Season Highlights

• The PBA increased its membership from 6 teams to 8, with the entry of expansion teams, RFM/Cosmos Bottling, Inc. and Pepsi-Cola. The 6 regular PBA teams were allowed to protect 9 from its rosters, the two newcomers are gonna pick those players being put in the expansion pool.
• With the advent of "Open basketball" being approved, professional basketball players are now allowed to play in the international tournaments such as the Olympics and World championships, the PBA send an all-pro team to the Beijing Asian Games in September, chosen to coach the PBA-backed national team is the Anejo playing coach and PBA's living legend, Robert Jaworski, given only two weeks to prepare, with injuries and problems hounding the team even from the time it was formed, the All-Pro nationals gave the Country a Silver medal finish, behind host China.
• The PBA suffered from gate receipts during the third conference, following the All-pro team's failure to win the basketball Gold, and those two losses to China hurt the nation's pride.

Finals Recap

• Shell won their first PBA title, but the biggest story of the year was the walkout of Anejo Rum 65 in Game 6 of the First Conference finals, the 65ers were fined a total of P550,000.
• Presto Tivoli went home with the All-Filipino crown, at the expense of Purefoods Hotdogs, their first title in three years and sixth overall, Coach Jimmy Mariano won his first championship, 1979 Rookie of the year, Arnie Tuadles, fill in the shoes of Presto's injured top gun Allan Caidic in the deciding Game 7, scoring 33 big points.
• Purefoods Hotdogs came back from a 0-2 overhaul to win the Third Conference title and their first championship, over Alaska Milk, 3-2, becoming only the second team to have won three straight after falling behind two games to none, duplicating the feat achieved by the Crispa Redmanizers in 1976. Coach Baby Dalupan, the winningest coach, won his 15th PBA title.

Champions

• First Conference: Formula Shell Zoom Masters
  Shell Turbo Chargers
  The Shell Turbo Chargers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints...
  
  
• All-Filipino Conference: Presto Tivolis
  Great Taste Coffee Makers
  Great Taste Coffee was one of the Pioneer teams in the Philippine Basketball Association . The company was then known as the Consolidated Foods Corporation and their chief products included well known brands like Presto Ice Cream, N-Rich Coffee Cream, Jack & Jill Fun Snacks, Great Taste Coffee...
  
  
• Third Conference: Purefoods Hotdogs

• Team with best win-loss percentage: Shell (35-21, .625)

Individual awards

• Most Valuable Player
  Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award
  The Philippine Basketball Association awards the Most Valuable Player award at the end of the season. The winner is selected via votes from the press, players, coaches and top PBA officials....
  
  : Allan Caidic
  Allan Caidic
  Alan Vito Flores Caidic is a retired professional basketball player from the Philippines and is currently an assistant coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the PBA...
  
   (Presto)
• Rookie of the Year
  Philippine Basketball Association Rookie of the Year award
  -List of awardees:...
  
  : Gerry Esplana (Presto)
• Most Improved Player: Rey Cuenco (Añejo)
• Mythical Five:
  • Ronnie Magsanoc
    Ronnie Magsanoc
    Ronald "Ronnie" Magsanoc is a former Filipino professional basketball point guard. He was the former assistant coach of the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and a color commentator for the television coverage of the Philippine Basketball Association...
    
     (Shell)
  • Paul Alvarez (Alaska)
  • Benjie Paras
    Benjie Paras
    Venancio Johnson Paras, Jr. , better known as Benjie Paras, is a Filipino professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association turned actor. He is the only PBA player to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors, in a single season...
    
     (Shell)
  • Alvin Patrimonio
    Alvin Patrimonio
    Alvin Vergara Patrimonio , nicknamed "The Captain" and "Captain Lionheart" is a retired Filipino professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager of his former team, the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.Patrimonio holds several PBA records...
    
     (Purefoods)
  • Allan Caidic
    Allan Caidic
    Alan Vito Flores Caidic is a retired professional basketball player from the Philippines and is currently an assistant coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the PBA...
    
     (Presto)

• Mythical Second Team:
  • Samboy Lim
    Samboy Lim
    Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
    
     (San Miguel)
  • Rudy Distrito (Añejo)
  • Ramon Fernandez
    Ramón Fernández
    Ramon S. Fernandez is generally regarded as the greatest basketball player produced by the Philippine Basketball Association. Fernandez won four Most Valuable Player awards and a record of 19 PBA championships bagged...
    
     (San Miguel)
  • Yoyoy Villamin (Alaska)
  • Rey Cuenco (Añejo)

• All-Defensive Team:
  • Abe King
    Abe King
    Abe King, Jr. was a Filipino basketball player who was part of the champion Philippine Basketball Association ballclub Toyota Tamaraws. He was the starting power center of 1976 MICAA Champion Crown Motors before his mother team, the Toyota Tamaraws called upon his services at the start of the...
    
     (Presto)
  • Glenn Capacio (Purefoods)
  • Alvin Teng (San Miguel)
  • Yoyoy Villamin (Alaska)
  • Chito Loyzaga
    Chito Loyzaga
    Joaquin C. Loyzaga is a former Filipino basketball player. He played college ball for San Beda College before eventually going on to play professional basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association, where he became a many-time member of the All-Defensive team. Loyzaga played for Tanduay,...
    
    (Añejo)