https://www.scmp.com/rss/511312/feed The East Asia Super League (EASL) is a pan-regional “champions league-style” basketball league slated for its first season in October 2022, featuring teams from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan. EASL’s headquarters is based in Hong Kong and its league format is recognised by world governing body FIBA after the pair struck a 10-year deal in 2020. It previously organised the regional tournaments Terrific 12 and Super 8. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mike Chan Mike Chan South China are aiming to make an impact when their Basketball Champions League Asia campaign begins next week, and have some old faces on hand to help their cause. Playing in their first overseas competition in more than 40 years, the Hong Kong side have temporarily brought back four former players to bolster their line-up. Dominic Gilbert and Glen Yang have come in from A1 Division rivals Hong Kong Eastern, Leung Shiu-wah returns from Winling, while Tsai Choi-kwan comes back from Tycoon. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3349032/south-china-bringing-back-some-old-hands-they-start-champions-league-asia-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3349032/south-china-bringing-back-some-old-hands-they-start-champions-league-asia-campaign?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:35:07 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong Eastern are expected to enter multiple regional basketball tournaments next season after becoming domestic champions for the third time in franchise history. Securing the A1 Division crown earned the team a spot in the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCLA), while a third run in an expanded East Asia Super League (EASL) is also on the cards. With the local league and Senior Shield running from August to March, the EASL from October to March and BCLA qualifiers starting April, the team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3348297/third-title-has-hong-kong-eastern-eyeing-greater-basketball-test-regional-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3348297/third-title-has-hong-kong-eastern-eyeing-greater-basketball-test-regional-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:01:03 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Naturalising players, hiring overseas coaches and improving the standard and scale of local basketball could “save” the sport in Hong Kong, players, basketball officials and executives said on Thursday. Earlier this week, the city’s men’s and women’s teams discovered their regional rankings of 26th and 21st respectively were not good enough to get them into the Asian Games in Japan. It will be the first time in more than 30 years that the men have missed the Games. For the women, it would have... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3345602/what-now-hong-kong-basketball-naturalised-players-expanded-league-among-suggestions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3345602/what-now-hong-kong-basketball-naturalised-players-expanded-league-among-suggestions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong Eastern’s dream of reaching their first East Asia Super League (EASL) playoffs hangs by a thread heading into their final group match at home next week. Following their 83-74 away loss in Japan to Utsunomiya Brex last week, the city’s only professional basketball team must beat Brex by 10 points or more at Southorn Stadium on Wednesday. The team also have to hope the Japanese B League side beat Taipei Fubon Braves at home a week later, to ensure they advance to the six-team playoffs in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3341704/hong-kong-eastern-basketball-team-face-uphill-task-qualify-first-easl-playoffs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3341704/hong-kong-eastern-basketball-team-face-uphill-task-qualify-first-easl-playoffs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:24 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The East Asia Super League (EASL) announced a multi-year clothing and footwear deal with Under Armour for players and teams on Friday. The 12-team basketball league features Hong Kong Eastern, who are playing in the EASL for the second year of a two-year deal this season. Eastern won half of their six group matches last season to finish third and missed out on the semi-finals in Macau. The league’s partnership with Under Armour also extends into EASL Future Champions, the league’s youth... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3336305/east-asia-super-league-agrees-multi-year-deal-under-armour-players-and-teams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3336305/east-asia-super-league-agrees-multi-year-deal-under-armour-players-and-teams?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 03:05:28 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The days of Hong Kong Eastern fighting for basketball glory on three fronts appear to be over, after senior officials said their only overseas matches would be in the East Asia Super League. Speaking at the team’s media day in Yuen Long on Tuesday, team officials believed reducing their commitments would yield more “positive” results compared to last season. And team leader Wilson Choi Fong-yue said reclaiming the domestic title they won in 2023 would be “the priority for us”. “We were unbeaten... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3331497/eastern-opt-against-three-front-campaign-will-focus-regional-domestic-basketball-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3331497/eastern-opt-against-three-front-campaign-will-focus-regional-domestic-basketball-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 10:14:41 +0000 Lars Hamer Lars Hamer The Hong Kong Jockey Club will pump HK$3 billion (US$384.6 million) into sport in the city over the next three years, with HK$70.75 million earmarked for a programme aimed at developing local basketball. Jockey Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges said on Saturday that his organisation wanted “to do even more for sports” and so was doubling the amount it had already provided. A new Jockey Club Believe & Bounce Basketball Programme, funded through its Charities Trust, aims to make the sport more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3325418/hong-kong-jockey-club-pump-hk70-million-three-year-basketball-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3325418/hong-kong-jockey-club-pump-hk70-million-three-year-basketball-project?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 03:23:16 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan A major restructuring of youth basketball in Hong Kong is expected to be announced this weekend, with the Jockey Club preparing to unveil a significant investment in the sport, sources have told the Post. The game-changing development will reportedly be revealed on Saturday, and follows the decision by city lawmakers on Thursday to legalise betting on the game. According to a previous estimate by the club, authorised basketball betting could generate HK$1.5 billion in tax revenue annually,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3325226/basketball-hong-kong-set-serious-funding-after-city-legalises-betting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3325226/basketball-hong-kong-set-serious-funding-after-city-legalises-betting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:05:29 +0000 Guo Jiaxuan, the Chinese footballer left fighting for his life following a collision during a match in Madrid last month, has died in Beijing hours before his 19th birthday, his brother has revealed. The teenager had been on life support in hospital in the Chinese capital since his family asked to bring him home from Spain, where he had been attending a training camp. He was left brain-dead after suffering a subarachnoid haemorrhage – a form of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3303207/brain-dead-chinese-teen-footballer-dies-hours-19th-birthday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3303207/brain-dead-chinese-teen-footballer-dies-hours-19th-birthday?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:45:42 +0000 Hong Kong Eastern will continue to play in the East Asia Super League (EASL) next season despite failing to win the city’s local basketball title this year. League officials confirmed Eastern’s participation was contractually bound, and team officials said they could again play on three fronts next season – locally, in the EASL and in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup – despite being overstretched and facing schedule clashes. “We have contracts with both [overseas]... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3298510/hong-kong-eastern-trying-get-more-philippines-commissioners-cup-matches-played-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3298510/hong-kong-eastern-trying-get-more-philippines-commissioners-cup-matches-played-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:00:10 +0000 The East Asia Super League (EASL) will crown its new champions in Macau after finalising a deal to stage the play-offs there in March. The top four teams in the league – two each from as many groups – will qualify for the semi-finals on March 7, with the two winners advancing to the championship game two days later. The season-ending Final Four mini-tournament will be the second time this season a multi-game event has been held in the casino city, after the Studio City Event Centre – home to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3294942/macau-host-easl-championship-play-offs-seasons-second-multi-game-event-casino-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3294942/macau-host-easl-championship-play-offs-seasons-second-multi-game-event-casino-city?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 01:30:48 +0000 Chasing glory on several fronts has caught up with basketball club Hong Kong Eastern, who this week found themselves having to be in two places at once. Players are flying to and from Manila several times to keep up with a schedule that at one point has them playing three times in 45 hours – gruelling even without matches being on opposite sides of the South China Sea. Having sealed the local A1 Division regular season championship on Sunday, Eastern departed for the Philippines on Tuesday for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3294739/if-its-friday-must-be-manila-hong-kong-eastern-basketballers-face-crazy-schedule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3294739/if-its-friday-must-be-manila-hong-kong-eastern-basketballers-face-crazy-schedule?