Reasons why 2016 was a GOATED year for PH Sports

2016 throwbacks, but make them about PH sports? Bet!

This random trend of posting 2016 throwbacks has reminded us of one thing: 2016 was a GOATED year, especially for Philippine sports.

Here’s why:

Mamba in Manila (for one last time)

Kobe in Manila 2016. Photo by Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Shortly after retiring from the NBA, capping a GOATED 20-season career and five championship rings, The Black Mamba returned to Manila. It was his sixth and final visit to the Philippines, a country that stanned him throughout his career. He held clinics, met with fans, and generously shared his time and wisdom.

Every Kobe visit was special. And if it were up to us, 2016 wouldn’t have been his last.

Haidi’s Olympic heights

Iconic image of Diaz winning silver in Rio. Photo by AP/Mike Groll

2016 was a GOATED year for PH sports, because the country secured an Olympic silver medal care of weightlifter and certified GOAT Hidilyn Diaz. The Zamboanga athlete put the country on her back at the Rio Olympics, bagging the country’s first Olympic medal in 20 years.

Little did we know, she’d outdo this achievement just 5 years later.

The Beermen “Beeracle”

Down 3-0? This calls for a Beeracle. Photo via ESPN.

2016 was also the year the Golden State Warriors went a ridiculous 73–9 in the regular season, only for LeBron James and the Cavs to spoil the party by becoming the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit.

And if that still wasn’t enough proof that 2016 was a year of sports miracles, let the San Miguel Beermen introduce you to the “Beeracle.” Down 0–3 against Alaska, San Miguel stormed back to win the PBA Philippine Cup.

Now that’s GOATED.

WWE Live in Manila

Cena and Big Show throw down in the main event in Manila. Photo from WWE.

You know it’s a BIG year when John Cena, Sheamus, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Big Show rock up to Manila. And that’s exactly what they did in September 2016. It was the first live WWE event in Manila in 7 years, and it brought fans out of their seats at the Mall of Asia Arena. And with Cena and Big Show as headliners, it was hard to find a clash bigger than this!

New highs for PH Hoops

Tony Parker vs Terrence Romeo. Photo from Reuters/ Rappler.

2016 was another milestone year for Philippine basketball, on both the men’s and women’s sides.

The men’s national team went up against international stars like Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Nando de Colo, and Tai Webster in its bid to qualify for the Olympics. While Gilas Pilipinas fell short against France and New Zealand, the performance showed that the Philippines could hold its own on the global stage.

On the women’s side, then-Perlas Pilipinas dominated the 2016 SEABA Championship for Women in Malaysia, finishing with a perfect 6–0 sweep to take home the gold. Led by an 18-year-old Jack Animam, it offered an early glimpse of the success to come for Philippine women’s basketball.

DLSU gets 1 for the rivalry

DLSU sweeps ADMU in the Finals. Photo via ESPN.

Despite three straight UAAP finals between powerhouses DLSU and UP, it’s hard to forget the intensity of the DLSU–ADMU championship rivalries.

What makes it even crazier is that across their five UAAP finals meetings, La Salle’s only title over the Blue Eagles came in 2016, when a Jeron Teng–led squad swept Ateneo.

Both schools have won plenty since, but for DLSU players and fans, that 2016 title still stands as one of the sweetest.

What’s your take?

What are some of the GOATED sports moments of 2016, and will it be topped in 2026?

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