EASL expands to 10 teams after adding teams from Hong Kong

The East Asia Super League (EASL) has taken a step further to its growth by adding two teams from Hong Kong to increase its member teams to 10 for their upcoming 2024-2025 season. 

Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears will compete in the East Asia Super League 2024-25 Season, in a major expansion of East Asia’s professional club basketball championship. Home games will be played in both Macau and Hong Kong for each respective club, bringing the top competition to the Greater Bay Area.

EASL had a great inaugural season with 8 pioneering teams, featuring squads from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Next season, the entry of the Hong Kong teams increases the pool of teams to 10, an all-time high for the young and upstart league.

Basketball fans in East Asia are set for a Champions League between the region’s best teams on a scale never seen before. The addition of Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears increases the number of competing teams in the EASL 2024-25 Season from eight to ten teams and ramps up representation from Greater China.  

The Hong Kong and Macau sides will face off against the best teams from Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, to decide East Asia’s champion.

Eastern is one of Hong Kong’s most storied teams and is the reigning domestic champions. The team won their third domestic A1 Division title in 2023. They are also a two-time winner of the Asean Basketball League (2016-17 and 2023).

Eastern have been placed into Group A for the 2024-25 Season Group Stage, in which they will play against B.LEAGUE champions the Hiroshima Dragonflies, Korean Basketball League (KBL) runners-up the Suwon KT Sonicboom, P. LEAGUE+ runners-up the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, and PBA Governor's Cup Champion San Miguel Beermen.

Macau Black Bears were formed in 2018 as Macau’s first-ever professional team. The team is the reigning Macau basketball league champions and has also represented the region in the ASEAN Basketball League and The Asia Tournament. 

The Black Bears have been placed into Group B for the 2024-25 Season Group Stage, in which they will play against B.LEAGUE runners-up the Ryukyu Golden Kings, KBL champions the Busan KCC Egis, P.LEAGUE+ champions the New Taipei Kings, and PBA Philippine Cup champions the Meralco Bolts.