History

Pop Cola Panthers

Pop Cola Panthers arrived in the PBA in 1990 as one of two expansion teams in the league. In 1992, as Swift, they won the Third Conference by sweeping 7-Up with Yeng Guiao as head coach. As Sunkist, they won the 1995 Commissioners and Governors Cup title with Derrick Pumaren as head coach.

In 2001. Republic Flour Mills (RFM) sold its subsidiary COSMOS Bottlers Corporation to food company giant San Miguel Corporation. The move also absorbed the PBA team, which gave SMC four PBA ballclubs. After the PBA board gave to go-signal to allow the team to remain in the league, it was renamed as the Coca-Cola Tigers before the start of the 2002 season.

The old Pop Cola team's lineage was removed, with Viva-Vintage television commentators mentioning the Tigers as an expansion club after winning the 2002 All-Filipino Cup. However, it can be argued that Pop Cola is a Cosmos product, and the lineage of the old Swift and Sunkist franchise still exists on the current team. But since RFM still owns Swift and Sunkist, the lineage of the old franchise to the Tigers could also be legitimately removed.

Coca-Cola Tigers

First title

In Coca-Cola's maiden campaign, the Tigers failed to capture the first two conferences of the tournament (a third place finish in the Governors Cup and a disappointing quarterfinals finish in the Commissioners Cup), the Tigers surged ahead in the All-Filipino Conference. Bannered once again by Rudy Hatfield and Jeffrey Cariaso after serving time with the national team, Coca-Cola defeated their sister team San Miguel in the semi-finals to enter their first finals appearance against the Alaska Aces.

After losing Johnny Abarrientos in Game One of the best-of-five series, the Tigers won the next three games to secure their first-ever PBA title. Ironically, the Tigers clinched the series on the first PBA game held on Christmas Day.

Second title

During their second season in the league, Coca-Cola once again failed to win the championship in the first two conferences. In the All-Filipino Conference, the Tigers blew a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as their counterparts Talk N Text won the series in six games. In the Invitational tournament, Alaska took revenge on the Tigers, winning the said tournament in three games.

But the Tigers succeeded in the Reinforced Conference. Bannered by former Mobiline import Artemus McClary, Coke won the said tournament against sister team San Miguel in seven grueling games to win their second PBA crown.

Post-championship era

Coca-Cola failed to return in the Finals in the 2004 Fiesta Conference as they were eliminated by Red Bull in the semi-finals.

In the 2004-2005 PBA Philippine Cup, the Tigers struggled after the indefinite suspension of Rudy Hatfield due to citizenship issues, the acquisition of Ali Peek and John Arigo from Alaska in exchange for Jeffrey Cariaso and Reynel Hugnatan midway through the tournament and the naming of Chot Reyes as the head coach of the Philippine National team, the Tigers were eliminated by sister-team Purefoods in the wild-card phase 2-1.

Eric Altamirano made his return in the PBA as Coca-Cola's coach in the 2005 Fiesta Conference but the Tigers finished dead last in the tournament, eliminated by Alaska in the wild-card phase.

2005-06 season

During the offseason, the Tigers selected FEU playmaker Denok Miranda in the first round, Magnolia Ice Cream forward Neil Raneses and Montana Pawnshop's Al Magpayo in the second round in the PBA Rookie Draft while hiring Barangay Ginebra assistant Binky Favis as the team's third head coach in nine months. The Tigers entered the 2005-2006 PBA Fiesta Conference as one of the least contenders. Coca-Cola finished ninth in the classification phase and was eliminated by San Miguel in the Survivor round.

In the 2006 PBA Philippine Cup, the Tigers went 7-9 in the classification phase. However, after starting the season 4-0 and 6-2 in the first round, the Tigers lost seven of the last eight games, falling in a tie for fifth place with the Air21 Express. Both teams played a one-game match for the final outright quarterfinals berth in the playoffs on May 28 with the Tigers defeating the Express 97-83. The win gave the Tigers its first quarterfinals berth since the 2004 Fiesta Conference. The Tigers lost to the Alaska Aces 3-1 in the quarterfinals.

2006 offseason

The Tigers were involved in a three-part trade with sister team Barangay Ginebra Kings and Air21 Express. The first part of the trade saw the Express sending Ryan Bernardo and its 2007 and 2008 first-round draft picks to the Tigers for Rafi Reavis, Billy Mamaril and the rights to Rudy Hatfield. The second part sent Reavis, Mamaril and Hatfield's rights from the Express to the Kings for Kalani Ferreria, Aries Dimaunahan, Manny Ramos, and Ervin Sotto plus the Kings two second-round draft picks this year and a future first-round pick. The third part was voided by Commissioner Noli Eala, which would have allowed the Express to regain its own 2007 and 2008 picks plus the Tigers' 2008 second round draft pick from Coke, in exchange for Ferreria and Ramos plus the second-round pick this year and the future first-round pick. Air 21 and Coca-Cola submitted a revised version of that part of the trade and was approved by Commissioner Eala.

Under the revised version, the Express will trade Manny Ramos and Kalani Ferreria plus two second-round picks acquired from San Miguel and Ginebra to the Tigers. The Tigers retained Air 21's 2007 and 2008 first-round picks but traded away their 2008 and 2009 first-round picks.

The trade has been questioned by many within the league, which heavily favors Ginebra. It also sparked a speculation that the trade triggers Coca-Cola's possible disbandment from the league, which was denied in a statement released last August 2, 2006 by Bobby Huang, president of Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc.(CCBPI) and PBA governor for the Coca-Cola Tigers.