The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas () or the SBP is the national sport association for basketball in the Philippines, formed from the merging of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and Pilipinas Basketball (PB). It was formed in order to fix a long running feud in Philippine Basketball that resulted in FIBA suspending the country from participating in FIBA-sanctioned events. Both groups signed a joint communique during the FIBA Congress in Saitama, Japan in September 2006. Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, and owner of the PBA teams TNT Tropang Giga, Meralco Bolts and NLEX Road Warriors was named as the first president of the organization on February 5, 2007, up until August 8, 2016. He was succeeded by Al Panlilio, who served as the PBA team governor of the Meralco Bolts. Formation FIBA suspension In 2005, the BAP-formed Cebuana-Lhuillier Philippine National Team, made up of little-known amateur players, lost to the Parañaque Jets, owned by city Vice Mayor and comedian Anjo Yllana in the 2005 National Basketball Conference preseason tournament. The Jets were bannered by actors and showbiz personalities, while the BAP team was supposed to have been sent to represent the country in an international tournament. This led to calls from Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose "Peping" Cojuangco to reform the BAP's programs and send a national team made up of professional players from the Philippine Basketball Association. However, disagreements became bitter in mid-2005 as both groups wanted to have their own teams represent the country to the SEABA Men's Basketball tournament in Malaysia. The BAP also replaced Quinteliano "Tiny" Literal with former Philippine senator and Laguna governor Joey Lina as president of the basketball body. The POC intended to reform the BAP's basketball program, but the BAP resisted, and warned the POC to stay out of the situation. As the dispute continued, other National Sports Associations of the POC convened, and expelled the association as the National Sport Association for basketball in the country and created the Philippine Basketball Federation, Inc. as the new basketball governing body. The FIBA, meanwhile, continued to recognize only the BAP and instructed its leaders to sort out the issue. In July 2005, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) suspended the Philippines from all FIBA-sanctioned tournaments due to disagreements between the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) and the Philippine Olympic Committee. In late 2005, the POC