Pop Cola Panthers
 |
| Pop Cola Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 |
| Withdrew | 2002 |
| History | Pop Cola 1990 Diet Sarsi 1991 Swift Mighty Meaties 1991-1994 Sunkist Orange Juicers 1995-1997, 2000 Pop Cola 800s 1997 Pop Cola Panthers 1998-2000, 2001 Swift Panthers 2001 PBA Governor's Cup |
| Team colors | Blue and White |
| Company | Cosmos Bottling Corporation |
| Head coach | Yeng Guiao, Derrick Pumaren, Turo Valenzona, Norman Black, Chot Reyes |
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 (SMC) in 2001 which also includes the acquisition of the PBA franchise. The team was renamed as the Coca-Cola Tigers during the 2002 season.
History
Pop Cola was one of two expansion franchises to enter the league in the 1990 season, joining fellow soft drink rival Pepsi, increasing the number of member teams in the pro league to eight.
In their 12 year stint in the PBA, they were known as the Swift Mighty Meaties, the Sunkist Orange Juicers and the Pop Cola 800s. The team has used the Pop Cola name from 1997 until their final season in the PBA in 2001, although the team was known as Sunkist in the 2000 Commissioners Cup and was known as the Swift Panthers for the first few games of the 2001 Governors Cup. The team's first PBA title came in 1992, when Swift defeated 7-Up four games-to-none to win the PBA Third Conference under head coach Yeng Guiao.
The franchise also fielded one of the dominant imports in PBA history in Tony Harris, who scored a PBA record 105 points for Swift when they defeated Ginebra 152-147 in a game held in Iloilo City on October 10, 1992.
The 1995 season became a banner year for the team. Under the name Sunkist Orange Juicers, the team almost achieved a rare back-to-back winning the All-Filipino and Commissioner's Cup titles before finishing third overall in the season-ending Governor's Cup. The team was bannered by season MVP Vergel Meneses, Bonel Balingit, Boybits Victoria, Kenneth Duremdes and Rudy Distrito (who was banned in 1995 for his infamous hard foul on Alaska rookie Jeffrey Cariaso during the All-Filipino finals series).
Sunkist/Pop Cola suffered hard times in the 1996 and 1997 seasons before their fortunes changed in 1998 when the team won a few third place finishes under head coach Norman Black, who even played one game during the Commissioner's Cup to lead the 800s to a third-place finish in the said tournament.
Pop Cola suffered two more losing seasons in 1999 and 2000 seasons but had a decent run in their final PBA season in 2001 under head coach Chot Reyes, copping third place honors in the All-Filipino Conference.
The franchise ceased to exist when the Cosmos Bottling Corporation, a subsidiary of the RFM Corporation, was sold to the San Miguel Corporation. San Miguel acquired the rights to the franchise and rechristened it as the Coca-Cola Tigers. Past records of the Pop Cola team were removed from the current Tigers squad, which totally removes Pop Cola's lineage to the Coca-Cola team.
A Pop Cola squad was supposed to be revived in the Philippine Basketball League in 2003 with future Air21 Express forward Ranidel de Ocampo leading the team, but was disallowed by the mother company of Coca-Cola.
Players of note
- Ato Agustin - "The Atomic Bomb"
- Johnny Abarrientos #14 - "The Flying A"
- Kenneth Duremdes - "Captain Marbel"
- Bernie Fabiosa #51 - "The Sultan of Swipe" played his final year in the league with the team in 1991.
- Jojo Lastimosa - "The Helicopter"
- Vergel Meneses - "The Aerial Voyager"
Other notable players
- Nelson Asaytono #11 - "The Bull" / "The Dynamo"
- Bonel Balingit #12 - drafted in 1993 he was the tallest player in the PBA standing at 6'9". This was later eclipsed in 1995 by 7'0" E.J. Feihl.
- Nic Belasco
- Dickie Bognot #24
- Sonny Cabatu #5
- Ricky Cui #6
- Andy De Guzman #13 & 26
- Rudy Distrito #17 - "The Destroyer"
- Rudy Hatfield - "The H-Bomb"
- Nap Hatton #18
- Pido Jarencio #25 - "The Fireman"
- Poch Juinio
- Joey Loyzaga #14
- Ricric Marata #23
- Romulo Marata
- Marcelino Morelos
- Jose Cadel Mosqueda #48
- Jon Ordonio
- Jake Pelaez #12
- Ali Peek
- Eugene Quilban
- Zaldy Realubit #35
- Elmer Reyes #4
- Eric Reyes #10
- Marte Saldaña #7 - "The Mighty Mite"
- Terry Saldaña #17 - "Plastic Man"
- Al Solis #8
- Jun Tan #16
- Jack Tanuan † #41 - "The Ripper"
- Boybits Victoria - 1994 PBA Rookie of the Year
- Yoyoy Villamin #13 - "The Bicolano Superman"
- Vic Villarias #18
Imports
- ANDERSON, Michael
- ELLIS, Rosell (USA)
- GRANDISON, Ronnie
- HARRIS, Tony
- HOUSTON, Byron Houston
- HUGHES, Alfredrick
- FOWLKES, Tremaine
- LIBERTY, Marcus
- LLOYD, Lewis
- REYES, Antonio -(2000 draft pick from Australia)
- SANDERS, Mike
- SASSER, Jason
- SMITH, Steven
- TOMPKINS, Ronnie
- WATSON, Jamie
