20-1011: 1984 Second All-Filipino 1984 Invitational 1985 Open 1985 All-Filipino 1987 All-Filipino 1990 All-Filipino The Great Taste Coffee Makers were a basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1992. It was one of the founding members of the PBA, the Asia's first and oldest professional league. The franchise was owned by CFC Corporation (now merged with Universal Robina Corporation ) and named after its brand of instant coffee , Great Taste Coffee. The franchise also played under other CFC brands such as N-Rich, Presto and Tivoli. The franchise won six PBA championships, mostly under coach Baby Dalupan. In 1993, CFC sold its PBA franchise to Sta. Lucia Realty & Development, Inc., which absorbed several Presto players. While Great Taste
40-535: A commitment from the "Quick Brown Fox" to play for the Redmanizers. But as fate would have it, Brown was secured for the Coffeemakers, along with Bogs Adornado from the disbanded U-Tex Wranglers, and with Manny Victorino (then considered one of 3 elite centers in the league, alongside Ramon Fernandez and Abet Guidaben ), Joel Banal, Alejo Alolor, Joy Carpio , and import Norman Black . Great Taste finally enter into
60-502: A more potent imports in the likes of Joe Binion and Jeff Collins. After a crownless season in 1986, the team decided to trade two of its key players; Manny Victorino and Jimmy Manansala to Shell for Philip Cezar and Bernie Fabiosa , and with Atoy Co joining the team following the disbandment of the Manila Beer franchise, the three former Crispa players had a reunion of sorts with Great Taste with their coach Baby Dalupan. Add to this
80-482: The 1981 Rookie of the Year . The final conference of both 1981 and 1982 season had the ballclub figured in a playoff for a finals berth but fell short each time. The real big turnaround started when they were able to secure the services of then Filipino-American rookie Ricardo Brown. It is said that Brown was practically stolen by Great Taste team manager Ignacio Gotao from Crispa owner Danny Floro, who has already formalized
100-625: The Negros Slashers in six games, 4-2. In 2004, he was named commissioner of the Universities and Colleges Athletic Association for its third season. In 2005, he accepted the job as the new head coach of the Philippine School of Business Administration . In 2013, he was appointed by then Manila mayor Joseph Estrada as head of Manila Sports Council. He was the coach of the Manila Stars in
120-500: The 25th anniversary of the league. In 2005, he was one of the twelve initial inductees to the PBA Hall of Fame alongside fellow Crispa players Atoy Co and Bogs Adornado , and Toyota stalwarts Robert Jaworski , Francis Arnaiz and Fernandez together with former PBA Commissioners Leo Prieto, Emerson Coseteng and Atty. Rudy Salud as well as legendary Crispa coach and team manager, respectively, Virgilio "Baby" Dalupan and Danny Floro, and
140-686: The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He held both positions until May 2019. Cezar served as Vice Mayor of San Juan, Metro Manila under Mayor Jinggoy Estrada from 1992 to 2001. Months prior to the 2001 elections , he was appointed as Acting Mayor of San Juan while Estrada was serving his suspension due to plunder charges leveled against him and his father, former Philippine President Joseph Estrada . He retired from politics in 2001. On October 8, 2021, Cezar filed his Certificate of Candidacy to run for Vice Mayor of San Juan in 2022 under Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino . He
160-616: The Presto/Great Taste jersey in the 70s included the Aldanese brothers Noli and Jing (who replaced Fely Fajardo as coach in the second conference of 1976), Manny Paner, Florendo Ritualo (the father of Ren-Ren ), Danny Pribhdas (the father of Danilo, Jr of the UST Growling Tigers ), and Johnny Revilla. Coaches included Tony Genato ( Quinito Henson 's father in law), Chino Marquinez (who also acted as team manager) and Nilo Verona. In
180-560: The Year) and rookies Gerald Esplana (named Rookie of the Year) and Apet Jao (the top draft pick). More blue chip players came their way including Bong Hawkins in 1991 and Vergel Meneses in 1992 until the team eventually disbanded at the end of the 1992 season with Sta. Lucia buying the franchise rights including its rights for the first pick of the 1993 draft. In alphabetical order. Members of PBA Hall of Fame are in boldface. 1984 PBA season The 1984 PBA season
200-467: The blue chip rookie in the draft in the name of Allan Caidic and they became the team to beat. Great Taste regains the All-Filipino crown that year and won their fifth championship. The following season, their franchise player Ricardo Brown left the team and signed with San Miguel Beer. Presto won its final championship in 1990 featuring the superstar veteran Allan Caidic (named Most Valuable Player of
