LAGUNA Spring renews its rivalry with Forward Taguig today as the Spring Cooking Oil-NBC (National Basketball Conference) final north pre-season series kicks off at the Rizal Memorial coliseum.

The Spring of NBC president Nathaniel "Tac’’ Padilla and Gov. Teresita "Ningning’’ Lazaro and Mayor Freddie Tinga’s Taguig cagers clash at 5:30 p.m. after the 30-minute opening ceremony where Padilla serves as guest of honor.

Two new teams – the Parañaque Jets of Vice Mayor and actor/tv host Anjo Yllana and the Cavite Insurers of Bacoor Vice Mayor Edwin Malvar – will square off in the main game at 7 o’clock.

The fifth team in the short series sanctioned by the BAP is the RP Cebuana Lhuillier squad, which is preparing for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games set in Manila late this year.

Taguig and Spring figured in tight matches in last year’s NBC national championship with Mayor Tinga’s charges prevailing over Spring in their best-of-three showdown for the north division title.

Taguig eventually finished runnerup to the Skygo/Sirlitz-backed defending champion Tribu Sugbu.

Parañaque coach Jun da Jose pins his hopes on ex-PBA star Bong Alvarez and PMI Admirals Nino Marquez and Larry Rodriguez. Also seeing action for the Jets are showbiz stars Richard Gomez, Jomari Yllana, Antonio Aquitania and Wendell Ramos and ex-Red Bull Barakos Rollie Basilides and Jovy Sese.