1979 PBA season
The 1979 PBA season was the fifth season of the Philippine Basketball Association.
Season highlights
- After a two-year absence of playing against each other in the championship between the league's most noted rivalry, Crispa and Toyota played once again in the finals during the All-Filipino Conference. Crispa prevailed in five games, winning the deciding game, 118-111 on July 7.
- On September 4, the visiting Washington Bullets, which lost to Seattle SuperSonics in the 1979 NBA Finals, played against a PBA All-Star Selection at the Araneta Coliseum in an exhibition game attended by Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos, the Bullets with the line-up of hall of famers Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld and among others, Greg Ballard, Dave Corzine and coach by Dick Motta, won the match, 133-123. The PBA selection were coach by Baby Dalupan and played with five imports and one locals from each of the nine ballclubs.
- Royal Tru-Orange won their first PBA title in the Open Conference by defeating Toyota Tamaraws, 102-101 in Game 4 for a 3-1 series win. The Orangemen were led by imports Otto Moore and Larry Pounds and they became the fourth team to win a championship in the 1970s.
- Three different teams emerge champions in the league's fifth season as the Toyota Tamaraws avoided a third runner-up finish by winning the Invitational championship against rival Crispa Walk Tall Jeans.
Opening ceremonies
Team | Muse |
Crispa Redmanizers | Pearl Razon |
Filmanbank | Regina Prada |
Gilbey's Gin | Chris Stuttard and Ann Rose Blas |
Great Taste Discoverers | Carolina Lacap |
Honda Wildcats | Beth de Mesa |
Royal Tru-Orange | Joanna Paras |
Tanduay Esquires | Bessie Badilla and Diane Benisano |
Toyota Tamaraws | Alicia Cuenca |
U/Tex Wranglers | Janet Bordon |
Champions
- All Filipino Conference: Crispa Redmanizers
- Open Conference: Royal Tru-Orange
- Invitational Championship: Toyota Tamaraws
- Team with best win-loss percentage: Toyota Tamaraws
- Best Team of the Year: Toyota Tamaraws
Individual awards
- Most Valuable Player: Atoy Co
- Rookie of the Year: Arnie Tuadles
- Mythical Five:
- *Robert Jaworski
- *Atoy Co
- *Ramon Fernandez
- *Arnie Tuadles
- *Philip Cezar
Board of governors
- Leopoldo Prieto
- Domingo Itchon
- Dante Silverio
- Walter Euyang
- Jose Castro, Jr.
- Pablo Carlos
- Valeriano "Danny" Floro
- Emerson Coseteng
- Leonardo "Skip" Guinto
- Porfirio Zablan
- Carlos Palanca III
Cumulative standings