PBA Esports Bakbakan

PBA Esports Bakbakan is an esports league in the Philippines. It is organized by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in partnership with Dark League Studios. The league consists of the esport squads of the PBA's twelve franchise teams. The first tournament featured Mobile Legends: Bang Bang while the following competition had PUBG: Battlegrounds.

The third tournament which had StreetBallers featured eight teams from outside the PBA.

History
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has planned to organize esports games in-between its league games during its 46th season in 2021. However the COVID-19 pandemic caused such plan to be placed on hold. In 2022, the PBA revisited its plans to get involved in esports and accepted an invitation by Dark League Studios to check their Kings League tournament. The PBA would enter in an entered a formal partnership with Dark League Studios in October 2022.

The PBA would launch an esports league, the PBA Esports Bakbakan, in January 2023. The tournament would be held in partnership with Dark League Studios. The inaugural season would feature the PBA's twelve franchise team with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang as the video game title featured. The draft for the first tournament was held on February 13, 2023. The TNT Tropang Giga became the inaugural champions.

In September 2023, the PBA organized a PUBG: Battlegrounds tournament with the 12 franchise teams. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel won the tournament.

Within the same month, the PBA launched the StreetBallers tournament. The final tournament had eight teams which qualified from 20 teams across the country. StreetBallers is a mobile game developed by PlayPark.

Teams

 * The twelve PBA franchise teams (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG: Battlegrounds)


 * StreetBallers


 * Batang 90s
 * Diablo
 * HGL
 * Minana
 * MNN
 * Ovlord
 * Southstars
 * Triple Threat