The Philippine Basketball Association marks 50 years since its founding, and while the league has never lacked for star players, championships, and drama, there is another group of people who have shaped how millions of Filipinos experience the game: the courtside reporters. Standing at the edge of the hardwood, microphone in hand, they have been the bridge between the players on the floor and the fans watching from home.
Some became cultural icons. Some went on to anchor the news, host talk shows, or build media empires abroad. A few made headlines not just for their work but for the lives they built alongside the athletes they covered. Together, they form one of the most fascinating lineages in Philippine sports media. Here is a look at the most unforgettable PBA courtside reporters across five decades of the league.
PBA Courtside Reporters by Era
- The Pioneers (1975–1990s)
- The Vintage-to-Viva Transition (Late 1990s–2000s)
- The TV5/Sports5 Golden Era (2011–2020)
- The Current Generation (2019–Present)
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Pioneers (1975–1990s)
1. Willie Hernandez
When the PBA debuted on television through Kanlaon Broadcasting System in 1975, Willie Hernandez was the one standing on the sidelines. He conducted interviews alongside play-by-play voices like Frank Sanchez and Raffy Mejia, essentially creating the courtside reporter role from scratch.
Sports broadcasting historians credit him as the trailblazer who shaped the sideline reporting tradition in Philippine basketball. The giants who came after him, including Joe Cantada and Pinggoy Pengson, built their careers on the foundation he laid.
2. Jun Bernardino
Long before Jun Bernardino became the PBA’s fifth commissioner, he was the man on the sidelines. He served as a courtside reporter for Vintage Sports in the early 1980s and earned the title “Man on the Ball,” a designation that would be passed on to those who followed.
His connection to the league ran so deep that the PBA renamed the Philippine Cup championship trophy in his honor after his passing in 2007. Few figures in league history have been celebrated in quite the same way.
3. Romy Kintanar
A beloved actor who crossed over into sports broadcasting, Romy Kintanar worked for Vintage Sports from 1985 to 1995 and carried the “Man on the Ball” title during his era. He brought a showbiz energy to the sidelines that nobody else could replicate.
He became famous for greeting beauty queens and starlets courtside with a kiss, a bit so beloved that commentator Joe Cantada would cheekily reference it on air. His mix of basketball knowledge and star power made him a fan favorite for nearly a decade.
4. Ronith Ang, Katherine de Leon-Vilar, and Mylene Quinto
The Vintage Sports era gave Filipino audiences their first female PBA courtside reporters. Katherine de Leon-Vilar (also known as Cathy de Leon) appeared on broadcasts in the 1990 and 1991 seasons, while Ronith Ang and Mylene Quinto followed in 1993.
Their presence in an almost entirely male space was a quiet but significant moment in Philippine sports media history. The generation of female courtside reporters that fans now consider iconic traces a direct line back to these three women.
The Vintage-to-Viva Transition (Late 1990s–2000s)
5. Jannelle So
Jannelle So covered PBA games for Vintage Television from 1997 to 2003, and for many fans, the conversation about the greatest courtside reporter of all time begins and ends with her name. She also wrote a weekly sports column for The Philippine Star, hosted her own sports TV show, and covered the 1998 and 2002 Asian Games.
After relocating to California in 2003, she founded Kababayan LA in 2006, which became the first and only daily talk show for and about Filipinos in America. She has since been recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club and named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipino Women in America.
6. Patricia Bermudez-Hizon
Patricia Bermudez-Hizon holds the distinction of being the first female basketball television and radio anchor in the Philippines, a milestone she reached after starting her courtside career with NBN in 2002. Her coverage spans multiple Olympic Games, Asian Games, SEA Games, and FIBA Asia Championships.
Off the court, she became head of One Sports in 2016 and is currently the only Filipino presenter on the London Speaker Bureau’s elite list. She and husband Vince Hizon also made history as the first husband-and-wife tandem to commentate on a PBA game together.
7. Chiqui Roa-Puno
Chiqui Roa-Puno covered PBA games from 1998 through the early 2000s across both the Vintage and Viva TV eras, including the league’s experiment with simultaneous dual-network broadcasts in 2003.
Her reputation was built not on a single standout moment but on consistent, steady professionalism during a genuinely complicated transitional period for PBA broadcasting. Fans of that era still remember her with genuine affection.
The TV5/Sports5 Golden Era (2011–2020)
8. Erika Padilla
An Ateneo de Manila graduate and former Star Magic talent, Erika Padilla joined Sports5 as a PBA courtside reporter in 2011 and covered games until 2017 while maintaining an active acting career on ABS-CBN and GMA Network productions.
She married former PBA champion Jeffrey Cariaso in 2017. Long after she left the sidelines, sports fans continued to rank her among the most memorable courtside reporters of the Sports5 generation.
9. Sel Guevara
Sel Guevara covered PBA games from 2011 to 2018 under the Sports5 banner and was equally visible as an advocate for women and children’s rights throughout her career. She was vocal about the respect female sportscasters deserved in a male-dominated industry.
Beyond basketball, she once waded into Manila Bay during a typhoon report just to convey the severity of conditions to viewers. She later transitioned into business, eventually becoming CEO of Terra Group.
10. Rizza Diaz
Standing at barely five feet tall, Rizza Diaz covered PBA games and hosted halftime shows from 2013 to 2019 on the PBA Rush English broadcast with a no-nonsense reporting style that long-time viewers still talk about.
