TEAMS may fade away, but legends live forever.
We could definitely say that for Alaska.
As sobering as the Aces' impending exit from the PBA is, fans still can't help but look back at the fond memories that the franchise had in their near-four decade tenure in the pro league.
And with those memories also come the greats who made those memorable moments possible.
With that, Spin.ph deemed it fit to honor the 14 greatest players to ever don the Alaska red-and-whites - one each for the 14 titles that it won in its 36-year run in the PBA.
Johnny Abarrientos
Who else but the Flying A?
Abarrientos was the quintessential Alaska player as the unassuming point guard led from the front for the Milkmen during their glory days.
Winning eight crowns with the team including a rare grand slam in 1996, Johnny A's star rose to great heights. He took home the 1996 Season MVP honors while ha and the Alaska brand turned into household names.
Though this list is by no means in order, you could definitely place Abarrientos' name at the top of the list when talking about the greatest Alaska players in history.
Jojo Lastimosa
Jolas came to Alaska with great hope and he certainly lived up to the hype.
Traded from Purefoods in exchange for Elmer Cabahug in 1991, Mr. Clutch lived up to his superstar billing and provided instant impact, helping the Milkmen claim the 1991 Third Conference title.
Lastimosa's exceptional play only sustained Alaska's prolonged stay at the top as he won a total of nine crowns with the franchise, including three Mythical Team honors and a Finals MVP award in the 1996 All-Filipino Conference.
Bong Hawkins
Hawkins reached his potential upon his arrival in Alaska, leading the team in scoring and rebounding in the 1994 season.
Unsurprisingly, that performance delivered him the Most Improved Player award in that same year.
Hawkins' savvy and physicality in the low blocks and an ever- realible mid-range jumper made him a perfect compliment to Abarrientos and Lastimosa as Alaska built its dynastic reign in the nineties.
He took home nine championships and the Finals MVP plum in the 1996 Commissioner's Cup.
Poch Juinio
Picked fifth in the 1994 PBA Draft, his arrival gave Alaska a much needed size and power down low with his stable play in the paint.
He wasn't as celebrated as Johnny A, Hawkins , and JOlas, but Juinio was one who did the dirty work inside for the Milkmen and proved an integral part of the team's success as they went on to win nine crowns in the next seven seasons.
Although he was traded away in 2001, Juinio returned for his swansong with Alaska in 2006 and added one more ring to his collection as part of the title-winning 2007 Fiesta Conference squad.
Jeffrey Cariaso
Immediately showing that he belongs with the big boys, Cariaso announced his arrival in 1995 and was just the jolt of youth Alaska needed as he took home the Rookie of the Year honors.
It wasn't long before The Jet soared to great heights and even canned two pressure-packed free throws to help the Milkmen capture the 1996 All-Filipino Cup, setting the stage for the historic grand slam.
After a couple of seasons with the Coca Cola team, Cariaso found his way back to Alaska in 2004 and added two more Alaska rings to his collection before finally calling it a career in 2010.
Five years later, his number was once again called, first as an assistant coach, and in 2019, as the head coach as he served as the final mentor for the Aces.
Bong Alvarez
History books will always look at Alvarez as one of the first Alaska superstars as Mr. Excitement was a staple in highlight reels with his electric high-flying ways.
Old hands still fondly remember his blazing 71-point performance for Alaska in a win over Shell back in 1990, which still stands as the second-highest single game scoring record in league history.
More admirable was his comeback from an Achilles injury as he returned to the lineup and did the yeoman job of defending Ginebra import Wes Matthews in the Milkmen's run to their first PBA title in the 1993 Third Conference.
Although his stay with the team ended in a contract dispute that led to him being traded to Sta. Lucia in exchange for Hawkins in 1994, there was no question that Alvarez also deserves his roses from Alaska.
Yoyoy Villamin
Villamin was already considered as one of the best centers of his time and, following the disbandment of Manila Beer, found his way to Hills Bros in 1987.
