5 Things You Should Expect from PBA's 40th Season

The 40th season of the Philippine Basketball Association begins on October 19, with a grand opening spectacle at the world's largest indoor arena, the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. (Photo Courtesy of Philstar.com)

The 2013-2014 season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) not only drew high marks in television ratings and crowd attendance, but also created a new dynasty in Philippine basketball. And that would be the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers, the fourth team in the history of the league to win a Grand Slam after conquering all of the season's conferences. Now on the 40th season of Asia's oldest professional basketball league which will begin on October 19, all eyes are on Tim Cone and his brand of Mixers. Will they be able to create a new chapter in the history of the team and of the league as well? Well, we'll have to find out once it begins.



But it seems that the journey of the Super Coffee Mixers to basketball greatness will be a tough one, considering that the ruby season of the PBA will have many expectations from millions of Filipinos supporting and loving it. In fact, here are the five things you should expect from the PBA starting October 19.

1. Who are the 40 greatest PBA players of all time? Well, you have to wait until April 2015 for the answers. The PBA has already announced the 25 all-time greats during its silver anniversary back in 2000. Now it seems that with the new breed of basketball players making a name for themselves in the league, this would be a hard time for the league to choose 15 from among many who will be added to its list of all-time greatest basketball legends.

2. What better way to kick off the 40th season of the PBA is for it to be held on a much bigger venue!! And that would be at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan, the world's largest indoor arena. You will be amazed not only by the league's grand parade of teams and spectacle of greatness, but also by the 50,000 seating capacity that the arena has for its audience. Just make sure you choose your favorite color when you find a seat to watch the opening ceremonies.

3. Through the years, only ten teams have been competing in the league's conferences to become champion. Now the road to glory gets tougher, as two new teams will enter the country's most loveable basketball league, namely Blackwater and KIA Motors. Expect more grit and more action once these teams are in action in the opening game of the season.

4. There will be a total of 65 games in three conferences throughout the season. And since we have two new teams on the book, PBA will have five playdates. Aside from the regular playdates Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the league will add Tuesday as a new playdate for the season. And as always, every conference in the season will gloriously end in a best-of-seven Finals series.

5. One of the most anticipated newcomers in the PBA is eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. However, despite his stint as a playing coach for KIA Motors after being drafted last August, you will expect absolutely nothing for the People's Champ as he will only play for a limited amount of time. That would be very disappointing. Still, it will be a moment to remember!!

The 40th season of the PBA will be full of surprises, shocks, twists, drama, and expectations. So come on October 19, and see the best basketball players in the country duke it out once again.