Great Taste Coffee Makers
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| Great Taste Coffee Makers | ||
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| Founded | 1975 | |
| Dissolved | Sold in 1993 | |
| History | Presto Ice Cream (1975, 1977, 1988–1989, 1992) N-Rich Coffee Creamers (1976, 1982) Presto Fun Drinks (1980–1981) Great Taste Discoverers (1978–1980, 1983) Great Taste Coffee Makers (1982, 1983–1987) Great Taste Instant Milk (1987–1988) Presto Tivolis (1989–1991) Tivoli Milk Masters (1991) | |
| Team colors | Great Taste Coffee Great Taste Milk Presto Fun Drinks Presto Ice Cream Presto Tivoli | |
| Main sponsor | CFC Corporation (now merged with Universal Robina Corporation) | |
| Head coach | Felicisimo Fajardo Tony Genato Nilo Verona Alfonso Marquez Baby Dalupan Jimmy Mariano Tommy Manotoc | |
| Ownership | John Gokongwei | |
| Championships | 6 championships 1984 Second All-Filipino | |
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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, 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.
History
[edit]Early years (1975–1978)
[edit]Great Taste became a dominant team in the early 1980s. Started in the MICAA under coach Narciso Bernardo in 1973, notable players who wore the Presto/Great Taste jersey in the 1970s 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 served as team manager), and Nilo Verona.
Breakthrough (1979–1982)
[edit]In the second conference of 1979, the team reached the final four behind imports Jim Hearns and Darryl Smith. The following year, with the acquisition of Jun Papa and Estoy Estrada, the team again reached the semifinals of the Open Conference. In mid-season 1981, they signed center-forwards Manny Victorino and Joel Banal. That same year, the team had its first individual award winner in Rafael "Cho" Sison, voted the 1981 Rookie of the Year. In the final conference of both the 1981 and 1982 seasons, the team reached a playoff for a finals berth but fell short each time.
The Ricardo Brown era (1983–1987)
[edit]The team signed Filipino-American rookie Ricardo Brown in 1983, following negotiations involving Great Taste manager Ignacio Gotao and Crispa owner Danny Floro. Brown joined the Coffeemakers alongside Bogs Adornado from the disbanded U-Tex Wranglers, Manny Victorino, Joel Banal, Alejo Alolor, Joy Carpio, and import Norman Black. Great Taste reached the finals of the second conference that season, losing to the Billy Ray Bates-led Crispa.
Prior to the third conference, Coach Baby Dalupan joined the team, initially as a team consultant under Jimmy Mariano. Dalupan subsequently took over as head coach after Mariano was dismissed following a public comment, "we didn't intend to win," made after a loss to Galerie Dominique.
The team improved significantly the following year, acquiring players such as Arnie Tuadles, Frankie Lim, and Chito Loyzaga, and in 1985, signing Abe King and Willie Pearson. Great Taste won four straight championships between 1984 and 1985, combining a strong local lineup with imports Joe Binion and Jeff Collins.
The Allan Caidic era (1987–1992)
[edit]After failing to win a championship in 1986, the team traded two of its key players, Manny Victorino and Jimmy Manansala, to Shell for Philip Cezar and Bernie Fabiosa. With Atoy Co joining the team following the disbandment of the Manila Beer franchise, the three former Crispa players were reunited at Great Taste under their former coach, Baby Dalupan.[1]
The team also drafted rookie Allan Caidic, and became one of the league's strongest teams that year. Great Taste regained the All-Filipino crown and won their fifth championship. The following season, franchise player Ricardo Brown left the team and signed with San Miguel Beer.
Presto won its final championship in 1990, featuring veteran Allan Caidic (named Most Valuable Player of the Year) and rookies Gerald Esplana (named Rookie of the Year) and Apet Jao (the top draft pick). The team added players including Bong Hawkins in 1991 and Vergel Meneses in 1992, before disbanding at the end of the 1992 season, when Sta. Lucia bought the franchise rights, including the rights to the first pick of the 1993 draft.
Season-by-season records
[edit]| Legend |
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| Champion
Runner-up Third place |
Awards
[edit]Individual awards
[edit]| PBA Most Valuable Player | PBA Rookie of the Year Award | PBA All-Defensive Team |
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| PBA Mythical First Team | PBA Mythical Second Team | PBA Most Improved Player |
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| PBA Best Import | PBA Scoring Leader | |
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All-Star Weekend
[edit]| All Star MVP | Obstacle Challenge | Three-point Shootout | Slam Dunk Contest |
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Notable players
[edit]PBA Greatest players
[edit]In alphabetical order. Members of PBA Hall of Fame are in boldface.
- William "Bogs" Adornado #33
- Ricardo Brown #23 – "The Quick Brown Fox" named 1985 PBA Most Valuable Player
- Allan Caidic #8 – "The Triggerman" named 1987 PBA Rookie of the Year & 1990 PBA Most Valuable Player
- Philip Cezar #18 – "The Scholar"
- Atoy Co #60 and #6 – "The Fortune Cookie" played his final years in the league with the team.
- Bernie Fabiosa #15 – "The Sultan of Swipe"
- Vergel Meneses #4 – "The Aerial Voyager" was the #1 draft pick of the 1992 draft.
- Manny Paner #5 & #13 – Became the highest paid Filipino player in 1977, signed a 4-year contract called for P 8,000 a month.
Other notable players
[edit]
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– “The Howitser"
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Imports
[edit]
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Coaches
[edit]Team managers
[edit]- Ignacio Gotao
- Chino Marquinez
References
[edit]- ↑ "PBA preview '87: Great Taste". Manila Standard.
External links
[edit]- The Quick Brown Fox's Untold Stories@GMA News Online