Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines consisting of 29 teams.
| Upcoming season or competition: 2024 MPBL Preseason Invitational | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 29, 2017 |
| Founder | Manny Pacquiao |
| Inaugural season | 2018 |
| COO | Zaldy Realubit |
| Commissioner | Kenneth Duremdes |
| Motto | Ang Liga Ng Bawat Pilipino (The League of Every Filipino) |
| No. of teams | 29 |
| Country | Philippines |
| Headquarters | Pasig, Philippines |
| Continent | FIBA Asia (Asia) |
| Most recent champion(s) | Pampanga Giant Lanterns (1st title) |
| Most titles | 5 teams (1 title each) |
| TV partner(s) | One Sports One PH Cignal TV Media Pilipinas TV YouTube |
| Official website | www |
Founded in 2017 by eight-division boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao, the MPBL is not intended to be a competitor to the top-flight Philippine Basketball Association, but rather to provide a gateway for local, homegrown talents to showcase their skills. The league uses a home-and-away format, similar to the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association. The MPBL started a semi-professional league before being granted professional status in 2021 by the Games and Amusements Board.
Further developments include the youth-oriented Junior MPBL, which launched in July 2023, and a volleyball counterpart called the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA), which launched in October 2023.
The Pampanga Giant Lanterns are the current defending champions, beating the Bacoor City Strikers in three games during the 2023 MPBL Finals.