‘MANILA CLASICO’ TO USHER IN PBA SEASON 50 THIS SUNDAY

MANILA, Philippines — The 50th season of the PBA will be kicking off with a bang.

Manila Clasico will come early, as Barangay Ginebra takes on the Magnolia Hotshots in the season opener this Sunday, September 5. 

Magnolia, now coached by former Ginebra point guard LA Tenorio, will take on his former team at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

Their matchup will follow the Leo Awards, wherein last season’s awardees will be crowned. It will be the lone game on opening day.

Tenorio, who played 12 seasons with the Gin Kings, is listed as a playing coach for the Hotshots. Now, he will be facing off against his longtime mentor Tim Cone. 

Magnolia will be led by Zav Lucero, Mark Barroca and Paul Lee, while Ginebra will continue to be spearheaded by Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar. 

Eyes will also be on Ginebra rookie Sonny Estil, an unheralded player who boosted his draft stock after stellar showings in the PBA Draft combine. 

According to the league, 27 game days will be played outside Metro Manila, including one in Dubai and two in Bahrain. 

The season will also have almost a few weeks off, from November 17 to December 4, to make way for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers window. 

The opening week of the season will also see the debut of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, which were formerly the NorthPort Batang Pier. The Giant Risers will take on the Meralco Bolts on Wednesday, October 8, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. 

The same day, defending All-Filipino champions San Miguel Beermen will face off against the NLEX Road Warriors. 

In the All-Filipino conference, the 12 participating teams will play a single elimination round, with each team having 11 games. 

The eliminations are set to run until December 19, followed by the playoffs.

2025-10-01T05:31:21Z