I still get chills thinking about that 1990 Purefoods PBA Players' Championship run. You had to be there - the energy at the Araneta Coliseum was absolutely electric, and watching those games now on grainy VHS recordings just doesn't capture the raw emotion of that championship journey. What made it special wasn't just the trophy at the end, but how Purefoods fought through adversity when nobody expected them to make waves that season.
The team entered the tournament with something to prove. Coach Baby Dalupan had assembled this interesting mix of veterans and young talent, but critics kept saying we lacked the firepower to compete with powerhouse teams like Shell and Alaska. I remember arguing with my cousins about whether Purefoods could even make it past the quarterfinals - most of them bet against us, which just made the eventual victory sweeter. The turning point came during that incredible semifinal showdown against a heavily favored Shell team. Their semifinal duel is set at 12:50 p.m. on Saturday, Manila Time - I can still recall rushing home from morning classes to catch the game, nearly tripping over our neighbor's dog in my excitement.
What unfolded that afternoon became instant PBA folklore. Alvin Patrimonio was absolutely magnificent, dropping 28 points while grabbing 15 rebounds against Shell's taller frontline. But the real story was Jojo Lastimosa's clutch performance in the fourth quarter - he scored 12 of his 24 points in the final six minutes, including that iconic three-pointer that put Purefoods ahead for good with 38 seconds remaining. The stadium erupted in a way I'd never experienced before, and watching from our living room, I literally jumped up and spilled my glass of Coke all over our carpet. My mom was furious, but even she couldn't stay mad when she saw how electric the game had become.
Looking back at the 1990 Purefoods PBA Players' Championship journey and legacy, what stands out isn't just the championship banner they hung, but how they changed the team's identity forever. Before that tournament, Purefoods was always considered the "nice guys" who played fundamentally sound basketball but lacked that killer instinct. That championship run transformed them into legitimate contenders who knew how to win under pressure. Jerry Codiñera's defensive presence in the paint was revolutionary for that era - he averaged 3.2 blocks per game during the playoffs, which was unheard of back then.
The championship game itself against Alaska was a masterclass in tactical basketball. Purefoods fell behind by 14 points in the second quarter, and I remember my uncle already turning off the TV saying "it's over." But I stubbornly switched it back on, and witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in PBA history. Coach Dalupan's decision to go small with a three-guard lineup changed everything - it sparked a 18-4 run to close the third quarter that completely shifted the momentum. When Patrimonio hit that game-winning jumper with 2.1 seconds left, our entire neighborhood erupted in celebration. I could hear car horns blaring from streets away, and my family spent the next hour just reliving every crucial play.
That championship did more than just bring a trophy to Purefoods - it fundamentally shifted the PBA landscape for years to come. Suddenly, teams started valuing defensive specialists more, and the "never say die" attitude that Purefoods displayed became the blueprint for underdog teams. I've followed the PBA for over three decades now, and I can confidently say that 1990 Purefoods squad remains one of the most influential championship teams in league history. They proved that heart and chemistry could overcome raw talent, and that lesson resonates even in today's game dominated by superteams.
The legacy of that team lives on in how current players still reference that championship run when discussing building championship culture. Just last season, I heard June Mar Fajardo mention how studying Jerry Codiñera's defensive tapes from that 1990 run helped his development. That's the beautiful thing about basketball - great moments become timeless lessons that transcend generations. While today's game has evolved with fancy analytics and advanced training methods, the core principles that made that Purefoods team special - resilience, trust, and clutch performance - remain the foundation of championship basketball.
