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:Pop Cola Panthers

{{Short description|Philippine basketball team owned by RFM Corporation}}

{{More citations needed|date=February 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}

{{Use Philippine English|date=November 2022}}

{{Infobox NBA team

|name=Pop Cola Panthers

|logo=Pop Cola Panthers.jpg

|founded=1990

|history= Pop Cola Sizzlers (1990, 1997)
Sarsi Sizzlers (1990)
Diet Sarsi Sizzlers (1991)
Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs (1991–1993)
Swift Mighty Meaties (1994)
Sunkist Orange Juicers (1995–1996, 2000)
Sunkist Orange Bottlers (1996)
Pop Cola Bottlers (1997)
Pop Cola 800s (1998–2000)
Pop Cola Panthers (2000–2001)
Swift Panthers (2000)

|colors=Swift, Diet Sarsi and Pop Cola
Blue, Red, White
{{Color box|blue}} {{Color box|red}} {{Color box|white}}
Sunkist
Orange, Blue, White
{{Color box|#FE5A1D}} {{Color box|blue}} {{Color box|white}}

|company=RFM Corporation

|owner=Jose Ma. "Joey" A. Concepcion III

|coach=Yeng Guiao, Derrick Pumaren, Turo Valenzona, Norman Black, Chot Reyes

|championships= 4 championships

1992 Third Conference
1993 Commissioner's
1995 All-Filipino
1995 Commissioner's

7 Finals Appearances

|dissolved=Sold in 2001

|1_title=Light uniform

|1_pattern_b= |1_body=ffffff|1_shorts=ffffff

|2_title=Dark uniform

|2_pattern_b= |2_body=0000ff|2_shorts=0000ff

}}

The Pop Cola Panthers were a professional basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1990-2001. The franchise was owned by RFM Corporation. In 2001, when RFM Corporation sold its entire stake in Cosmos Bottling Corporation to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), the PBA franchise was included in the transaction. Upon ownership by CCBPI, the PBA franchise renamed the Coca-Cola Tigers beginning the 2002 PBA season{{cite news |last1=Navarro |first1=June |title=Pop Cola now Coca Cola: Chot to get P32.9M as Tigers coach |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Vo1AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA15 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=January 10, 2002 |language=en}} and was considered as an expansion team.

The franchise also played under the names Pop Cola/Diet Sarsi Sizzlers, Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs, Swift Mighty Meaties, Sunkist Orange Juicers/Bottlers and Pop Cola 800s.

History

Pop Cola was one of two expansion franchises to enter the league in the 1990 season, joining softdrink rival Pepsi-Cola, 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 Pop Cola Sizzlers, Sarsi, Swift Mighty Meaty, Sunkist Orange Juicers, Sunkist Orange Bottlers and 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. Their first finals appearance came in 1991 All-Filipino, as Diet Sarsi, lost to corporate rival Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, 3 games to 2 in a Best of Five finals series. 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 151–147 in a game held in Iloilo City on October 10, 1992.

In 1993, Swift traded Jack Tanuan, Ricric Marata and Andy De Guzman for Sta. Lucia in exchange for their former players in their PABL days, Vergel Meneses and Zaldy Realubit, and this gave Swift its second championship in the newly called Commissioners Cup, gaining revenge over their business rival, Purefoods Oodles, 4 games to 2, the Hotdogs were powered by best import Ronnie Thompkins. the team was title-less the following season in which head coach Yeng Guiao decided to moved over to Pepsi Mega, and Derek Pumaren taking over the coaching chores, Swift made it to the finals in the season-ending Governor's Cup, losing to Alaska in six games.

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 ended when RFM Corporation sold its PBA franchise to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), in connection to its sale of Cosmos Bottling Corporation to CCBPI in 2001.

Season-by-season records

{{Main|List of Pop Cola Panthers seasons}}

Awards

=Individual awards=

class=wikitable
style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Most Valuable Player

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Finals MVP

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Best Player of the Conference

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

  • Vergel Meneses - 1994 Governors', 1995 All-Filipino, 1995 Commissioner's
style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Rookie of the Year Award

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA All-Defensive Team

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Mythical First Team

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Mythical Second Team

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Most Improved Player

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Sportsmanship Award

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | PBA Best Import

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" |

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" |

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

=PBA Press Corps Individual Awards=

class=wikitable
style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Executive of the Year

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Baby Dalupan Coach of the Year

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Defensive Player of the Year

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Mr. Quality Minutes

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | All-Rookie Team

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

=All-Star Weekend=

class=wikitable
style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | All Star MVP

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Obstacle Challenge

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Three-point Shootout

! style="{{PBA color cell|Pop Cola Panthers|border=2}}" | Slam Dunk Contest

valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

  • Jack Santiago - 1996

| valign="top" |

| valign="top" |

Notable players

=PBA's 25 greatest players=

  • Ato Agustin{{cite news |last1=Hernandez |first1=John |title=Mobiline frees Agustin via P3.38-M pact buyout |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OlMbAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA16 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |publisher=Manila Standard |date=December 28, 1997 |language=en}} - "The Atomic Bomb"
  • Johnny Abarrientos{{cite news |last1=Navarro |first1=June |title=Aces find new Johnny A in Mike Cortez |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HFg1AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA64 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=January 9, 2006 |language=en}} #14 - "The Flying A"
  • Kenneth Duremdes{{cite news |title=Pop Sends Duremdes, Tanuan To Alaska For Lago, Fernandez |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaAVAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |publisher=Manila Standard |date=October 27, 1997 |language=en}} - "Captain Marbel"
  • Bernie Fabiosa #51 - "The Sultan of Swipe" played his final year in the league with the team in 1991.
  • Jojo Lastimosa{{cite news |last1=Reyes |first1=Marc Anthony |title=Alaska Milk In Mourain As Pop Snares Lastimosa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Yc1AAAAIBAJ&pg=PA28 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=January 20, 2000}} - "Jolas"
  • Vergel Meneses{{cite news |title=We Deserve A Player Of Meneses Caliber Black |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S5QVAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA36 |access-date=February 18, 2022 |publisher=Manila Standard |date=June 16, 1999}} - "The Aerial Voyager"

=Other notable players=

{{colbegin|colwidth=18em}}

{{colend}}

  • Jasper Ocampo

=Imports=

{{colbegin|colwidth=18em}}

{{colend}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{succession box

| before = (start)

| after = Coca-Cola Tigers

| title = PBA teams genealogies

| years = 1990-2001

}}

{{s-end}}

{{Pop Cola Panthers}}

{{navboxes|title=Championship Navigation Boxes|titlestyle={{basketball primary style|Pop Cola Panthers}}|list=

{{Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs 1992 PBA Third Conference Champions}}

{{Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs 1993 PBA Commissioner's Cup Champions}}

{{Sunkist Orange Juicers 1995 PBA All-Filipino Cup Champions}}

{{Sunkist Orange Juicers 1995 PBA Commissioner's Cup Champions}}

}}

{{San Miguel Corporation}}

{{PBAdefunct}}

Category:Basketball teams established in 1990

Category:Basketball teams disestablished in 2001

Category:Defunct Philippine Basketball Association teams

Category:San Miguel Corporation

Category:1990 establishments in the Philippines

Category:2001 disestablishments in the Philippines