PBA Commissioner’s Cup

One of the three conferences or competitions contested each year as a part of the PBA season is the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup, a professional basketball competition. Due to its location in the middle of the PBA season, the Commissioner’s Cup is often referred to as the mid-season conference.

Teams competing for the Commissioner’s Cup comprise domestic and international players, with each side permitted to bring in one additional player. A foreign professional basketball player is often the import player who is sought by PBA clubs to bolster their roster’s potential and expertise.


The PBA Commissioner’s Cup structure normally includes a round-robin elimination stage in which all contending teams compete against one another in a succession of games. The best teams then continue to the playoffs, where they play in a knockout format that includes quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals to determine the conference winner. The teams then tally win-loss records.

Fans eagerly follow their favorite teams and players during the PBA Commissioner’s Cup because of how fierce and thrilling the games are. It has a considerable following among basketball enthusiasts in the Philippines and is one of the most well-known and respected basketball competitions in the nation.

PBA Conference Format

Each PBA conference follows a unique format and set of rules. However, there are a few key elements that are shared by all conferences.

Typically, conferences begin with a round-robin elimination round in which all teams play each other once. The top teams then advance to the playoffs, which either best-of-three or best-of-five. The playoff winners then compete in the finals, which are a best-of-seven format.

Significant Moments in PBA Conferences

Over the years, the PBA conferences have hosted numerous exciting moments and memorable games. Here are a few of the most notable examples:

1975 All-Filipino Conference: The PBA’s inaugural conference included some of the country’s best players, including Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, and Francis Arnaiz. The Crispa Redmanizers won the championship after defeating the Toyota Comets in a best-of-five series.

1985 Reinforced Conference: This conference saw the birth of the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team’s “Never Say Die” attitude. Despite trailing the Northern Consolidated Cement team 1-3 in the finals, Ginebra rallied to win the final three games and claim the championship.

The 1991 All-Filipino Conference featured an unforgettable championship game between the Purefoods Hotdogs and the Alaska Milkmen. Purefoods won Game 7 of the series on a buzzer-beating shot by Alvin Patrimonio, which has become one of the most legendary moments in PBA history.

2016 Governors’ Cup: The Meralco Bolts rose to prominence in this conference, reaching the finals for the first time in club history. However, they were defeated in a dramatic Game 6 by the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team, which won on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Justin Brownlee.

Teams for the Commissioner's Cup in 2023

The following is a list of the current PBA teams. While these should be the same clubs competing the following year, branding and licensing rights can frequently result in team name changes from one year to the next (as was the case with the Alaska Aces being taken over by Converge ICT and renamed the Converge FiberXers for 2022).

The following are the current PBA teams as of 2023:

  • Barangay Ginebra San Miguel – Ginebra San Miguel, Inc.
  • Blackwater Bossing – Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc.
  • Converge FiberXers – Converge ICT (formerly Alaska Aces)
  • Magnolia Hotshots – San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc.
  • Meralco Bolts – Manila Electric Company
  • NLEX Road Warriors – Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
  • NorthPort Batang Pier – Sultan 900 Capital, Inc.
  • Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters – Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.
  • Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – Asian Coatings Philippines, Inc.
  • San Miguel Beermen – San Miguel Brewery, Inc.
  • Terrafirma Dyip – Terrafirma Realty Developme

PBA Commissioner's Cup Update

In 2020 and 2021, there were no Commissioner’s Cup, but the popular conference should be back in 2022. But the 2022-2023 Commissioner’s Cup will begin later than usual (date to be determined) because the 2021 Governor’s Cup went on until early April 2022, and the 2022 Philippine Cup didn’t start until early May.

The 2022–23 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup will be the second conference of the 2022–23 PBA season (PBA). The 20th Commissioner’s Cup is set to begin on September 21, 2022, and end at the beginning of 2023. Teams can hire foreign or imported players, but they can’t be taller than 6’10”.

How To Bet On The Commissioner's Cup?

The Commissioner’s Cup is easily gambled on at any major offshore sports betting platform. Any of the books listed below will do, and each one provides thorough odds on the popular PBA conference.

All you need to sign up is a modern computer or mobile device, an Internet connection, and a few extra pesos (though Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are preferred), and you’ll be betting in no time.

You’ll have access to all the common basketball bet kinds once you’ve picked one or more sportsbooks and completed the five-minute enrollment process. These are some examples:

  • Spread Betting
  • Straight bets (sometimes known as moneyline bets)
  • Totals bets (sometimes known as Over/Under bets)
  • Prop bets on players
  • Futures Betting on Teams

Commissioner’s Cup Prop Betting Explained

Prop betting is a fun way to increase the amount of money you could win from sports betting. It means betting on a sure thing to happen in a game. The most profitable prop bets have to do with the statistics of each player. Some examples are betting on whether a particular player will score a certain number of points, whether a specific player will steal, block, or grab a certain number of rebounds, and so on.

Team props are also available, such as the total number of rebounds, steals, free throws, and so on. Offshore betting sites usually post props a day or two before a game. Check your sportsbook daily to see if there are any new odds, lines, or props.

What’s on the PBA Commissioner's Cup Today?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Yes, betting on the PBA Commissioner’s Cup is permitted in the Philippines. The Philippine government passed Republic Act No. 11590 in 2021, legalizing both online and offline sports betting in the country.

During the first half of the season, all 12 PBA teams compete in the Commissioner’s Cup for an opportunity to address their gathering in the Finals.

To be eligible for the Commissioner’s Cup, a team must play ten conference games, two against each team, during the first half of the regular season. The team with the best record is against all the other league teams. They chose to represent their conference against the best team in the other forum.

Before you place any PBA bets, you must be sure the PBA betting site you’re using is reliable, safe, and secure. You want to know that your money is safe and that you’ll get paid as soon as possible.

Our reviews of online sportsbooks give you a better idea of what to expect from each site. So, for all your PBA betting needs, you can choose what works best for you.