# 2001 San Miguel Beermen season

The 2001 San Miguel Beermen season was the 27th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

## Transactions

| Players Added Via Draft Joey Mente Via Free Agency Henry Fernandez (From Pop Cola) Arnold Gamboa (Comebacking SMB player, last played in the MBA) Dorian Peña (Signed on April 11, recruited from the MBA) | Players Lost Via Free Agency June Carmona Ronilo Padilla Via Retirement Arturo dela Cruz |

## Championship (finals stint)

The San Miguel Beermen contested for all three championships of the season. The Beermen won their 16th PBA title in the All-Filipino Cup by defeating Barangay Ginebra Kings in six games as they are now winners of five of the last six conferences.
In the Commissioner's Cup, San Miguel advances to the finals by winning over Alaska Aces, three games to two, in their best-of-five semifinal series. As the odds-on favorite against sophomore team Batang Red Bull, who were making their first trip to the championship, the defending champion Beermen were surprisingly upset by the Thunder in six games. It was coach Jong Uichico's first loss in the PBA finals since handling the Beermen at the start of the 1999 season.
San Miguel was back in the finals for the fifth straight conference in the season-ending Governor's Cup with import Lamont Strothers returning to help the Beermen defend the crown they won the past two seasons. San Miguel made it via 3–0 sweep over Shell Turbo Chargers in their best-of-five semifinal series and played the Sta.Lucia Realtors for the second time in the championship of the 2000 era. The Beermen lost to the Realtors in six games and placed runner-up in the last two conferences of the 2001 season.

## Award

Danny Ildefonso won the Most Valuable Player trophy for the second straight time and becoming the third PBA player to win back-to-back MVP honors, joining William "Bogs" Adornado (1975–1976) and Alvin Patrimonio (1993–1994).

## Eliminations (won games)

| DATE | OPPONENT | SCORE | VENUE (Location) |
| January 31 | Brgy.Ginebra | 92–88 | Philsports Arena |
| February 4 | Sta.Lucia | 89–76 | Araneta Coliseum |
| February 11 | Pop Cola | 85–79 | Araneta Coliseum |
| February 18 | Tanduay | 96–79 | Araneta Coliseum |
| March 4 | Pop Cola | 78–63 | Philsports Arena |
| March 7 | Purefoods | 90–84 *OT | Ynares Center |
| March 17 | Alaska | 85–75 | Bago |
| March 30 | Red Bull | 78–76 | Philsports Arena |
| April 8 | Mobiline | 67–66 | Araneta Coliseum |
| June 6 | Purefoods | 100–80 | Philsports Arena |
| June 9 | Shell | 81–73 | Malolos, Bulacan |
| June 17 | Red Bull | 87–83 | Araneta Coliseum |
| June 22 | Mobiline | 92–73 | Philsports Arena |
| July 1 | Tanduay | 95–83 | Araneta Coliseum |
| July 11 | Brgy.Ginebra | 101–92 | Philsports Arena |
| July 13 | Pop Cola | 107–76 | Philsports Arena |
| September 12 | Purefoods | 114–91 | Philsports Arena |
| September 16 | Brgy.Ginebra | 97–82 | Cuneta Astrodome |
| October 12 | Pop Cola | 86–84 | Cuneta Astrodome |
| October 14 | Tanduay | 85–79 | Ynares Center |
| October 21 | Alaska | 71–64 | Araneta Coliseum |
| October 26 | Talk 'N Text | 79–75 | Philsports Arena |
| November 11 | Sta.Lucia | 81–76 | Araneta Coliseum |
All-Filipino Cup  Commissioner's Cup  Governor's Cup