2026 PBA COMMISSIONER'S CUP | IMPORT WATCH | MUBASHAR ALI

TERRAFIRMA | MUBASHAR ALI

LISTED | 7’0 – 230LBS 

YEAR OF BIRTH | 1997

COLLEGE | SOUTHERN JAGUARS | FLORIDA MEMORIAL LIONS    

NBA DRAFT | 2023 | UNDRAFTED

ASIA EXPERIENCE | AL KHOR (QATAR)  

If you're a PBA import, the worst place to play might be with the Terrafirma Dyip.

They just don’t win.

They’ve been in the PBA since the 2014–15 season, and reaching the quarterfinals has been a rarity. Yes, they’re basically in the same boat as fellow expansion teams Blackwater and NLEX, but NLEX now has a good coach and roster, while Blackwater has kept its three top picks and needs only a few more pieces to turn things around.

Terrafirma has players, but many see them as potential San Miguel harvest picks.

Ronald Tubid may have given the team an attack-dog edge, but it’s like a Pomeranian trying to pick a fight with lions and tigers. I’m not picking on Terrafirma just for the sake of it. Without an intact core and a winning tradition, how can they compete against the league’s best teams? This is exactly why an import could have a problematic stint with Team Dyip, especially if the losses keep piling up.

But in some ways, playing for Terrafirma might actually be good for an import. Because expectations are already low, Mubashar Ali’s rise could look even more impressive. We’ve seen Terrafirma start 2–0 before, only to falter down the stretch—again, something you can attribute to the team’s lack of a winning tradition. But who’s to say he won’t be the one to break the franchise’s penchant for failure?

The Finnish big man hasn’t had many stops in Asia. But the one time he did, he played like hell for Al Khor in Qatar. One of his teammates during that stint was San Miguel draftee Jacey Cruz, the 61st pick in the 2025 PBA Draft. If Terrafirma needs a double-double magnet whose job is to make his teammates look good, then they might have something in Ali.

Justin Brownlee is an example of a player who initially came in to compensate for an injury and ended up staying for a decade-long run. With his titles and individual achievements, he’s on track to challenge the likes of Norman Black, Bobby Parks, Sean Chambers, and Billy Ray Bates for a spot on the PBA’s Mount Rushmore.

Also—and here’s the most important factor—it’s not like Terrafirma has the funds to keep changing imports. Only a truly ineffective import, on the level of Ryan Richards, would likely be booted out. If they’re already out of contention, why would they fight to find a suitable replacement unless they’re also preparing that import for the Governors’ Cup? The coaching staff might not even think that far ahead, considering they could be out of a job or the team’s dynamics could change again due to constant personnel movement.

Hey, Tommy Olivario just got released. Guess what? He’s buddies with Louie Sangalang. Maybe Sangalang becomes a future harvest option to monitor.

So no, I’m not sold on Terrafirma’s chances. But who’s to say this won’t work? Maybe 90 percent of the fans would disagree—but again, who knows?