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 11:29:28 +0000 Former NBA star Jeremy Lin hit out at league officials in Taiwan on Saturday, after he was left needing stitches following a clash on court and was subsequently fined for speaking out. Playing against Taipei Taishin Mars in the newly formed Taiwan Professional Basketball League, the New Taipei Kings point guard was hit in the head in the opening minutes of the first quarter. He was left with a “three-inch wound” to the left side of his head, and needed a stitch after the match. Lin returned to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3291885/referee-fine-adds-insult-bloody-head-injury-jeremy-lin-after-clash-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3291885/referee-fine-adds-insult-bloody-head-injury-jeremy-lin-after-clash-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Dec 2024 07:25:57 +0000 The chief of the East Asia Super League has revealed that he aims to bring Hong Kong’s matches in the regional basketball league to Kai Tak Sports Park after Eastern made their long-awaited home debut at the Southorn Stadium on Thursday. However, Hong Kong Eastern threw away a seven-point halftime lead over Hiroshima Dragonflies to lose 88-75 on home soil, staying winless two games into the season. They had also lost to the Japanese B.1 league champions in Fukuyama a fortnight ago. “As someone... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3284653/east-asia-super-league-competitions-boss-aims-get-hong-kongs-games-played-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3284653/east-asia-super-league-competitions-boss-aims-get-hong-kongs-games-played-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2024 11:00:17 +0000 Hong Kong Eastern’s regional-title-winners said they were playing on another level in the East Asia Super League (EASL) after losing in their tournament debut on Wednesday. The two-time Asean Basketball League (ABL) winners, who joined the EASL in the summer, were beaten 78-67 by Japan’s B.League champions Hiroshima Dragonflies at the F-PICO Arena in Fukuyama. However, Eastern’s Bosnian head coach, Mensur Bajramovic, backed his team to bounce back in the next match, when they host the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3282721/east-asia-super-league-hong-kong-eastern-facing-different-level-after-losing-first-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3282721/east-asia-super-league-hong-kong-eastern-facing-different-level-after-losing-first-game?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:00:12 +0000 Hong Kong basketball star Glen Yang will again play in the East Asia Super League and the Philippines Basketball Association’s Commissioner’s Cup this season after signing for Hong Kong Eastern and will play as a local player in both competitions. The well-travelled, Vancouver-born player will be playing in Hong Kong, to which he moved at the age of five, for the first time since leaving local A1 Division side South China in 2019. The point guard said it was a “perfect situation” for his latest... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3279735/hong-kong-basketball-star-glen-yang-play-eastern-local-player-2-regional-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3279735/hong-kong-basketball-star-glen-yang-play-eastern-local-player-2-regional-events?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2024 09:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong Eastern will join an expanded East Asia Super League in October, as club officials continue their bid to reach the highest level of basketball in the region. Originally expected to have eight teams, the second full season of the EASL will now boast 10 clubs, with Macau Black Bears also committing to the competition. Two sides each from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines will make up the rest of the elite league, which tips off on October 2. Eastern are expected to play... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3274301/east-asia-super-league-hong-kong-eastern-join-10-team-competition-next-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3274301/east-asia-super-league-hong-kong-eastern-join-10-team-competition-next-season?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2024 01:00:18 +0000 Hong Kong Eastern are in talks to compete in the Philippines Basketball Association (PBA) season from November, as they look to eventually secure a place in China’s top league. The reigning local A1 Division champions were exploring the opportunities to participate in the Commissioner’s Cup for the coming 2024-25 season, which runs from late November to early March next year. Eastern officials said things are still in an “early” stage but that initial talks with the Philippines’ basketball... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3270273/hong-kong-eastern-eye-place-mainland-china-basketball-league-philippines-venture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3270273/hong-kong-eastern-eye-place-mainland-china-basketball-league-philippines-venture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 11:15:08 +0000 Former NBA star Jeremy Lin revealed he was playing with a knee injury after the New Taipei Kings’ overtime win over the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in the Taiwanese P. League+ Finals series. The 103-97 victory on Thursday gave the three-year-old franchise an unbeatable 4-1 lead and their maiden title. It was Lin’s second career title, after winning the NBA Finals with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, but it was his first with his younger brother Joseph, who scored a team-high 17 points alongside teammate... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3267543/jeremy-lin-says-he-made-risky-decision-new-taipei-kings-won-taiwanese-p-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3267543/jeremy-lin-says-he-made-risky-decision-new-taipei-kings-won-taiwanese-p-league?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 10:30:09 +0000 Two months after predicting basketball’s East Asia Super League could break even during the 2026-27 season, the chief of the competition has pushed the timeline forward by a season. Henry Kerins, EASL’s co-founder and CEO, also said officials were taking their time over discussions with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) but that a planned expansion from eight to 16 teams would happen in the 2025-26 season, regardless of the participation of any Chinese teams. “I think we’ll double our... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3262674/east-asia-super-league-wooing-chinese-basketball-will-succeed-regardless-boss-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3262674/east-asia-super-league-wooing-chinese-basketball-will-succeed-regardless-boss-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 11:41:03 +0000 The head of the East Asia Super League says the organisation still believes it can become one of the top basketball competitions in the world, but acknowledges that expansion will not happen as soon as they hope. A week after the league’s first full season ended, Henry Kerins, its co-founder and CEO, said despite fluctuating attendances and the lack of Chinese teams, the past few months had “proved the concept”. But he also said the move to double the number of teams involved to 16 and games to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3255912/east-asia-super-league-still-eyeing-spot-among-basketball-elite-says-chief-who-believes-china-clubs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3255912/east-asia-super-league-still-eyeing-spot-among-basketball-elite-says-chief-who-believes-china-clubs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 09:30:43 +0000 Playing their first professional basketball game as teammates, former NBA sensation Jeremy Lin and younger brother Joseph helped lead the New Taipei Kings to victory in their season opener for the East Asian Super League. More than 4,400 fans crowded into the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City on Wednesday to watch the game against Seoul SK Knights, where Jeremy Lin flirted with a triple-double. But it was his younger sibling who took control, accounting for 19 points in the second half to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3240897/jeremy-lin-and-brother-joseph-clinch-historic-win-new-taipei-kings-first-pro-basketball-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3240897/jeremy-lin-and-brother-joseph-clinch-historic-win-new-taipei-kings-first-pro-basketball-game?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Nov 2023 07:44:56 +0000 Former NBA star Jeremy Lin has joined younger brother Joseph at New Taipei Kings ahead of the club’s domestic season and debut in the East Asia Super League. It will be the first time the brothers have played together professionally, and Jeremy Lin said after months of weighing up his future it was a dream come true. The older Lin spent last season with the King’s P League+ rivals Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers, who he thanked for their “short, but amazing” time together. “I hope that through last... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3234636/jeremy-lin-joins-brother-joseph-new-taipei-kings-says-move-dream-come-true?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3234636/jeremy-lin-joins-brother-joseph-new-taipei-kings-says-move-dream-come-true?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 04:15:38 +0000 Several members of the disbanded Bay Area Dragons have blasted team officials on social media, saying they were axed without warning and left with no chance of finding another team this season. The lengthy post on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, signed by Liu Chuanxing, Zhu Songwei, Ju Mingxin, Zheng Qilong, Adili Kuerban, Wang Yunzhang, also accused the East Asia Super League, which ran the franchise team, of “intentionally misleading” the players over its status. Saying they were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3233860/bay-area-dragons-players-threaten-legal-action-over-axing-claiming-easl-was-intentionally-misleading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3233860/bay-area-dragons-players-threaten-legal-action-over-axing-claiming-easl-was-intentionally-misleading?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Sep 2023 10:30:12 +0000 Taiwanese P League+ franchise New Taipei Kings have joined the East Asia Super League (EASL) in place of the Bay Area Dragons. In a statement released on Tuesday, the league’s CEO Matt Beyer said he was “ecstatic to welcome the New Taipei Kings to our inaugural home-and-away season and to grow our partnership with the P League+”. The league abruptly sacked its entire playing staff last Friday during an online meeting, leaving the eight-team league, which is expected to tip off on October 11, one... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3233355/new-taipei-kings-linked-east-asia-super-league-spot-days-after-officials-sack-entire-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3233355/new-taipei-kings-linked-east-asia-super-league-spot-days-after-officials-sack-entire-bay-area?