Hong Kong Eastern close to signing Canadian import Chris McLaughlin to long-term deal
- McLaughlin averaged 18.1 points and 14 rebounds for side during Asean Basketball League season
- Canadian believes team has ‘bright future’ after securing second ABL title in franchise history
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A fortnight after helping Hong Kong Eastern win a second Asean Basketball League title, Chris McLaughlin is edging closer to staying with the team for the long term.
The Canadian import started all but two of the 19 games and averaged 18.1 points and 14 rebounds in 30-plus minutes every time he stepped on the court.
McLaughlin said part of his motivation in returning to the city was to find a home and a “longer-term situation”.
“I can say that I plan to stay with Eastern for the long term, the future is bright for this team,” he said.
Oliver Lee Shu-wing, the team’s administrative manager, said McLaughlin’s performances spoke for themselves, but the decision to retain the Canadian was a decision for head coach Zeljko Pavlicevic’s and the coaching staff.
“Personally, I am putting him in a very top position [when we are finalising our roster] for the local season,” Lee said.
With Eastern winning its second title, McLaughlin paid tribute to the “chemistry” among the teammates for the success.
“Our team came together very quickly, with Tonny [Trocha-Morelos] and O’Darien Bassett joining us not long before our first road trip,” he said. “But our whole team was on the same page and got along very well right away.
“Team chemistry is an extremely important factor in professional basketball and we had it right away. Once we were in Singapore on the first trip, I think all of us shifted our goal to first focusing on play-offs, but also winning the championship.”
The four-game winning streak in Singapore paved the way for rest of the season as the Hong Kong franchise, ranked second in the regular season, finished as the best defensive team.
McLaughlin, who was named the tournament’s best defensive player, said his first ABL season was a “special” one to remember.
“I always thought that I would be a good fit for this league and that it would be a great test of my abilities,” the 30-year-old said.
“Looking back on the 19 games now after winning, it was quite the journey and an intense season of travel. I think we were on the road away from Hong Kong and home for about 49 days.
“That in itself takes a lot of mental toughness and the fact that we won after such a grind makes it that much more special.”
If McLaughlin is to stay with Eastern, the Canadian centre is likely to experience play-off basketball for the first time in the local A1 Division league.
Since plying his trade in Hong Kong back in September 2019, McLaughlin – then playing for Nam Ching – never saw his team finished in the top four.
Eastern have won the city’s top domestic league once, in 2018. Then, in the club’s third season since turning professional, they recovered from a two-game deficit to beat South China 3-2.