After her PBA years, she pivoted to hard news as an anchor and sports editor at 1News PH and was tapped to host the 2022 PBA Press Corps Awards Night alongside veteran sportscaster Sev Sarmenta.
11. Mara Aquino
Filipino-Canadian Mara Aquino covered PBA games for Cignal TV from 2015 to 2020, having first built her name on the NCAA circuit before being promoted to the professional league. She also hosted MoneyBall and the Sports5 Center halftime show during that stretch.
After leaving the PBA sidelines, she went on to host the FIBA 3×3 World Tour and served as MC for the 3×3 basketball event at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, making her one of the most globally accomplished graduates of the Philippine sports sideline.
12. Carla Lizardo
A former Ateneo Women’s Badminton Team captain, Carla Lizardo brought an athlete’s instincts to PBA coverage for TV5’s One Sports from around 2014 to 2020. She also competed in Bb. Pilipinas 2014 along the way.
What set her apart was her long-form storytelling. Her feature on PBA player Kelly Nabong for From The Stands became one of the more talked-about sports stories of its time, revealing the human side of a figure many fans had reduced to a reputation.
The Current Generation (2019–Present)
13. Apple David
Apple David started as the Adamson University courtside reporter in the UAAP in 2012 and moved to the PBA in 2014, where she has remained ever since. She marked her 10th year in the role in 2022 and has since become the face of modern PBA courtside reporting.
With over 213,000 Instagram followers and a game-winning shot at the 2026 PBA All-Star Shooting Stars event to her name, she remains one of the most beloved personalities the league’s sidelines have produced.
14. Denise Tan
A former UST Growling Tigresses volleyball player, Denise Tan joined the PBA courtside team in 2016 with an athlete’s understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level. Her first major assignment was the Manila Clasico on Christmas Day 2017.
She has since covered multiple PBA Finals, All-Star events, and the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Manila. Her preparation and player rapport are qualities that colleagues and commentators openly acknowledge.
15. Selina Dagdag-Alas
Selina Dagdag covered PBA games from 2016 to 2021 and met NLEX playmaker Kevin Alas at the Mall of Asia Arena while they were both working in the league. They eventually married. In 2022, after a miscarriage, she was diagnosed with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, a rare form of cancer.
She came out the other side. In 2024, she and Kevin announced they were expecting their first child, and their daughter Catalina Noelle was born on September 1, 2024. Her story is one of the most quietly moving ones the PBA world has produced.
16. Belle Gregorio
Belle Gregorio joined the PBA courtside team in September 2022 after serving as National University’s correspondent in UAAP Season 84. Within her first few years, she was covering PBA Finals games, including the historic Season 47 Game 7 that drew a record crowd of over 54,500 spectators.
She was part of the courtside team for the 2025–26 PBA Philippine Cup Finals and covered San Miguel Beermen’s Season 50 championship celebration alongside Apple David. Her composure on camera, built on a background in TV and radio news anchoring, suggests she is just getting started.
FAQs: PBA Courtside Reporters Through the Years
Who was the first PBA courtside reporter?
Willie Hernandez is credited as the first PBA courtside reporter. When the league debuted on television through Kanlaon Broadcasting System in 1975, he was the one conducting sideline interviews alongside play-by-play broadcasters Frank Sanchez and Raffy Mejia.
Who is considered the greatest PBA courtside reporter of all time?
Jannelle So is widely regarded by fans as the greatest PBA courtside reporter of all time. She covered games for Vintage Television from 1997 to 2003, wrote a sports column for The Philippine Star, hosted her own sports TV show, and went on to build an international media career in the United States after leaving the PBA sidelines.
Who was the first female PBA courtside reporter?
Katherine de Leon-Vilar (also known as Cathy de Leon) is among the first women to cover PBA games on television, appearing on broadcasts during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. Ronith Ang and Mylene Quinto followed in 1993. All three worked during the Vintage Sports broadcast era.
Who is the longest-serving active PBA courtside reporter?
Apple David is the longest-serving active courtside reporter in the current era. She began as the Adamson University correspondent in the UAAP in 2012 and transitioned to the PBA in 2014, marking her 10th year in the role in 2022.
What is the “Man on the Ball” title in PBA broadcasting?
“Man on the Ball” was the informal title given to the PBA’s primary courtside reporter during the Vintage Sports broadcast era. Jun Bernardino is credited as the original bearer of the title in the early 1980s, with Romy Kintanar carrying it through most of the late 1980s and into the 1990s.
Who is the first female basketball television and radio anchor in the Philippines?
Patricia Bermudez-Hizon holds that distinction. She started as a PBA courtside reporter with NBN in 2002 before eventually earning the anchor seat, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Philippine basketball broadcasting.
Have any PBA courtside reporters married PBA players?
Several have. Patricia Bermudez-Hizon married PBA player Vince Hizon after he proposed to her on the Araneta Coliseum court during a live broadcast in 2003. Erika Padilla married former PBA champion Jeffrey Cariaso in 2017. Selina Dagdag-Alas married NLEX playmaker Kevin Alas, and Bea Escudero married PBA player Thomas Torres.
How do most PBA courtside reporters start their careers?
Most modern PBA courtside reporters begin as UAAP or NCAA correspondents while still in college. Apple David, Selina Dagdag-Alas, Bea Escudero, Belle Gregorio, and several others all covered collegiate basketball before transitioning to the professional league. This pipeline gives them established relationships with players who eventually enter the PBA draft.
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