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The 40 Greatest Players in Philippine Basketball Association History is a set of players chosen in 2000 and 2015 to commemorate the founding of the Philippine Basketball Association.
The first set, known as the 25 Greatest Players in Philippine Basketball Association History was awarded when the league celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2000, during its silver anniversary TV special held at the Araneta Coliseum on April 9, 2000.
In 2015, 15 players were added to the list to commemorate the league's 40th anniversary. The awarding was held at the Resorts World Manila on April 8, 2015. The award was rechristened as FAB @ 40 (40th Greatest Players).[1]
The following criteria were used by a committee in selecting players for the first 25 players in the list:
- The player must have played at least four (4) full seasons with the league.
- The player must be a recipient of a major award (either an MVP or Rookie of the Year awardee or a member of the mythical selection, or all-defensive teams)
- The player must have done a major impact with the sport and the league.
- The player must have contributed towards the positive development of basketball in the country.
| Italics | Denotes player who was active in the PBA at the time of induction | |||||
| * | Elected to the PBA Hall of Fame | |||||
| All-Star | Denotes number of All-Star appearances | |||||
| Year | Denotes year of PBA Hall of Fame induction | |||||
25 Greatest Players (2000)
40 Greatest Players (2015)
The fifteen selected players were added on top of the original 25 players.
| Name | School | Teams played for (years) | MVP won | All-Star | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Ildefonso* | NU | San Miguel/Petron Blaze (1998–2013) Meralco (2013–2015) |
2 (2000, 2001) | 8 (1999–2001, 2003–2005, 2007, 2009) | |
| Willie Miller* | Letran | Batang Red Bull (2001–2003) Talk 'N Text (2004–2006) Alaska (2006–2010) Ginebra (2010–2011) Barako Bull (2011–2012) GlobalPort (2012–2013) Barako Bull (2013–2014) Talk 'N Text (2015) |
2 (2002, 2007) | 9 (2001, 2003–2004, 2006–2011) | |
| James Yap | UE | Purefoods/B-Meg/San Mig Coffee/Star (2004–2016) Rain or Shine (2016–present) |
2 (2006, 2010) | 16 (2004–2019) | |
| Asi Taulava | BYU | Talk 'N Text (1999–2007) Coca-Cola Tigers (2007–2010) Meralco (2010–2012) Air21 (2013–2014) NLEX (2014–present) |
1 (2003) | 17 (1999, 2001, 2003–2012, 2015–2019) | |
| Eric Menk* | Lake Superior State | Tanduay (1999–2001) Barangay Ginebra (2001–2013) GlobalPort (2013–2014) Alaska (2014–2016) |
1 (2005) | 10 (1999–2000, 2003–2007, 2009–2011) | |
| Kelly Williams | Oakland | Sta. Lucia Realtors (2006–2010) Talk 'N Text/TNT (2010–2019)(2021-present) |
1 (2008) | 5 (2007–2011) | |
| Jayjay Helterbrand* | Kentucky State | Barangay Ginebra (2000–2017) |
1 (2009) | 6 (2005–2010) | |
| Jimmy Alapag* | Cal. State | Talk 'N Text (2003–2015) Meralco (2015–2016) |
1 (2011) | 11 (2003–2011, 2014–2015) | |
| Mark Caguioa | Glendale CC | Barangay Ginebra (2001–2020) |
1 (2012) | 13 (2001, 2004–2008, 2011–2013, 2015–2017, 2019) | |
| Arwind Santos | FEU | Air21 (2006–2009) San Miguel (2009–2021) NorthPort (2021–present) |
1 (2013) | 11 (2008–2015, 2017-2019) | |
| Jayson Castro | PCU | Talk 'N Text/TNT (2008–present) |
7 (2013–2019) | ||
| Marc Pingris | FEU | FedEx Express (2004–2005) Purefoods (2005–2008) Magnolia/San Miguel (2008–2009) Purefoods/B-Meg/San Mig Coffee/Star (2009–2019) |
14 (2005–2018) | ||
| Kerby Raymundo* | Letran | Red Bull (2000–2001) Purefoods/B-Meg (2002–2012) Barangay Ginebra (2012–2013) Meralco (2013) |
10 (2001, 2003–2011) | ||
| Chito Loyzaga* | San Beda | YCO-Tanduay (1981) Toyota (1983) Great Taste (1984–1985) Ginebra (1986–1993) |
4 (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993) | ||
| Marlou Aquino* | Adamson | Ginebra/Gordon's Gin/Barangay Ginebra (1996–2000) Sta. Lucia (2000–2010) Meralco (2010–2011) |
6 (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003) |
Criticism
The additional 15 players that were added in 2015 caused criticism because some were still young and active (Williams - 33, Pingris - 34) and still at the peak of their career. Though the selection is valid, some from the 25 original greatest players questioned why some of the retired PBA legends were not included in the list like Nelson Asaytono, Abe King, Yoyoy Villamin, Olsen Racela, and Jeffrey Cariaso. Many have said that such players like Kerby Raymundo, Marlou Aquino, and Marc Pingris should have not been included on the list.
There were also controversial picks such as Chito Loyzaga who played for popular teams like Ginebra San Miguel and were selected over some of the aforementioned players. This is despite the fact that Loyzaga was only a one time member of the Mythical Second Team and played a supporting role to stars such as Robert Jaworski during his tenure with the team. Even Loyzaga himself quoted that he was being pranked when he heard the news of his selection.[2][3]
Before handing out the awards to the original 25 Greatest Players, the four head coaches that accomplished the elusive Grand Slam up to the 2000 season were also recognized.
| ^ | Denotes coach who is still active |
| * | Elected to the PBA Hall of Fame |
| *^ | Active coach who has been elected to the PBA Hall of Fame |
| HOF year | Denotes year of PBA Hall of Fame induction |
| Name | Team | Grandslam year | HOF year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Dalupan* | Crispa Redmanizers | 1976 | 2005 |
| Tommy Manotoc* | Crispa Redmanizers | 1983 | 2011 |
| Norman Black*^ | San Miguel Beermen | 1989 | 2007 |
| Tim Cone^ | Alaska Milkmen | 1996 |
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