220-527: The championship picture, losing to the Billy Ray Bates-led Crispa in the second conference finals. The real sweetener happen in the third conference with the entry of Coach Baby Dalupan for the team – first as team consultant behind his godson Jimmy Mariano, only to secure the top coaching job when Mariano was "fired" for his ill-advised statement "we didn't intend to win.” This was said after a shocking loss to lowly Galerie Dominique since Great Taste
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#1732873228649240-468: The floor and finish fastbreaks with his patented "stretch" lay-up. He is best remembered as the very first one-on-one champion of the league when he defeated Ramon Fernandez in the finals of the 1979 Sprite One-on-One challenge where he won ₱ 25,000.00 (equivalent to ₱561,809 in 2021). In 2000, he was named as one of the PBA's 25 greatest players of all-time in elaborate awards ceremonies that highlighted
260-592: The late anchorman Joe Cantada . He finished his illustrious PBA career as the No. 6 all-time leading scorer with 12,077 points behind Fernandez, Abet Guidaben , Patrimonio, Atoy Co and Asaytono. He also is the fifth all-time best rebounder with 5,834 total rebounds behind Fernandez, Guidaben, Jerry Codiñera and Patrimonio and was No. 2 in shotblocks with 1,370. He also had 3,130 assists (3.4 assists per game), 599 steals, converted 2066/2767 free throws ( 74.67%) in 28127:05 minutes played in 918 games. He, along with Fernandez, are
280-502: The only two players in PBA history who has accumulated at least 12,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,000 shot blocks. After his retirement, Cezar went to coaching. He served as a long-time assistant coach to his former longtime rival Jaworski during the champion teams of Ginebra in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2000, he coached the San Juan Knights to a championship in the now defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association beating
300-545: The second conference of 1979, the ballclub finally cracked into the final four behind imports Jim Hearns and Darryl Smith, the following year with the acquisition of Jun Papa and Estoy Estrada, the team made it anew in the semifinals of the Open Conference. In the mid-season of 1981, they signed center-forwards Manny Victorino and Joel Banal, that same year, the team had their first player to win an award in Rafael "Cho' Sison, voted
320-399: Was already secured of a slot in the next round. Now a powerful and potent squad, Great Taste became the toast of the PBA in the following year, acquiring players such as Arnie Tuadles, Frankie Lim and Chito Loyzaga and in 1985, signing Abe King and Willie Pearson. The Coffeemakers dominated the mid-1980s, winning four straight championships between 1984 and 1985, with a strong local lineup and
340-494: Was known to be a blockbuster and powerhouse team to those who got to watch the game in the early 1980s, this team was also one of the ragtag and also-ran teams of the 1970s. Not exactly blessed with the biggest names among the present set of players then, they did become competitive owing more on the sheer hearts of their players rather than talents. Having started in the MICAA under coach Narciso Bernardo in 1973, notable players who donned
360-723: Was named the Most Valuable Player in 1980 . He was also a many-time Philippine national team player in the 1970s. Coming from the JRU Heavy Bombers , some consider Cezar the best “thinking” power forward in the history of the PBA. He is the perfect example of a power forward with finesse, unlike contemporary "four" players like Marc Pingris , Eric Menk and Danny Ildefonso , and much earlier, Alvin Patrimonio and Nelson Asaytono , who rely primarily on sheer power and brute strength. Though barely 6'3" and less than 200 pounds, he
380-472: Was the 10th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). 1982 Philip Cezar As head coach: As assistant coach: Philip Dudley Cezar (born December 1, 1952) is a Filipino former basketball coach, player and politician. Known by the monikers "Mr. Stretch", " Tapal King" and "The Scholar", he was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub of the Philippine Basketball Association that won two Grand Slams in 1976 and 1983. He
400-414: Was usually given the unenviable task of guarding tall imports from opposing teams. On defense, his unusually long arms served him in good stead, using them in his famous "umbrella-like" defense and two-handed shot-blocks. And though he played the No. 4 position for most of his career, he was like a second point guard on the floor, often orchestrating big plays and dishing out timely passes. He could also run
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