The 1998
Philippines men's national basketball team, nicknamed the "Philippine Centennial Team", competed in the 1998 Asian Games. The team consisted of professional players in the country that included national team veterans
Allan Caidic and
Alvin Patrimonio, both sharing the distinction of being the only PBA players to represent the country in four
Asian Games basketball tournaments since 1986. The team nickname was a reference to the centennial celebration of the independence of the
Philippines.
The national team participated in the
Philippine Basketball AssociationCentennial Cup (where they placed last, where other team had two non-Filipinos in their lineups) and later played exhibition games against the
China national basketball team and the PBA All-Star (non-national team members) Selection. The Nationals went on to win the 21st
William Jones Cup International Basketball Tournament in Taiwan and then on a tough Midwest tour of the United States.
The national team’s main goal was to win the 1998 Asian Games basketball tournament and to reclaim Philippine basketball supremacy in Asia. The team started the tournament by winning four games in a row and finished with a 5-2 record losing to
China and
Korea, but they were able to capture the Bronze medal in the play-offs.
Overall, the national basketball achievements of 1998 include the
William Jones Cup and the Asian Games bronze medal. This team was the third
PBA-backed national team that followed the 1994 national team (finished fourth) and the 1990 national team (finished second – Silver Medal), and preceded the 2002 national team that finished fourth in the
Asian Games and eventually the
2022 Team that finally won the first Gold Medal since
1962 with Cone coaching the same team.
Allan Caidic and
Alvin Patrimonio both have the rare distinction of having participated in four straight
Asian Games basketball tournaments since 1986. They donned the national team colors in the 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998.
Caidic also became the only Filipino player to win two championships in the William Jones Cup, once as an amateur in 1985 and once as a professional in 1998.
Jojo Lastimosa was also a member of the 1986 Philippine team that won the bronze medal in the
1986 Asian Games.