1986: First season • 1987: Hills Bros. Coffee Kings • 1988-1990: Alaska Air Force •
1991-1999: Alaska Milkmen • 1996 Grand Slam • Post-grand slam •
2000-Present: Alaska Aces • 2005-06 season • Alaska Aces Twelve

 

1987: Hills Bros. Coffee Kings

In 1987, Alaska Milk changed its name to the Hills Bros. Coffee Kings after the Company acquired the brand.  With Manila Beer’s disbandment, the Hills Bros. Coffee Kings acquired Yoyoy Villamin to form a bruising tandem with Ricky Relosa. These two players became known as the “Bruise Brothers”.

Alaska also had former Crispa shooter William “Bogs” Adornado to banner the team,  although the former three-time MVP was already slowing down at the time.

The All-Filipino Conference saw the team finally jelling, with the emergence of the “Bruise Brothers” combination of Villamin and Relosa. The Coffee Kings entered the Finals, where it got swept 3-0 by Great Taste Coffee. Despite the sweep, the Finals was a brutal, physical series with Villamin and Relosa being matched up against Great Taste’s “Royal Brothers” Abe King and “Prince” Philip Cezar.

By virtue of its first runner-up finish during the All-Filipino Conference, Hills Bros. participated in the first PBA-IBA World Championship Cup, finishing third behind the Los Angeles Cougars (which had future Alaska import Sean Chambers in its line-up) and Great Taste Coffee.

The Reinforced Conference saw Hills Bros. parading a sweet-shooting import by the name of Jose Slaughter. On October 18, 1987 in a game which Hills Bros. won over Great Taste 129-115, Jose Slaughter scored 79 points, the most ever scored by an Alaska player in a game. Slaughter also scored 14 three point field goals.

The team made it again to the Finals, losing however to the Bobby Parks-reinforced San Miguel Beermen 4-1.

At the end of the year, Villamin and Relosa were named to the All-Defensive team. Villamin was also named most improved player, the same award won by Ricky Relosa the year before. Nat Canson and former Tanduay bench tactician Turo Valenzona were the team’s head coaches during the ‘87 campaign.

After the year, Bogs Adornado announced his retirement from the league, his jersey no. 33 was retired and was hung in the rafters of the ULTRA during the opening of the 1988 season. He was first player in Alaska franchise to have his number retired. Adornado was later named as the team’s coach.

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