The latest 200-page Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) annual magazine ?Hardcourt?is out in the market.

A total of 42 pages were devoted to the various statistics compiled during the first 36 seasons of Asia?s first professional basketball circuit under the section ?Career Achievers and Statistical Leaders.?

This alone should be ?heaven? for certified stats guys like this Hoopster.

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Did you know that 15 PBA franchises have produced at least one Most Valuable Player awardee during the league?s 37-year existence?

The list includes half-a-dozen franchises that remain active today ? B-Meg/Purefoods, San Miguel Beer, Alaska, Talk ?N Text, Barangay Ginebra and Air21.

Defunct Crispa, which disbanded in 1984, and B-Meg/Purefoods share the all-time league record for the most number of MVPs with six apiece.

For Crispa, they were William Adornado (1975, 1976), Alfredo Hubalde (1977), Fortunato ?Atoy? Co Jr. (1979), Philip Cezar (1980) and Alberto ?Abet? Guidaben (1983).

For B-Meg/Purefoods, they were Alvin Patrimonio (1991, 1993,1994, 1997) and James Yap (2005-06, 2009-10) for B-Meg/Purefoods.

Next on the elite MVP ladder is San Miguel Beer with five ? Guidaben (1987), Ramon Fernandez (1988), Renato ?Ato? Agustin (1992), Danilo Ildefonso (2000, 2001). Alaska owns three ? Johnny Abarrientos (1996), Kenneth Duremdes (1998) and Willie Miller (2006-07).

In each of the last five seasons, the MVP has come from different franchises.

?Mighty Mouse? Jimmy Alapag is the reigning MVP, having won it during the 2010-11 wars with the Talk ?N Text Tropang Texters, who romped away with two (Philippine Cup/Commissioner?s Cup) of the conference titles at stake.

The year before (2009-10), Yap lifted the MVP trophy after powering Purefoods to the Philippine Cup diadem.

Anthony ?Jayjay? Helterbrand captured the MVP award with Barangay Ginebra in 2008-09, Kelly Williams with the now-gone Sta. Lucia Realty in 2007-08 and Miller with Alaska in 2006-07.

Individually, Fernandez (1982-1984-1986-1988) and Patrimonio(1991-1993-1994-1997) have the most number of MVP hardware with four each.

Adornado (1975-1976-1981) has three and Yap (2010-2006), Miller (2002 with Batang Red Bull, which became Shopinas.com then Air21 this season/2007).

Ildefonso (2000-2001), Venancio ?Benjie? Paras (1989/1999) and Guidaben (1983-1987) have two apiece.

Only four times in PBA annals did an MVP fail to lead his team to at least one championship during the season that he earned top player honors.

These came in 1981 (Adornado, U/Tex), 1984 (Fernandez, Beer Hausen), 1989 (Paras, Formula Shell) and 2008-09 Helterbrand, Barangay Ginebra).