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1990s, 2000s, or 2010s – Which SMB 5 was the best? Arwind answers

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Rey Joble

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="For Arwind Santos, who won a number of championships with the storied Beermen franchise, it’s a no-brainer which San Miguel squad is the strongest of all. PBA Media Bureau/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/05/29/20220529-santos_1.jpg"/><figcaption>For Arwind Santos, who won a number of championships with the storied Beermen franchise, it’s a no-brainer which San Miguel squad is the strongest of all. PBA Media Bureau/file</figcaption></figure></div>San Miguel, the winningest team in the PBA, has produced several milestones in Asia’s pioneering professional basketball league.As the only remaining original PBA member, the Beermen has won 27 championships, including a grand slam in 1989.Through the years, the franchise produced Most Valuable Players, Hall of Famers and some of the league’s all-time greatest players.Among the Hall of Famers who had at least played for the team include former import/coach Norman Black, Ricardo Brown, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma and Mon Fernandez.Fernandez, a four-time MVP, won his last prestigious individual plum in 1988 as a member of the Beermen. Several players won the award multiple times while seeing action for the franchise – June Mar Fajardo, a six-time MVP and Danny Ildefonso (2000 and 2001).Other players who won an MVP while playing for the Beermen were Abet Guidaben, also a two-time winner, who won his second award in 1987, Ato Agustin (1992), and Arwind Santos (2013).In the 47-year history of the franchise, the team has formed one deadly unit after another that became cornerstones of numerous title runs.The San Miguel Beer of the 1980s had Lim, Calma, Brown, Yves Dignadice, and Guidaben and Fernandez, who traded places in 1988.From 1987 to 1994, the core group, coached by Black, won nine championships.San Miguel’s team of the millennium – handled by Jong Uichico and bannered by Ildefonso, Danny Seigle and Olsen Racela – produced six championships from 1999 to 2005.Then came the Death Five composed of future Hall of Famers Fajardo and Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross as the team established a dynasty of sorts from 2015 to 2019, winning eight titles. And although the team fell short of completing a grand slam twice, its unit became the only squad to ever come back from a 0-3 deficit to win the championship.Those accomplishments were strong cases to put the Death Five as probably the franchise’s best starting unit ever. And Santos certainly thinks so. “I respect the opinion of others. Alam ko marami ring malakas na lima d’yan. Pero ’yung team na kalakasan ni June Mar na ’yan, mahirap eh. Mahirap bantayan si June Mar ng one-on-one,” Santos said.“Ang lagi kong sinasabi, sigurado magkakamali at magkakamali ang mga kalaban kapag kami ang kasama ni June Mar. Kami, naka-ready – Alex, Marcio na deadly, ako, tapos si Ross na talagang isa sa mga energy players, aggressive na guard, ang kulit mag-pressure.”A many-time all-defensive team member and a two-time defensive player of the year, Santos believes their starting unit is the ideal group you want to bring in every battle. He may be playing for another team now after he was traded last year to NorthPort, but he relished those years being an integral part of a group that has the mentality of remorseless assassins ready to slay every squad that stood in their way. “Kung ako magtatayo ng team, ganu’n rin ’yung ideal kong kunin,” said Santos.“Wala kang puwedeng pangtapat kay June Mar eh. Siguro nung kalakasan ni Asi, puwede mong pangtapat kay June Mar, pero on the other side, ’yung mga kasama ni June Mar. “Sabi nga ng mga coaches namin, mas nagiging effective si June Mar dahil sa amin, at kami rin naman, nagiging effective dahil rin kay June Mar. ’Yun ang best tandem doon. Parang napakadaling mag-basketball. Napakadaling manalo. Alam mo na kung saan ka babagsak, kung saan ka pupunta. “ ’Yung play kahit hindi mo praktisin, alam na kung ano ’yung gagawin sa loob.”“Para sa akin, ito ang best ever San Miguel team sa history ng PBA,” Santos added. “Para sa akin, bilang part ng Death Five, ito ang pinaka-best na first five.”

For Arwind Santos, who won a number of championships with the storied Beermen, it’s a no-brainer which San Miguel squad is the strongest of all.