Philippines PBA Cup 06/14 10:50 1 [10] Magnolia Hotshots v NLEX Road Warriors [12] L 98-88
Philippines PBA Cup 06/08 08:30 1 [12] NLEX Road Warriors v Blackwater Elite [2] L 106-132
Philippines PBA Cup 06/01 08:30 1 [12] NLEX Road Warriors v Columbian Dyip [11] L 105-120
Philippines PBA Cup 05/29 11:00 1 [6] Alaska Aces v NLEX Road Warriors [11] L 100-87
Philippines PBA Cup 05/25 08:30 1 [1] NorthPort Batang Pier v NLEX Road Warriors [11] L 83-79
Philippines PBA Cup 05/22 11:00 1 [4] NLEX Road Warriors v TNT Katropa [4] L 87-102
Philippines PBA Cup 04/05 11:00 48 [9] Alaska Aces v NLEX Road Warriors [8] L 88-80
Philippines PBA Cup 04/03 08:30 1 [8] NLEX Road Warriors v Magnolia Hotshots [6] L 74-102
Philippines PBA Cup 03/23 09:00 1 [7] NLEX Road Warriors v Barangay Ginebra San Miguel [4] L 96-105
Philippines PBA Cup 03/17 08:30 1 [8] NLEX Road Warriors v Blackwater Elite [12] W 122-101
Philippines PBA Cup 03/13 11:00 1 [11] NLEX Road Warriors v Alaska Aces [6] W 91-70
Philippines PBA Cup 03/08 11:00 1 [5] San Miguel Beermen v NLEX Road Warriors [9] L 121-111
Philippines PBA Cup 02/08 08:30 1 [1] Phoenix Fuel Masters v NLEX Road Warriors [8] L 83-82
Philippines PBA Cup 02/02 08:30 1 [9] NLEX Road Warriors v Meralco Bolts [4] W 87-83
Philippines PBA Cup 01/27 08:30 1 [11] NLEX Road Warriors v Columbian Dyip [3] W 107-97
Philippines PBA Cup 01/23 11:00 1 [10] NLEX Road Warriors v TNT Katropa [11] L 80-85
Philippines PBA Cup 01/20 08:30 1 [10] NLEX Road Warriors v NorthPort Batang Pier [1] L 90-95
Philippines PBA Cup 01/18 11:00 1 [4] Rain or Shine Elasto Painters v NLEX Road Warriors [4] L 96-87
Philippines PBA Cup 11/06 11:00 3 [1] Barangay Ginebra San Miguel v NLEX Road Warriors [8] L 111-75
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 11/03 08:30 1 [7] NLEX Road Warriors v Rain or Shine Elasto Painters [10] L 101-107
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 10/26 08:30 1 [7] NLEX Road Warriors v Alaska Aces [3] W 116-110
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 10/14 08:30 1 [6] NLEX Road Warriors v Meralco Bolts [11] L 105-108
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 10/10 08:30 1 [6] NLEX Road Warriors v Phoenix Fuel Masters [5] L 97-123
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 10/05 11:00 1 [2] Barangay Ginebra San Miguel v NLEX Road Warriors [6] L 106-92
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 09/26 08:30 1 [6] NLEX Road Warriors v Blackwater Elite [1] W 124-106
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 09/01 10:45 1 [6] NLEX Road Warriors v San Miguel Beermen [9] L 112-125
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 08/29 08:30 1 [11] Columbian Dyip v NLEX Road Warriors [5] W 104-116
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 08/22 11:00 1 [1] NLEX Road Warriors v Magnolia Hotshots [4] L 72-102
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 08/19 08:30 1 [3] NorthPort Batang Pier v NLEX Road Warriors [1] W 107-123
Philippines PBA Governors' Cup 08/17 11:00 1 [2] NLEX Road Warriors v Talk N Text [2] W 103-90

Wikipedia - NLEX Road Warriors

The NLEX Road Warriors is a professional basketball team owned by NLEX Corporation, a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) since the 2014–2015 season.

