East Asia Super League Season 2 groups are set at draw ceremony in Hong Kong

Hong Kong SAR, June 21, 2023 –The stage has been set for the inaugural home-and-away season of the East Asia Super League (EASL), East Asia’s new club basketball championship, at the Season 2 Group Stage Draw Ceremony in Hong Kong.

Eight qualifying teams from Asia’s leading basketball leagues were allocated into two groups for the first stage of the 2023-24 competition, which tips off this October.

The groups are as follows:

EASL Season 2, 2023-24, will run from October 11, 2023 to March 10, 2024. The detailed season schedule will be announced to the public in the near future.

The four teams in each group will play each other twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams in the standings in each group at the end of the group stage will qualify for the Final Four, a four-team finals competition in March 2024.

Speaking after the draw ceremony, EASL Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Matt Beyer said, “The Season 2 Draw Ceremony has set the stage for an incredibly exciting first season of home-and-away East Asia Super League (EASL) games. It is going to give Asian basketball fans a revolutionary new experience: The best teams in the region, facing off in a full season of competitive action for the first time.”

EASL’s partner leagues and officials from FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, were able to watch the ceremony via a live video stream. A recorded video of the Draw Ceremony is being published on EASL social media channels today.

Commenting on the draw, B.LEAGUE Chairman Shinji Shimada said, “The Ryukyu Golden Kings, who won the B.LEAGUE championship in the 2022-23 season, and the Chiba Jets, who finished as runners up, will participate in the East Asia Super League next season. We hope that both clubs will make the tournament a great success in their quest to become champions. We hope that basketball fans in Asia will enjoy not only the games but also the hospitality of our home games. We look forward to seeing you all.”

Korean Basketball League (KBL) Commissioner Kim Hee-Ok said, “We are very happy that KBL will be participating in EASL again, following the EASL Champions Week. The two representative teams of KBL, Anyang KGC and Seoul SK, have an opportunity to once again compete with leading basketball clubs in East Asia. KBL will do its best to participate and support so that our teams can compete with the best teams in East Asia and promote Korean basketball to the world. Good luck to all teams participating in EASL.”

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial said, “PBA is excited to be taking part in Season 2 of East Asia Super League, and for our teams to be competing against these great teams from other leagues in East Asia. We look forward to hosting visiting teams and fans, and giving them the best hardcourt action that the league and the Philippines have to offer.”

P. LEAGUE+ Chief Executive Charles Chen said, “P. LEAGUE+ is excited to be taking part in Season 2 of East Asia Super League, and for our teams to be competing against these great teams from other leagues in East Asia. We look forward to hosting visiting teams and fans – they can be assured of a warm welcome and hospitality in Taipei. We also look forward to thrilling action on the court as teams from the different leagues clash competitively to decide our East Asian regional champion in 2023-24.”

Hagop Khajirian, FIBA Executive Director – Asia, said, “EASL has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing basketball in East Asia during its first season. The home and away format in season 2 will be exciting and I want to wish the best of luck to all the participating teams.”

A New Era

The EASL Season 2 Group Stage Draw Ceremony tipped off an exciting new era in basketball in East Asia. EASL is the pinnacle club competition in the region and each season will decide its professional champion.

EASL is harnessing the huge and growing demand for elite basketball content and sports entertainment experiences among fans in the region. It is also aiming to serve the demand for pan-regional competition within the East Asian basketball community of leagues, teams and athletes. EASL satisfies these demands with a world-class sports competition and media product.

EASL plays a powerful role in raising the level of East Asian basketball, on the court and off the court, turning our partner leagues, teams and markets into global forces within the sport.

Our Partners

EASL is fully supported by FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, under a 10-year partnership, and is integrated into the federation’s global club competition structure.

EASL is proud to have the participation and backing of East Asia’s leading domestic basketball leagues – the Japan B.LEAGUE, the Korean Basketball League (KBL), the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and Chinese Taipei’s P. LEAGUE+.

EASL has a strong relationship with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), and the two organizations are working towards including the leading Chinese clubs in EASL in future seasons.