MANILA - After clincing its eighth conference title, Purefoods will now be called B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados in the 2010 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference set to open Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Coach Ryan Gregorio said the team will not be affected by the shift of name.
“The monicker ‘Llamados’ itself carries a badge of expectations which I am sure my players would be very enthusiastic about. We pledge anew to San Miguel Foods, Inc. and our many fans to play our best and with our hearts in every game,” said Gregorio, who now has three conference titles as a coach.
Passion
The 38-year-old Gregorio lifted Purefoods to a tie with Ginebra as the fifth winningest team in the league with eight titles. San Miguel Beer still leads with 18, while Crispa is second with 13 and Alaska third with 12. Toyota is fourth with nine.
This was the fourth time, the Purefoods franchise has changed names since joining the league in 1988. From Coney Island Ice Cream Stars, they adopted Purefoods Chunkee Giants then to Purefoods TJ Giants in 2007.
“I assure our long time supporters and the new fans of B-Meg that we will continue to play with our best ability. Our combined skills and passion to win will ultimately lead us to another victory this year,” said team manager Alvin Patrimonio.
San Miguel-Pure Foods Inc. (SMPFI ) president Francisco “Butch” Alejo III explained they changed names because the PBA is an effective vehicle in promoting brand products.