1990 Philippines Men's Asian Games Basketball Team - Aftermath

Aftermath

The Philippines sent another all-pro squad in the next three Asian Games. The 1994 team was made up mostly of the San Miguel Beer squad, an incentive for winning the All-Filipino Cup championship. However, depleted by injuries, San Miguel acquired players from other teams along with amateur such as Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera, Johnny Abarrientos, Marlou Aquino and Kenneth Duremdes. But the country went home without a medal finishing fourth behind China, South Korea and Japan.

In 1998, the a third all-PBA squad was sent and was dubbed as the Philippine Centennial Team coached by Tim Cone. Led by Abarrientos, Duremdes, Aquino, Patrimonio and Vergel Meneses, the country failed to win the gold medal after losing by nine points to China with future NBA player Wang Zhizhi in the semifinals. The country was relegated to a third-place game against Kazashztan and won the bronze medal in close-fought match.

Four years later in Busan, the country went home empty-handed after a disappointing fourth place finish. The Filipinos, mostly led by Filipino-American players, were handed a heart-breaking loss to host South Korea in the semis thanks to a Lee Sang-Min buzzer-beating three-pointer. The next day, the Philippines lost to the Kazazhs for the bronze medal. Jong Uichico coached the 2002 squad.

The PBA was supposed to abandon the Asian Games for the FIBA-Asia Championships, which at stake is a World Championship or an Olympic slot, after a 2004 deal with the BAP. But a two-year suspension was handed out denying the country a chance to play for those events mentioned including the 2006 Doha Asian Games. The country has since been lifted off the suspension after the formation of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.