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2023 10:30:14 +0000 The East Asia Super League abruptly sacked its entire Bay Area Dragons team on Friday, telling those involved during an online meeting their contracts were being terminated. Sources said stunned players were now in the process of discussing the terms of their departure. The move came just two weeks after the league’s franchise team announced the signing of five new players, including Hong Kong’s Oliver Xu, and the retention of eight others. EASL officials declined to comment, saying they would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3233152/east-asia-super-league-entire-bay-area-dragons-team-sacked-during-online-meeting-players-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3233152/east-asia-super-league-entire-bay-area-dragons-team-sacked-during-online-meeting-players-told?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:10:30 +0000 East Asia Super League (EASL) franchise the Bay Area Dragons announced on Tuesday they have signed five new players for the new season, while eight members from the team’s inaugural campaign have been retained. Among the additions, all from mainland China and Hong Kong, Oliver Xu will be the one name local basketball fans are most familiar with. Xu – the younger brother of Hong Kong Eastern co-captain Adam Xu – has joined the Dragons as a free agent after his contract at Eastern expired after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231152/basketball-bay-area-dragons-back-blood-east-asia-super-league-revenge-season-five-new-faces-coming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3231152/basketball-bay-area-dragons-back-blood-east-asia-super-league-revenge-season-five-new-faces-coming?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 09:16:08 +0000 Basketball officials have poured water on a Chinese businessman’s attempts to launch a regional competition, and said he should focus on cooperating within the sport’s established league structure. Jay Li Jintian has been shopping his Rising East Asia League (REAL) as a potential competitor to the Fiba-backed East Asia Super League, which includes the Hong Kong franchise Bay Area Dragons. The EASL has an exclusive relationship with the world governing body, and partnership agreements with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3230889/basketball-chief-throws-weight-behind-east-asia-super-league-says-no-real-prospect-rival-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3230889/basketball-chief-throws-weight-behind-east-asia-super-league-says-no-real-prospect-rival-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Aug 2023 08:04:07 +0000 Bay Area Dragons will play their most of their home matches in Hong Kong next season, bringing some of the biggest basketball sides in the region to the city. The East Asia Super League club expect to play group matches at Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai, and also plan to host their Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup in Hong Kong. At an EASL draw last month, Dragons were placed in Group B alongside Barangay Ginebra San Miguel from the Philippines, Japanese side Ryukyu Golden... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3228821/bay-area-dragons-face-regions-best-basketball-sides-hong-kong-east-asia-super-league-returns-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3228821/bay-area-dragons-face-regions-best-basketball-sides-hong-kong-east-asia-super-league-returns-second?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2023 05:33:42 +0000 Hong Kong basketball star Glen Yang is taking his talents to Canada to play for the Winnipeg Sea Bears this summer. The point guard is the fourth player, after Chad Posthumus, Shane Osayande and Michael Okafor, to be named as part of the Sea Bears, an expansion team in the 2023 season. Yang, who was born in Vancouver, said he was excited by the challenge that lay ahead, and had been targeting a shot in the Canadian Elite Basketball League since it was launched in 2019. “I am extremely hungry to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3217429/hong-kong-basketball-star-glen-yang-intrigued-challenge-competing-canadas-top-league-winnipeg-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3217429/hong-kong-basketball-star-glen-yang-intrigued-challenge-competing-canadas-top-league-winnipeg-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Apr 2023 07:30:18 +0000 Basketball officials in China are planning to launch a rival regional competition to the East Asia Super League, and hope to convince clubs on the mainland and in Hong Kong to sign up. The city’s only professional team, Hong Kong Eastern, told the Post it was “extremely interested” in being part of the new project, which has been dubbed the Rising East Asia League. Jay Li Jintian, whose previous experience includes international business development with the NBA, as well as strategy and teams... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3217104/chinese-basketball-bosses-planning-direct-rival-east-asia-super-league-want-cba-and-hong-kong-clubs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3217104/chinese-basketball-bosses-planning-direct-rival-east-asia-super-league-want-cba-and-hong-kong-clubs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Apr 2023 23:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong basketball star Duncan Reid is keen to extend his stay with the Bay Area Dragons, despite his limited minutes in their debut East Asia Super League campaign. The 33-year-old is expecting a much “tougher” second season, with training camp set to start in August. And as contract renewal talks loom next month, Reid insisted he learned three times as much under Dragons boss Brian Goorjian than any other coach he has played for in his career. “Brian is the best coach I had ever had in my... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3215233/east-asia-super-league-duncan-reid-wants-bay-area-dragons-stay-despite-limited-game-time-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3215233/east-asia-super-league-duncan-reid-wants-bay-area-dragons-stay-despite-limited-game-time-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2023 07:07:27 +0000 Hong Kong basketball stars Glen Yang and Duncan Reid said the East Asia Super League (EASL) was in a “league of its own” in the region after their Bay Area Dragons wrapped up the five-day “Champions Week” tournament in Japan with a third-place finish. The Chinese franchise finished second in their group, losing to Korean side Seoul SK Knights before easing past home team Utsunomiya Brex and advancing to the third-place play-off on Sunday. The Hong Kong-based team then thrashed the Ryukyu Golden... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3212488/bay-area-dragons-duo-glen-yang-duncan-reid-laud-much-better-east-asia-super-league-after-pba-stint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3212488/bay-area-dragons-duo-glen-yang-duncan-reid-laud-much-better-east-asia-super-league-after-pba-stint?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2023 06:03:30 +0000 The East Asia Super League’s champions week gets under way in Japan on Wednesday, and for the Bay Area Dragons it represents an opportunity to finally put their heartbreaking defeat in the Philippines to rest. A Game 7 blowout at the hands of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel left their PBA Commissioner’s Cup dreams in tatters in January, after a regular season when they went 10-2. Now though they get a shot at redemption against the region’s best, with games against Korean basketball league champions... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3211868/east-asia-super-league-bay-area-dragons-ready-tough-champions-week-tournament-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3211868/east-asia-super-league-bay-area-dragons-ready-tough-champions-week-tournament-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:00:20 +0000 Hong Kong basketball star Duncan Reid will not be representing the city’s team in next month’s 2025 FIBA Asia Cup second-round qualifiers. The Bay Area Dragons centre will instead be on East Asia Super League (EASL) duty, with the Chinese franchise set to compete in Champions Week, a five-day tournament from March 1 to 5 in Tochigi and Okinawa, Japan. Hong Kong’s men’s basketball team are set to play three qualifiers in as many days at UG Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, starting on February... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3207876/hong-kong-basketball-star-duncan-reid-out-asia-cup-qualifiers-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3207876/hong-kong-basketball-star-duncan-reid-out-asia-cup-qualifiers-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jan 2023 10:36:25 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons eventually ran out of steam in the PBA Commissioner’s Cu finals, the same could not be said of a Justin Brownlee-fuelled Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Playing before a Philippines record-breaking crowd of 54,589, the power forward dropped a game-high 34 points to go with his eight rebounds and 12 assists in a dominating 114-99 Game 7 win on Sunday at Philippine Arena. Victory was Brownlee’s sixth title with Ginebra, and extended head coach Tim Cone’s historic run of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3206953/pba-commissioners-cup-brownlee-powers-ginebra-finals-victory-bay-area-dragons-run-out-steam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3206953/pba-commissioners-cup-brownlee-powers-ginebra-finals-victory-bay-area-dragons-run-out-steam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Jan 2023 05:57:49 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons survived some late scares to take the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup finals to a decisive Game 7, with Myles Powell powering them to an 87-84 win on Wednesday. Their Game 6 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel at the hostile Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City sets up a winner-takes-all decider on Sunday. After leading by as much as 12 points midway through the third quarter, the Dragons trailed by seven just two minutes into the final quarter, as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3206530/pba-commissioners-cup-powell-leaves-bench-power-bay-area-dragons-victory-forces-decisive-game-7?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3206530/pba-commissioners-cup-powell-leaves-bench-power-bay-area-dragons-victory-forces-decisive-game-7?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jan 2023 06:37:58 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons are facing a do-or-die Game 6 in the Philippines Basketball Association Commissioners’ Cup finals on Wednesday night. Trailing Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 3-2 in the best-of-seven-series, the Dragons are expected to welcome back Glen Yang after the point guard missed Sunday’s 101-91 Game 5 loss with an ankle injury. But import player Andrew Nicholson remains a doubt with the injury sustained in last week’s 89-82 defeat in Game 3 – in an 89-82 loss. Franchise boss questions... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3206129/pba-commissioners-cup-bay-area-dragons-face-must-win-game-6-wednesday-against-barangay-ginebra-san?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3206129/pba-commissioners-cup-bay-area-dragons-face-must-win-game-6-wednesday-against-barangay-ginebra-san?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:24:51 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons squandered a 14-point lead in a 89-82 Game 3 upset in the Philippines Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup finals on Wednesday night. Defeat at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila leaves the Chinese franchise trailing Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 2-1 going into Game 4 of the best-of-seven-series on Friday. The league-leading Dragons, who came into the finals with a 10-2 regular season record, led for much of the game, and turned a 37-35 half-time advantage into a 14-point... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3205660/inexperience-proves-costly-bay-area-dragons-pba-commissioners-cup-game-3-defeat-barangay-ginebra-san?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3205660/inexperience-proves-costly-bay-area-dragons-pba-commissioners-cup-game-3-defeat-barangay-ginebra-san?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2023 06:20:42 +0000 The man behind the fledgling East Asia Super League questioned Hong Kong’s commitment to sport, as he revealed he was looking to Macau as a permanent home for the Bay Area Dragons basketball franchise. Matt Beyer, the league’s CEO, said he wanted to base the team, which is currently competing in the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup in the Philippines, either in or near the Greater Bay Area, but expressed reservations about the “culture towards sports in Hong Kong”. And while not completely... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3204949/east-asia-super-league-bay-area-dragons-boss-questions-hong-kong-culture-he-looks-macau-new-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3204949/east-asia-super-league-bay-area-dragons-boss-questions-hong-kong-culture-he-looks-macau-new-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Dec 2022 10:30:08 +0000 East Asia Super League has secured US$40 million in its Series C fundraising round from investment group Crest Sports and Entertainment, as it seeks to cement itself among the top basketball leagues worldwide. Matt Beyer, the league’s CEO, said the latest cash injection had fallen US$10 million short of expectations, but remained “very bullish” on the outlook for the organisation, despite a gloomy economic picture. “There’s a lot of interest right now from family offices, sports funds and also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3204321/east-asia-super-league-secures-us40m-fund-expansion-ceo-matt-bayer-talks-bullish-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3204321/east-asia-super-league-secures-us40m-fund-expansion-ceo-matt-bayer-talks-bullish-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Dec 2022 04:00:16 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons lived up to expectations and advanced to the play-offs finals of the Philippine Basketball Association’s Commissioner’s Cup on Wednesday night. Competing as a guest team in their debut season, the league leaders beat San Miguel Beermen 94-92 in Game 4 of the semi-finals for a 3-1 series win. Import Andrew Nicholson powered the Dragons with a game-winning three-pointer – his sixth of the day – with less than two minutes to go. He finished with some monstrous displays,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3204278/pba-commissioners-cup-bay-area-dragons-set-play-offs-finals-clash-ginebra?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3204278/pba-commissioners-cup-bay-area-dragons-set-play-offs-finals-clash-ginebra?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Dec 2022 11:18:05 +0000 The inaugural East Asia Super League (EASL) season has been scrapped because of issues owing to the pandemic, but a shortened format is set to replace it in March. Hong Kong basketball stars Duncan Reid and Glen Yang are set to represent the Bay Area Dragons at the five-day “Champions Week” tournament, which will boast a total prize money fund of US$400,000, and be played in Tochigi and Okinawa, Japan. EASL chief Matt Beyer told the Post a home-and-away Season 2 will kick off in Autumn 2023,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3203438/east-asia-super-league-scraps-inaugural-season-will-host-champions-week-tournament-japan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3203438/east-asia-super-league-scraps-inaugural-season-will-host-champions-week-tournament-japan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Dec 2022 11:45:08 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons moved to the top of the Philippine Basketball Association’s Commissioner’s Cup over the weekend and look well set for a run deep into the play-offs. A loss by former league leaders Magnolia, in combination with the Dragons’ 54-point drubbing of Terrafirma, sent the newly formed Chinese franchise, who are based in Hong Kong, to the top as the season reached its halfway mark. Launched in December last year, the Dragons joined the Commissioner’s Cup as a guest team in October... