THE curtains formally came down on Alaska on Saturday night as the Aces bid goodbye to the PBA after 35 seasons.
The Aces were ousted on Saturday in their PBA 46th Season Governors’ Cup campaign by NLEX, 96-80, ending its stay in the league where they became one of the storied franchises in Philippine basketball.
PBA pays tribute to Alaska
The league paid tribute to the franchise through a final buzzer sounded by PBA commissioner Willie Marcial shortly after the conclusion of Saturday’s playdate that saw Alaska missing out on a semifinal spot with the loss to NLEX.
The iconic "Wala pa ring tatalo sa Alaska" tune was also played during the brief ceremony in the presence of Alaska players, coaches, and staff after the game, as fans became emotional with the exit of the franchise.
Last February, Alaska team owner Wilfred Uytengsu announced it will be leaving the PBA after being in the league since 1986. During their 35-season run in the PBA, Alaska won 14 championships including a grand slam in 1996, the third team to do the feat in league history.
Following the announcement last month, Alaska was determined to finish its PBA stay with a bang with the Aces eyeing a 15th title in the campaign that was fondly called as the "Alasdance."
Despite missing a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, Alaska forced a rubber match against NLEX, beating the Road Warriors, 93-79.
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