Metropolitan Basketball Association

The Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), or Metroball, was aprofessional basketball league in the Philippines that ran from March 7, 1998 to July 26, 2002.

History
The MBA was played its first game on March 7, 1998 at the Don Narciso Ramos Sports Complex in Lingayen, Pangasinan. Unlike the Philippine Basketball Association, in which teams represent companies, the MBA teams represented a particular city, province or island in the country. The league brought basketball closer to the people, and it raided the PBA for talent.

The MBA was widely viewed as broadcast giant ABS-CBN's attempt to undermine the PBA after failing to snatch its broadcast rights in 1998.

Metroball allowed foreigners to play for their teams, not requiring Philippine passports of them, nor requiring those foreigners to have Filipino blood. All the league required was that these players be born in the Philippines.

As a direct result of this practice, the MBA and its foreign-born players began attracting attention away from the PBA, forcing the PBA to escalate their own players' salaries and practically rendering the PBA draft useless through a "direct hiring" process.

This allowed PBA teams like Talk 'N Text and Tanduay to negotiate directly with MBA players or MBA prospects (like Asi Taulava and Sonny Alvarado) for their services.

However, the league folded on July 26, 2002 due to extremely high expenses on funding a regional basketball league, and most especially when broadcast partner ABS-CBN withdrew funding for the league. Several players went to the semi-professional Philippine Basketball League en route to the PBA.

Season format
The MBA had a season similarly styled to that of the National Basketball Association. The teams were grouped into two conferences: Northern (Luzon and Metro Manila) and Southern (Visayas/Mindanao). The season concluded with the MBA National Finals, where the Northern Conference champion faced the Southern Conference champion to decide the MBA Championship.

After the league adapted a semi-commercial format (teams are sponsored by companies), several methods were used to in determining its champion. In their final season, they have adapted a three-conference format, similar with the PBA.

Northern Conference

 * Batangas Blades (1998–2002; team merged with Manila in 2001)
 * Laguna Lakers (1998–2001; team abandoned the league after their owners FedExjoined the PBA in 2002)
 * Manila Metrostars (1998–2001; team merged with Batangas in 2001)
 * Nueva Ecija Patriots (1999–2001)
 * Olongapo Volunteers (2002)
 * Pampanga Dragons/Stars (1998–2000; 2002)
 * Pangasinan Presidents (also known as Pangasinan Waves) (1998–1999; 2002)
 * Pasig-Rizal Pirates(1998–2000) (also known as Pasig Blue Pirates in 1998)
 * San Juan Knights (1999–2001)

Southern Conference

 * Cebu Gems (1998–2002; team renamed as the Cebuana Lhullier Gems in 2001)
 * Davao Eagles (1998–2002)
 * Cagayan de Oro Amigos (also known as Cagayan de Oro Nuggets) (1998–2000; 2002)
 * Iloilo Megavoltz (also known as Iloilo Volts) (1998–2000)
 * Negros Slashers (Bacolod City) (1998–2002; team renamed as the RCPI-Negros Slashers in 2002)
 * SoCSarGen Marlins (1998–2001; team renamed as the Socsargen Taguig Marlins in 2001 when the team played its home games in Taguig)
 * Surigao Miners/Warriors (1999–2000)

Rules
The MBA had a set of its unique rules compared to the PBA:

The MBA had a set of its unique rules compared to the PBA:
 * 1) The shot clock was reduced to 23 seconds, as opposed to the PBA's 24 seconds.
 * 2) The time limit for a team to advance the ball over the center line was reduced to eight seconds, as opposed to PBA's 10 seconds. The PBA later adopted the 8-second limit in 2004, two years after the MBA disbanded.
 * 3) Free-three - An option to trade a player's two free throws for a free three (one attempt at the three point arc above the free throw line, worth three points if successfully made) at the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. This option was later made available any time during the game by 1999.
 * 4) One-for-one situation - There were two penalty situations in the MBA, first is if the team fouls of the opposing team reaches five fouls, the fouled player needed to shoot the first free throw before getting the second. Two free throws were only given to a player if the opposing team incurred seven team fouls.
 * 5) Blitz Three - Any field goal converted within five seconds of a change of possession will be worth three points. A red siren is installed at the backboard to indicate the Blitz Period. (introduced in 2001)
 * 6) Foreigners were allowed to play in the league, provided that the player is born in the Philippines.

Commissioners

 * Ramon Fernandez (1998–1999)
 * Gregorio "Ogie" Narvasa II (2000–2001)
 * Severino "Butch" Antonio (2001)
 * Joaquin "Chito" Loyzaga (2002)

TV Partners

 * ABS-CBN Corporation
 * ABS-CBN Sports
 * Studio 23 (now ABS-CBN Sports+Action)
 * National Broadcasting Network
 * Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation
 * ABS-CBN News Channel
 * ABS-CBN Regional Network Group
 * The Filipino Channel