Aces win 3rd straight title — in election season

MANILA, Philippines– The Alaska Aces have won three straight PBA titles. Three straight during election periods.

In front of more than 24, 000 people at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Sunday, May 19, the Aces defeated the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings for a 3-0 sweep 2013 PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals series and bag their first title in the post-Tim Cone era.

Indeed, it was a fairy-tale ending for the Uytengsu-owned franchise that, a year ago, was a picture of disappointment after suffering its worst finish since joining the league in 1986.

Curiously, Alaska won the title on an election year for the third straight time.

The last two championships of Alaska were copped in 2007 and 2010 — both election years.

Seven-game thriller vs TNT

On July 2007, then Alaska star Willie Miller, with Mike Cortez, Sonny Thoss and Best Import Rosell Ellis powered the Aces to the Fiesta Cup crown at the expense of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters (then known as the Phone Pals), with Cone was calling the shots for the Aces that time.

Mac Cardona, Donbel Belano, Jay Washington and import JJ Sullinger bannered that TNT squad and was helmed by head coach Derrick Pumaren.

The series went the distance as Sullinger missed a potential game-winning triple at the buzzer in Game 7 of the series.

Two months earlier, the 2007 mid-term elections were held on May 14, where the Genuine Opposition’s Loren Legarda (and 2013 second-placer) emerging as the top vote-getter.

Tenorio, Baguio team up for 2010 romp

Three years later, Alaska traded former two-time MVP Miller to Ginebra for Cyrus Baguio and it paid immediate dividends as Baguio, along with import Diamon Simpson, LA Tenorio, Joe De Vance and Larry Fonacier in the fold, helped the the Aces beat the San Miguel Beermen in six games to snare the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference title.

Tenorio and Baguio were named co-Finals MVPs and it was the last hardware hoisted by Alaska in the Cone era.

Three months earlier, on May 10, current President Benigno Simeon Aquino III was elected as the 15^th President of our country in a the first automated election in Philippine history.

An omen?

Fast forward to 2013.

Just a week after Grace Poe shocked everyone by becoming number 1 in the Senate balloting, the Aces, behind plenty of heroes to thank for, essayed a clean sweep of Ginebra, with nine-year veteran pivotman Sonny “The Boss” Thoss winning the Finals MVP plum.

Is it just coincidental? Or an omen?

Now, one question hangs in the balance: will Alaska wait for another three years to win another title in 2016? Or will the Aces buck the trend and add another trophy before the year ends?

For now, with the fairy-tale ending completed, Alaska will savor the triumph and buckle down to work for another shot at glory and continue its return to the basketball pinnacle. – Rappler.com