산 후안 나이츠

산 후안 나이츠

Leagues Played
MPBL 125 Basketball Matches 3
Links
Wikipedia

Wikipedia - San Juan Knights

The San Juan Knights, also known as the San Juan Knights – Go For Gold for sponsorship reasons, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in San Juan. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's North Division. They are one of three teams based in Metro Manila's Eastern District and play their home games at Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The team's first incarnation was established in 1999 as part of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) until 2001. The name Knights was chosen in reference to the concepts of gallantry and bravery. In 2018, the Knights were revived as they joined the MPBL for the 2018–19 season. The team's second incarnation has taken part in other leagues, including FilBasket, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3, and the Pilipinas Super League, the latter of which they compete under the name San Juan Kings.

In 2023, their volleyball counterpart, the San Juan Lady Knights became one of the eight charter teams of the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA).

The San Juan-based franchise is one of the most successful home-and-away basketball teams in the country. Across both incarnations, the Knights have clinched three championships: two in the MBA (2000 and 2001 – First Phase) and one in the MPBL (2019). The Knights also made the MPBL's Division Finals four times in a row from 2019 to 2023, and the MPBL Finals in back-to-back seasons (2019 and 2021).

History

First incarnation (1999–2001)

The San Juan Knights were founded in 1999 by then-mayor and current senator Jinggoy Estrada and businessman Sandy Javier. The team entered the Metropolitan Basketball Association as an expansion team for the league's 1999 season alongside the Surigao Miners and Nueva Ecija Patriots.

During the pre-season, the team acquired 6'9" Bonel Balingit from the Philippine Basketball Association to a three-year, P16 million contract. Joining Balangit are Gherome Ejercito from the Pampanga Dragons, a cousin of Estrada, 1998 NCAA Most Valuable Player Christian Calaguio, and Chito Victolero.

During the playoffs of the 2000 season, San Juan first swept the Laguna Lakers, 2–0, in the Northern Conference Semifinals and went past the Manila Metrostars, 3–1, in the Northern Conference Finals, bringing the Knights to the 2000 MBA National Championship. Game 5 of the championship series against the Negros Slashers had a debris-throwing incident at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, as the Knights were way ahead, 87–65, with 11:38 left in the fourth quarter when play was stopped. The Negros Slashers conceded game 5, giving the San Juan Knights a 3–2 heading into game 6. San Juan would go on to win their first of back-to-back MBA championships.

Team Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Wins
San Juan 76 88 84 85 W 104 4
Negros 75 77 90 89 L 91 2

Second incarnation (2018–present)

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

Logo of the second incarnation of the San Juan Knights used from 2018 until 2023.

In April 2018, San Juan Knights were revived as an expansion team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. The return of the Knights brought in names such as Mark Cardona and John Wilson. The team finished its inaugural season with a 20–5 record and clinched the third seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, San Juan swept both Navotas and Quezon City, and won 2–1 against Manila to advance to the 2019 MPBL Finals against the Davao Occidental Tigers. The series went all the way to a game 5 as San Juan won its first MPBL championship and the third overall in franchise history. Their winning traditions continued into the 2019–20 season, after facing only four losses throughout the whole season, San Juan managed to finish the season as the North Division's first seed. With a 26–4 record and a .867 win percentage, they also tied for best record that season alongside the Davao Occidental Tigers. As the playoffs began, the team swept through Pasay and Pampanga before facing the Makati Super Crunch in the North Division Finals. The series was tied before the season's suspension but San Juan were able to win deciding game 3 against a depleted Super Crunch squad to make back-to-back National Finals appearances for a chance to repeat against the Davao Occicdental Tigers. This time around, San Juan failed to defend their title as Davao Occidental won 3–1.

Pilipinas Super League

After the conclusion of the 2022 MPBL season, San Juan made their debut in the Pilipinas Super League, under the name San Juan Kings. In the 2022–23 DUMPER Cup, the team went undefeated in the regular season, winning all 15 games. After beating Manila in the Quarterfinals, the Kings met the Baltazar-led Pampanga G Lanterns in the Semifinals. Unfortunately, San Juan would lose to the G Lanterns in two games.

산 후안 나이츠(San Juan Knights)는 필리핀 파사이 시에 있는 프로 농구 팀입니다. 팀은 필리핀 농구 협회(PBA)에서 경쟁합니다. 팀은 1998년에 창단되었으며 홈 경기는 아레나 디 자이로에서 치릅니다. 산 후안 나이츠는 총 14번의 PBA 챔피언십에서 우승했으며 이는 리그에서 6번째로 많은 우승 횟수입니다. 팀은 또한 12차례의 PBA 팬스 초이스 상을 수상했습니다.

산 후안 나이츠는 필리핀 농구에서 가장 성공적인 팀 중 하나로 간주됩니다. 팀은 다수의 스타 선수를 배출했으며 많은 PBA 챔피언십에서 우승했습니다. 산 후안 나이츠는 또한 팬들에게 인기 있는 팀으로 경기장은 종종 매진됩니다.

팀의 현재 로스터에는 다음과 같은 선수들이 포함됩니다.

* 세레노 "파벨" 알라리오
* 조이 프랑코
* 레오 리히스
* 마크 바티스타
* 레널트 로페스
* 크리스 ROSS
* 웬델 아모레
* 조이 아크바도
* 로랜드 델라그라시아
* 사비에르라 삼슨

산 후안 나이츠는 2023년 PBA 시즌에서 우승을 목표로 합니다. 팀은 강력한 로스터를 보유하고 있으며 PBA 챔피언십을 위해 경쟁할 준비가 되어 있습니다.