East Asia Super League Expands to Hong Kong and Macau

HONG KONG (AP) — The East Asia Super League (EASL) is set to expand its reach by adding teams from Hong Kong and Macau for the upcoming 2024-25 season, bringing the total number of teams in the league to ten. In a statement released on Wednesday, league officials announced that Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears will join the competition, which already includes teams from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Hong Kong Eastern, a prominent team in the region, recently secured its third domestic A1 Division title in 2023 and has previously won the ASEAN Basketball League twice, in 2016-17 and 2023. Meanwhile, the Macau Black Bears, established in 2018 as the first professional basketball team in Macau, are the reigning champions of the Macau league and have also competed in the ASEAN Basketball League. EASL officials indicated that they will soon release the season schedule, with the league set to commence in early October. Henry Kerins, the league's chief executive, expressed enthusiasm about the expansion, stating, “It was always our ambition to expand and bring in more leagues, representing more regions in Asia.” He noted that the decision to accelerate expansion plans was driven by strong demand from regional leagues eager to participate. The current champions of the EASL are Japan’s Chiba Jets, who claimed the title in the league's second season.