Bicolano Superman did what he does best and carried the Coffee Kings to a surprise Finals appearance in the 1987 All-Filipino Conference. That run also saw him finish second in the MVP race, just behind Ramon Fernandez.
Villamin only lasted for three seasons in the Alaska franchise before he was traded to Swift, but his stupendous play was one of the keys in laying down the foundation and showed that this team will not be pushovers.
Ricky Relosa
You can't have the Bruise Brothers without the other half, right?
Relosa was a perfect tag team partner for Villamin, with the former being a menace in the paint and commandeered the defense for the Milkmen as the latter did the heavy lifting on the offensive end.
Selected from the expansion pool from Ginebra, Relosa was quick to show his worth as he won the 1986 Most Improved Player award while helping the new franchise become competitive in his three seasons' stay there.
Together, the Bruiser Brothers showed this team will never be pushovers again and lifted Alaska to respectability - no doubt their biggest legacy in the team.
Kenneth Duremdes
All Duremdes needed was a break to finally see his star shine. And he got it once he arrived in Alaska.
Moving from Pop Cola to Alaska in 1997 and stepping out of Vergel Meneses' shadow, Captain Marbel looked prime to steer the Milkmen to greater heights on the heels of the franchise's Grand Slam run as he was one of the team's leaders in their next four championships. He was named Finals MVP in two of those titles.
It was also during this six-year stay with Alaska that Duremdes was named as the Season MVP back in 1998.
Willie Miller
Electric on the court, Miller was the go-to guy that Alaska needed in the mid-2000s in the transition from the grand slam years.
Showing no signs of slowing down from his time with Red Bull and Talk 'N Text, The Thriller carried the Aces on his back and even won his second MVP award in 2007 as the acknowledged heart and soul of the Alaska franchise.
But his four-year stay wasn't all about personal glory, with the shifty guard anchoring a team that consistently made the playoffs before eventually claiming the 2007 Fiesta Conference crown with Miller being named as the Finals MVP.
Sonny Thoss
Cool, calm, and collected, Thoss personified the solid play that kept Alaska as one of the perennial contenders from the mid-2000s to the 2010s.
The Boss kept the boat afloat for the Aces and was a key figure in the team's last three championships, the last of which he was named as Finals MVP in the 2013 Commissioner's Cup.
But it wasn't just in victories as Thoss was a consistent presence for Alaska as they made five Finals appearances in the last six seasons.
A class act, no doubt.
Cyrus Baguio
It was just a matter of time before Baguio made the leap from a rising star to a superstar. And in Alaska, he finally got his long-awaited star turn.
Skyrus moved from Ginebra to Alaska in exchange for Miller and quickly left his imprint, directing the team to the 2010 Fiesta Conference in his first conference with the Aces. With him taking a lead role, he shared a co-Finals MVP award with LA Tenorio in the first of his two crowns with the franchise.
Baguio remained a fixture for Alaska in the years that followed, keeping the team in the thick of things before he was shipped to Phoenix in 2016.
Calvin Abueva
Sure, Abueva was not the type that could fit into the stereotypical good boy image Alaska stars have come to be known.
But the bad man they call The Beast infused the much-needed energy and attitude for the Aces, helping the team win the 2013 Commissioner's Cup crown while being a vital piece of the squad's relentless pursuit in the following seasons.
Abueva may have been traded to Phoenix in 2018, but he remains just one of the six Alaska players to ever win the Best Player of the Conference award after Abarrientos, Hawkins, Duremdes, Miller, and Ali Peek.
Sean Chambers
You can't name a greatest list without the team's greatest import.
Chambers can almost consider himself as an adopted Filipino for the longevity he's had with Alaska, driving the team to six championships in the 12 seasons he was called up here in the Philippines.
His name is almost synonymous with to team, steering the squad to its first title in the 1993 Third Conference as well as its greatest accomplishment which was the Grand Slam in 1996.
Rightfully so, he earned the Best Import honors in 1996 and remains as the only import to have his jersey retired by the team.
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