1997 Pop Cola Bottlers season

The 1997 Pop Cola Bottlers season was the 8th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

1997 Pop Cola Bottlers season
Head coachDerrick Pumaren
Arturo Valenzona
Norman Black
Owner(s)RFM Corporation
All-Filipino Cup results
Record5–9
(.357)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Commissioner's Cup results
Record4–6
(.400)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Governor's Cup results
Record5–9
(.357)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Pop Cola Bottlers seasons

Off-season transactions
TRANSACTIONS
Nic Belasco Drafted rookie, 2nd overall pick
Romulo Marata Drafted rookie
Eugene Quilban Acquired from Mobiline
Jack Tanuan Acquired from Mobiline

Notable dates

February 22: Pop Cola stuns defending champion Alaska Milkmen, 96–88 in Lipa City, Batangas, for their first win in two starts.

September 20: Vergel Meneses tallied a game-high 36 points and import Byron Houston added 29 points with 19 rebounds as Pop Cola gave their new coach Norman Black his first win at the start of the Governors Cup with a 108–92 victory over Purefoods in the out-of-town game in Tarlac State University Gym.[1]

Occurrences / Trades

Starting the Commissioners Cup, coach Derrick Pumaren was replaced by Arturo Valenzona, whose last coaching job in the PBA was nine years ago. Valenzona chooses Alfrancis Chua as his assistant coach while Pumaren remain as a team consultant.

After Pop Cola's failure to reach the semifinals for the fifth straight time, a player-coach trade took place between the two teams that didn't make past the eliminations in the Commissioner's Cup, the Bottlers acquired Norman Black from Mobiline as their head coach along with Elpidio Villamin and Peter Martin in exchange for guard Ato Agustin and their former coach Derrick Pumaren, who has now moved over to the Mobiline camp. Upon Norman Black's entry at Pop Cola, Alfrancis Chua was retain as assistant coach while Arturo Valenzona was relegated to team consultant.[2]

On October 27, Pop Cola forward Kenneth Duremdes and center Jack Tanuan were traded to Alaska in exchange for Dwight Lago and Boyet Fernandez.[3]

Roster

References
  1. "Pop Cola blasts Purefoods". Manila Standard.
  2. "Manotoc named Mobiline head coach". Manila Standard.
  3. "Duremdes debuts for Alaska against Sta.Lucia today". Manila Standard.
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