The Road Warriors began in the PBA Developmental League (PBA D-League) as one of its founding teams, winning a total of six championships. The franchise transferred to the PBA after the Manila North Tollways Corporation (a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation) acquired the PBA franchise of the Air21 Express in June 2014. It is one of three PBA teams currently under the control of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan (the other teams are the TNT Tropang Giga and the Meralco Bolts).

History

PBA D-League

From 2011 to 2014, the Road Warriors were the dominant team in the PBA D-League, setting a record six championships in the seven conferences that it participated. It is the second PBA D-League franchise to join the PBA.

PBA expansion franchise application

In March 2014, Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) submitted its letter of intent to join the PBA as an expansion team. On April 10, 2014, the PBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the application of NLEX, Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc. (Blackwater Elite) and Columbian Autocar Corporation (Kia Sorento) as expansion teams for the 2014–2015 season.

As a concession to Kia, which did not have a basketball team in the PBA D-League, the PBA board of governors did not allow Blackwater and NLEX to elevate their D-League players. Instead, the three expansion teams will build their teams through an expansion draft (with the ten existing teams protecting fourteen players in their respective rosters), the free agency and the rookie draft, in which the expansion teams will be given the 11th, 12th and 13th pick in the first round of the 2014 PBA draft.

Additional concessions were given to the three expansion teams at the conclusion of the special meeting by PBA board of governors, three weeks after approving their franchise application. These included the revision of the expansion draft in which the ten existing teams will protect twelve players (from the previous fourteen), and the first three picks of the second round of the 2014 PBA draft. Only the three expansion teams will be allowed to pick players after the third round of the rookie draft.

Acquisition of the Air21 Express PBA franchise

NLEX Road Warriors logo from 2014 to 2017

While Kia and Blackwater have paid their respective franchise fees, NLEX requested for an extension, as they were studying whether to enter the PBA as an expansion team or acquire an existing PBA franchise.

On June 17, 2014, MNTC announced that it was having negotiations with a PBA team to acquire their franchise. Due to the ongoing Governors' Cup playoffs, MNTC did not identify the team they were negotiating with, but stated it will reveal the team's identity once the team was eliminated. Days later, the team was revealed to be Air21 Express.

On June 23, 2014, an agreement was reached between MNTC and the Lina Group of Companies (owners of Air21 Express led by Alberto Lina), regarding the sale of its PBA franchise to MNTC. The sale was approved during the regular monthly meeting of the board of governors, paving the way for the sale of the franchise to MNTC.

PBA 2015 Commissioner's Cup

On January 2, 2015, NBA 2007 14th overall pick Al Thornton signed with the Road Warriors.

Yeng Guiao's transfer to NLEX

The NLEX Road Warriors took a big step with multi-titled coach Yeng Guiao, who joined the team as head coach before the 2016–17 season following a successful stint handling Rain or Shine. Guiao also became NLEX's general manager.

In July 2018, they represented the Philippines, along with Blackwater Elite in the Asia League's Summer Super 8 Invitational Tournament held in Macau.

Under Coach Guiao, NLEX became a playoff contender and made two semifinal appearances, with its most recent being in the 2021 Governors’ Cup where they lost to eventual champion Barangay Ginebra. NLEX however, failed to make the Finals during his time there. NLEX also had to deal with losing some of its stars, as Poy Erram (along with a first-round pick that turned into Mikey Williams) was traded to TNT, Kiefer Ravena left for the B.League in Japan, and Jericho Cruz signed with the San Miguel Beermen in free agency.

On September 2, 2022, Guiao left the Road Warriors after failing to come to terms with a contract extension.

The NLEX Road Warriors are a professional basketball team based in the Philippines. They compete in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and are known for their fast-paced and aggressive style of play. The team is named after the North Luzon Expressway, a major highway in the Philippines, symbolizing their determination and drive to succeed on the basketball court.

The NLEX Road Warriors have a dedicated fan base that supports them through thick and thin, cheering them on during every game. They have a talented roster of players who are skilled in both offense and defense, making them a formidable opponent for any team in the league.

The team's colors of red, white, and blue represent their patriotism and pride in representing the Philippines on the basketball court. The NLEX Road Warriors are always striving to improve and achieve success, making them a team to watch out for in the PBA.