tournament format similar on what was used in 1998. The top two teams will gain automatic semifinals seed while the next four teams will compete in a twice-to-beat quarterfinals.
The tournament format since the 2015 edition was changed to a quarterfinal-semifinal playoff format. The top eight teams after a single round-robin group stage will advance to the quarterfinals. The top four teams will have a twice-to-beat incentive against their opponents during this round. The winners will advance to a best of five semifinal round and the winners of this round will meet in a best-of-seven championship series.
In 2024, a new format is formed. In this new format each team plays each member of their group twice with the Top 4 teams in the groups advancing to a best-of-five crossover quarterfinals. The groups' top seeds play the other group's lowest seeds while the No. 2 take on the other's No. 3 seed in a best-of-five.
Import rules The height limit for import players varies from every year. In 2011, the height adopted a handicapping system in which the top two teams of the combined results of the Philippine and Commissioner's Cups are allowed to have an import with a 6'2" (1.88 m) height limit. The next four teams will be allowed with a 6'4" (1.93 m) import and the last two teams will be allowed with a 6'6" (1.98 m) import. In 2012, the handicapping was scrapped and the league set the height limit of imports to 6'5" (1.95 m).
While the tournament is underway, a team can play with an All-Filipino lineup only once. Imports can be replaced in the whole duration of the tournament (including finals).
In 1998 and 2002 editions, the teams allowed to have two imports.
Teams were allowed to hire an additional import with Asian heritage (called as the Asian import) with a height limit of 6'3", from 2015 to 2016. The Asian heritage import provision was shelved in 2017 in lieu of the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup.
Trophy design
The trophy design used since the 1994 season features the Governors' Cup with the league logo at the front. The cup is placed in a base where all of the logos of the participating teams of the tournament are engraved. A unique feature of this trophy is that the champion team's logo is placed at the front middle of the trophy with the runner-up at its left and the third place at the right. The rest of the team logos are arranged according to their rankings at the conclusion of the tournament. Red, blue and yellow ribbons were placed in the handles of the trophy, mirroring the colors in the PBA logo. The winner keeps permanent possession of the trophy and a new one is created every year. In 2012, the trophy's cup handles were modified and the league logo was replaced with the tournament's season logo.
A prototype version of this trophy, first shown during the 1994 PBA opening ceremonies, is on display at the lobby of the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.
List of champions
Per season
SeasonChampionRunner-upSeriesDetailsSan Miguel BeermenSwift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs4–1tournament detailsAlaska MilkmenSwift Mighty Meaties4–2tournament detailsAlaska MilkmenSan Miguel Beermen4–3tournament detailsAlaska MilkmenGinebra San Miguel4–1tournament detailsAlaska MilkmenPurefoods Carne Norte Beefies4–1tournament detailsFormula Shell Zoom MastersMobiline Phone Pals4–3tournament detailsSan Miguel BeermenAlaska Milkmen4–2tournament detailsSan Miguel BeermenPurefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs4–1tournament detailsSta. Lucia RealtorsSan Miguel Beermen4–2tournament detailsPurefoods Tender Juicy HotdogsAlaska Aces4–3tournament details2003–2010: no tournament heldPetron Blaze BoostersTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters4–3tournament detailsRain or Shine Elasto PaintersB-Meg Llamados4–3tournament detailsSan Mig Coffee MixersPetron Blaze Boosters4–3tournament detailsSan Mig Super Coffee MixersRain or Shine Elasto Painters3–2tournament detailsSan Miguel BeermenAlaska Aces4–0tournament detailsBarangay Ginebra San MiguelMeralco Bolts4–2tournament detailsBarangay Ginebra San MiguelMeralco Bolts4–3tournament detailsMagnolia Hotshots Pambansang ManokAlaska Aces4–2tournament detailsBarangay Ginebra San MiguelMeralco Bolts4–1tournament detailsCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemicBarangay Ginebra San MiguelMeralco Bolts4–2tournament detailsTNT Tropang GigaBarangay Ginebra San Miguel4–2tournament detailsno tournament held due to 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2022 Asian GamesTNT Tropang GigaBarangay Ginebra San Miguel4–2tournament detailstournament details
Per franchise TotalTeamLast championship 5 San Miguel/Petron 20154 Alaska* 1997 Magnolia/San Mig Super Coffee/San Mig Coffee/Purefoods 2018 Barangay Ginebra 20212 TNT 20241 Shell* 1998Sta. Lucia* 2001Rain or Shine 2012 * Defunct franchise
Individual awards Best Player of the Conference ^Denotes player who is still active in the PBA *Inducted into the PBA Hall of FamePlayer (X)Denotes the number of times the player has been named BPC
SeasonBest PlayerTeam 1994 Vergel Meneses Swift 1995 Allan Caidic San Miguel 1996 Marlou Aquino Ginebra 1997 Alvin Patrimonio* Purefoods 1998 Jerry Codiñera Purefoods 1999 Danny Seigle San Miguel 2000 Danny Ildefonso San Miguel 2001 Danny Ildefonso (2) San Miguel 2002 Rey Evangelista Purefoods 2011 Arwind Santos Petron 2012 Mark Caguioa Barangay Ginebra 2013 Arwind Santos (2) Petron 2014 Ranidel de Ocampo Talk 'N Text 2015 June Mar Fajardo^ San Miguel 2016 Jayson Castro^ TNT 2017 Greg Slaughter Barangay Ginebra 2018 Paul Lee^ Magnolia 2019 Christian Standhardinger^ NorthPort 2021 Scottie Thompson^ Barangay Ginebra 2023 Christian Standhardinger^ (2) Barangay Ginebra 2024 June Mar Fajardo^ (2) San Miguel
Bobby Parks Best Import award Year Best Import Team 1993 Kenny Travis San Miguel 1994 Ronnie Coleman Pepsi 1995 Stevin Smith Sunkist 1996 Sean Chambers Alaska 1997 Larry Robinson San Miguel 1998 Silas Mills Mobiline 1999 Lamont Strothers San Miguel 2000 Derrick Brown Purefoods 2001 Damian Owens Sta. Lucia 2002 Derrick Brown (2) Purefoods 2011 Arizona Reid Rain or Shine 2012 Jamelle Cornley Rain or Shine 2013 Marqus Blakely San Mig Coffee 2014 Arizona Reid (2) Rain or Shine 2015 Romeo Travis Alaska 2016 Allen Durham Meralco 2017 Allen Durham (2) Meralco 2018 Mike Harris Alaska 2019 Allen Durham (3) Meralco 2021 Justin Brownlee Barangay Ginebra 2023 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson TNT 2024 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (2) TNT
References
External links PBA.ph