The team led by Mark Yee saw immediate success, clinching the South Division's top seed with a 20–5 record.

Although Batangas City forced a game 3 in overtime, the series was won by Davao Occidental and they faced San Juan Knights in the 2019 MPBL finals.

Looking to come back after a stunning finals loss, Davao Occidental kept the same core heading into the 2019–20 season.

This made Davao Occidental Tigers the first, and currently only, MPBL team to clinch the best division record in back-to-back seasons.

When the playoffs continued the following year, multiple Basilan members were tested positive for the virus, thus the series was awarded to Davao Occidental, creating a finals rematch against San Juan.

Davao Occidental got their revenge and won the series in four games, thus winning their first league championship in franchise history.

After winning against Burlington EOG in the quarterfinals, Tigers experienced déjà vu when they lost to San Juan in the semifinals by a single point.

Davao Occidental's rivalry against the San Juan Knights began in the MPBL when both teams met in back-to-back national finals series (2019 and 2021).

As of February 2024, the Davao Occidental Tigers have met the San Juan Knights a total of fifteen times across all leagues.