Year 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of a franchise which made the annals of PBA history.
In 1996, Alaska Milk completed a rare grand slam in Asia’s pioneering professional basketball league, becoming only the third organization to do such at that time. Crispa was the first one to do it, but was recognized as the only organization to pull off the feat twice — 1976 and 1983 – then San Miguel Beer came in next by completing a triple crown in 1989.
For Alaska, winning a grand slam wasn’t just an establishment of a league dynasty, but somewhat paved the way for greatness – of the organization and some of the key members of the squad.
There’s Jojo Lastimosa, then the team captain of the squad.
Jolas, a nickname which was originated by legendary coach Joe Lipa when Lastimosa was still playing for the all-amateur national team, wasn’t a pioneering member of the squad. He moved to the organization by the end of the 1990 PBA season after helping Purefoods in winning its first ever championship in a trade with former Mama’s Love teammate Boy Cabahug.
At Alaska, Lastimosa accepted the bigger role not just as the team’s floor leader, but also as the heart and soul of the squad. He’s one player who is not afraid to take over in pressure-packed moments, thus he earned the moniker “Fourth Quarter Man.” There’s Johnny Abarrientos, a specially-gifted player, whose entry in 1993, elevated the franchise to a higher level.
Abarrientos was more than just an impactful player, but became one of the cornerstones of the organization’s successful run that saw Alaska winning 10 championships with The Flying A setting the tone at the backcourt.
That 1996 season saw Abarrientos not just solidifying Alaska’s grand slam, but likewise winning the season’s Most Valuable Player award, becoming the smallest player to achieve such feat.
The grand slam wouldn’t be completed had it not been with help of the ever-reliable reinforcement in Sean Chambers, the only other import to be named “Mr. 100 Percent Performance” aside from Norman Black.
Of course, the architect of that squad was no less than Tim Cone, an American mentor plucked by the organization from the PBA game panel where he worked before as a game analyst in 1988.
Cone was a childhood friend of Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, the owner of the franchise.
This year marks a perfect time for these Alaska legends to reunite, but whether time could heal all wounds right after Cone’s separation from the organization that likewise tarnished a long-time friendship with Uytengsu, remains to be seen.
Uytengsu publicly resented Cone’s decision to move out of Alaska when the multi-titled coach joined the old Purefoods franchise owned by San Miguel Corporation.
At Purefoods, which then carried different brand names from B-Meg Llamados, San Mig Coffee Mixers to Purefoods Star Hotshots, Cone was able to stamp his mark as one of the all-time greatest coaches in PBA history. He now stands as the winningest coach in Asia’s pioneering pro loop with 25 titles and the only mentor in the PBA to complete two grand slams.
In 2014, Cone steered San Mig Coffee to the triple crown and left the franchise with five championships. He moved to Barangay Ginebra where he collected seven more titles. Perhaps the PBA, being the mother organization, can be able to do its part by stepping in to patch up things for Cone and Uytengsu and they could do that by honoring the organization as well as the key members as the next inductees in the league’s next class of the Hall of Fame.
On the heels of the successful staging of the naming the latest players included in the 50 Greatest list, perhaps it’s high time the league should come up with the latest members of the Hall of Fame – and Cone, Uytengsu, Abarrientos, Lastimosa, Chambers and the Alaska organization should crack that class.