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MANILA, Philippines – The TNT Tropang Giga are welcoming a fresh PBA chapter by bannering a new name.
The team’s new moniker — Tropang 5G — will be officially unveiled in the PBA All-Filipino Cup, which will tip off Friday, April 4.
A perennial finals contender, TNT Tropang 5G pulled off impressive wins in recent memory, especially in the recently concluded Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup finals against Barangay Ginebra.
The title conquest, according to TNT, is a reflection of the team’s connection.
The same “Tropang 5G” connection that glues the team together also powers millions of Ka-Tropas all over the country.
As the winners of 11 PBA titles, TNT Tropang 5G carries two-and-a-half decades of "bringing saya" to millions of Filipinos.
“Sobrang saya na maging part ako ng milestone na ito ng TNT. The fans have been with us through the years, from the ups and downs. Lahat ng naa-achieve namin as a team, as an organization, lahat ng panalo namin — we dedicate talaga to the fans, sa mga KaTropa natin na tinuturing na rin naming second family namin,” said veteran point guard Jayson Castro, who has played with the franchise since being drafted in 2008.
“I feel blessed na mapabilang sa TNT kasi makulay ang history ng team. From the time nina Kuya Asi (Taulava) and Kuya Jimmy (Alapag) during the Mobiline/Talk ‘n Text Phone Pals from the early 2000s, nasubaybayan ko talaga kung paano sinundan ng PBA fans ‘yung team through the years. Salamat talaga nang marami kasi andiyan palagi ang mga KaTropa para sumuporta sa amin,” added power forward Calvin Oftana.
Rey Nambatac, who was named Finals Most Valuable Player in the series, echoed his teammates’ sentiments.
“It has been a tough series for us lalo na yung last one na umabot ng seven games tapos overtime pa. Pero gaya ng lahat ng KaTropa na sumusuporta sa amin, lumalaban para sa araw-araw na saya ang buong team,” he said.
Incidentally, Nambatac who hails from Cagayan de Oro, and Oftana from Danao, Cebu are part of the core “Tropang Bisdak” being celebrated online. The others include Poy Erram (Cagayan de Oro), RR Pogoy (Minglanilla, Cebu), and Glenn Khobuntin (Cagayan de Oro).
According to Khobuntin and Erram, they talk in Bisaya on the court, and this tradition did not just result to quality crucial plays but has reached the point when even Best Import awardee Rondae Hollis-Jefferson calls everyone “Dong.” Hollis-Jefferson even claims to One Sports that he knows “some Bisaya, too,” and says, “Ingat, Dong” to his teammates.
Online posts like “Congrats, mga Bisdak,” “Solid Bisdak!” and “Tropang Bisdak” trended on social media after TNT clinched its 11th PBA title last March 28.
Like its basketball team, TNT continues to dominate as the country’s biggest mobile brand with close to 35 million subscribers as of end-2024. And to give back to its subscribers, TNT is reinforcing its commitment to bring saya to subscribers nationwide with its wider mobile network, more affordable and value-packed data offers, and more exciting experiences and perks.
“Today, TNT is a huge part of my pre-game rituals, especially during trainings and workouts. I use it to listen to music, stream inspiring basketball videos, get updated on the latest game trends, and of course to stay in touch with my family and supporters who always have our backs,” said TNT forward and former PBA MVP Kelly Williams.
