The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Incorporated a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation.
They joined the league in 1979 and was known as Gilbey's Gin under La Tondeña Franchise. Headed by Coach Pilo Pumaren together with then the rookie Willie Generalao who won the Rookie of the Year Honor 1980 there the team was on the fourth placed of the All Filipino Conference.
The name of the team Gilbey's was changed to St. George Whiskies where they had a young teenagers acting as teenagers. It was 1982 when the Gins has their last appearance during the Open Conference.
1985. Gilbey's was renamed as Ginebra San Miguel. They failed to enter the finals in each conference. With Robert Jowarski, the never say die spirit was born.
1988, Ginebra was changed into its new name as Añejo Rhum. The team won the 1988 PBA All Filipino Conference and in the year 1990, Añejo also entered the finals againts Shell Rimula X leaded by Benjie Paras.
1991, The name Ginebra is back. That year they meet again team rival Shell for the Finals on the PBA First Conference. Shell dominated the series but Ginebra came back and won the Finals. This is the greatest comeback in PBA History.
1997, Ginebra was renamed once again, this time as the Gordon's Gin Boars. The Gordon's entered the Finals of the All Filipino against Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys. Gondon's met and defeated Alaska in six games for the 1997 PBA Commissioner's Cup trophy and their first title in six years. Under the Big J it was the 4th over-all title for the team.
