San Juan Knights
The San Juan Knights, also known as San Juan Knights – Go For Gold for sponsorship reasons, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in San Juan. The team primarily competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as one of 11 active teams based in Metro Manila. San Juan is also one of four teams based in the Eastern Manila District, playing their home games at Filoil EcoOil Centre. The team also competes under the name San Juan Kings in the Pilipinas Super League. The team was established in 1999 as was initially part of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) until 2001, then joined the MPBL in the 2018–19 season, and later the PSL in the 2022–23 DUMPER Cup. They have also participated in FilBasket and the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3. In 2023, their volleyball counterpart, the San Juan Lady Knights became one of the eight charter teams of the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association (MPVA). San Juan plays their home games at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in the MPBL and PSL. During their time in the MBA, they have played in the PhilSports Arena from 1999 to early 2000, and the San Juan Gym in 2000. The team has been one of more successful home-and-away basketball teams, clinching three championships throughout its history: two in the MBA (2000 and 2001 – First Phase) and one in the MPBL (2019). The Knights also made the MPBL's Division Finals three times in a row from 2019 to 2022. San Juan also holds the highest overall regular season winning percentage for any active team in the MPBL at .760 as of 2023, and the most playoff wins of any MPBL team at 21. History

Metropolitan Basketball Association 
The San Juan Knights were founded in 1999 by then-mayor and current senator Jinggoy Estrada and businessman Sandy Javier. The team entered the Metropolitan Basketball Association as an expansion team for the league's 1999 season alongside the Surigao Miners and Nueva Ecija Patriots. During the pre-season, the team acquired 6'9" Bonel Balingit from the Philippine Basketball Association to a three-year, P16 million contract. Joining Balangit are Gherome Ejercito from the Pampanga Dragons, a cousin of Estrada, 1998 NCAA Most Valuable Player Christian Calaguio, and Chito Victolero. During the playoffs of the 2000 season, San Juan first swept the Laguna Lakers, 2–0, in the Northern Conference Semifinals and went past the Manila Metrostars, 3–1, in the Northern Conference Finals, bringing the Knights to the 2000 MBA National Championship. Game 5 of the championship series against the Negros Slashers had a debris-throwing incident at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, as the Knights were way ahead, 87–65, with 11:38 left in the fourth quarter when play was stopped. The Negros Slashers conceded game 5, giving the San Juan Knights a 3–2 heading into game 6. San Juan would go on to win their first of back-to-back MBA championships. Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League 
In April 2018, San Juan Knights returned to the basketball scene, this time as an expansion team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. The return of the Knights brought in names such as Mark Cardona and John Wilson. The team finished its inaugural season with a 20–5 record an clinched the third seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, San Juan swept both Navotas and Quezon City, and won 2–1 against Manila to advance to the 2019 MPBL Finals against the Davao Occidental Tigers. The series went all the way to a game 5 as San Juan won its first MPBL championship and the third overall in franchise history. Pilipinas Super League
After the conclusion of the 2022 MPBL season, San Juan made their debut in the Pilipinas Super League, under the name San Juan Kings. In the 2022–23 DUMPER Cup, the team went undefeated in the regular season, winning all 15 games. After being Manila in the Quarterfinals, the Kings met the Baltazar-led Pampanga G Lanterns in the Semifinals. Unfortunately, San Juan would lose to Pampanga in two games. Team identity 
The name Knights was chosen in reference to the concepts of gallantry and bravery. Current roster

Head coaches
 Philip Cezar (1999–2001)

Randy Alcantara (2018–present)

Notable players

Metropolitan Basketball Association 

Randy Alcantara
Bonel Balingit
Vilmer Banares
Chris Calaguio
Danny Capobres
Gilbert Castillo
Bruce Dacia
Rudy Distrito
Gherome Ejercito
Kalani Ferreria
Philip Newton
Michael Otto
Rafi Reavis
Omanzie Rodriguez
Chito Victolero

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

FilBasket 

Rhenz Abando (2021)
Justin Gutang (2021–2022)

Season-by-season records

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

Invitational records

Pilipinas Super League
Records as of 2022–23 DUMPER Cup:

References

 
Basketball teams established in 1999
1999 establishments in the Philippines
Sports teams in Metro Manila
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League teams
Metropolitan Basketball Association teams