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3197045/bay-area-dragons-rocket-top-philippine-basketball-associations-commissioners-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3197045/bay-area-dragons-rocket-top-philippine-basketball-associations-commissioners-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:02:45 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons have brought in additional firepower ahead of next month’s East Asia Super League season opener, signing three former Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) stars. After adding former NBA players Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell last month, the Hong Kong side have bolstered their squad further with the captures of Zhu Songwei, Ju Mingxin and Liu Xiaoyu, in a move coach Brian Goorjian said will strengthen his mix of youth and experience. The 25-year-old forward Zhu, who... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3188409/bay-area-dragons-sign-cba-veterans-ahead-east-asia-super-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3188409/bay-area-dragons-sign-cba-veterans-ahead-east-asia-super-league?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Aug 2022 09:30:33 +0000 This week marked something of a new beginning for Duncan Reid. The basketball star – and entrepreneur and leading voice for the sport in Hong Kong – settled into his new home with the Bay Area Dragons. The new Hong Kong franchise is all set to make waves in the East Asia Super League in the Philippines, where the team will be based for their first home and away season. It’s a major leap forward for the city’s top player, but the decision to make the jump from South China, his team of 11 years,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3187960/enter-dragons-duncan-reid-has-designs-taking-hong-kong-basketball?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3187960/enter-dragons-duncan-reid-has-designs-taking-hong-kong-basketball?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:45:08 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons will begin their East Asia Super League campaign with a game against opponents from the Philippines, with the league releasing its full schedule on Wednesday. Teams from the B League in Japan, the KBL in Korea and P League in Taiwan will also compete in the inaugural EASL season, which will start on October 12 and run until a final four weekend in March. Highlights of the early rounds include the match-up between the yet-to-be-decided champions from the Philippines and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3187554/east-asia-super-league-releases-full-schedule-bay-area-dragons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3187554/east-asia-super-league-releases-full-schedule-bay-area-dragons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Aug 2022 08:00:20 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons have bolstered their roster ahead of the East Asia Super League season, signing former NBA players Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell. Nicholson, a Canadian forward, who spent five seasons in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets joins Powell, a former Philadelphia 76ers guard, as the second import player to debut in the upcoming season. “We have signed a stand-out young scoring guard who has had a sensational college career and worked his way... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3186715/nba-stars-myles-powell-andrew-nicholson-sign-bay-area-dragons-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3186715/nba-stars-myles-powell-andrew-nicholson-sign-bay-area-dragons-east?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 03:53:36 +0000 The East Asia Super League has announced the group draw for its inaugural season, with eight teams set for the October launch. The draw was unveiled in Manila on Tuesday, when the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) confirmed that they would send two of their top teams to compete for the EASL title and the US$1 million prize. The championship-winning team from the current PBA season will compete in Group A alongside Korean Basketball League side Anyang KGC, Ryukyu Golden Kings of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3183402/east-asia-super-league-unveils-group-draw-debut-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3183402/east-asia-super-league-unveils-group-draw-debut-season?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2022 12:15:39 +0000 The Bay Area Dragons have announced a roster of 10 players from mainland China and Hong Kong ahead of the inaugural season of the East Asia Super League, with more signings to come. Centre Duncan Reid is the stair recruit, a four-time Hong Kong A1 Division champion with South China who also played in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) with Zhejiang Golden Bulls and the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings. The Dragons have also signed China national team player Liu Chuanxing, former CBA star Song... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3182678/bay-area-dragons-reveal-roster-inaugural-east-asia-super-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3182678/bay-area-dragons-reveal-roster-inaugural-east-asia-super-league?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 10:18:49 +0000