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The PBA Governors’ Cup is a tournament of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), held alongside the PBA Commissioner’s Cup as one of the two conferences that permit teams to recruit a single foreign player, also known as an “import.” The tournament debuted in 1993 as the third conference of the PBA season.
The Governors’ Cup was discontinued in 2003 with the revival of the Reinforced Conference. However, from 2004 to 2010, the league only hosted two conferences in a season: the All-Filipino tournament, dubbed the Philippine Cup, and the import-laden Fiesta Conference. The tournament was reinstated in 2011 as the third conference of the PBA season, following the league’s re-adoption of the three-conference format.
The Governors’ Cup also refers to the trophy awarded to the champion team. The conference was initially renamed in 1993 as the Governors’ Cup, a nod to the members of the PBA Board of Governors, with each team represented by a board member, or “Governor.” Typically, the conference marked the final tournament of the PBA season.
The early years of the Governors’ Cup saw San Miguel emerge victorious in 1993, followed by Alaska’s dominance from 1994 to 1997. In 1998, due to the league’s commitment to the Philippine Centennial Team, teams were allowed to recruit two imports with a combined height of 12 feet. Shell, unaffected by the national team’s call-ups, secured the tournament title over Mobiline.
San Miguel Beer reclaimed the title from 1999 to 2000, only to be upset by Sta. Lucia in 2001, which earned the Realtors their first PBA championship. In 2002, with the league’s focus on the national team, the Governors’ Cup became the first conference, while the All-Filipino Conference was shifted to the third and final tournament.
With most star players committed to the national squad, teams were once again permitted to recruit two imports with a 12-foot height limit. Purefoods ultimately defeated Alaska in a seven-game series to capture the title.
The tournament was retired in 2003 after the reintroduction of the Reinforced Conference as the third conference of the season. However, it was reinstated in 2011, following the league’s restoration of the three-conference season format.
