East Asia Super League scraps inaugural season but will host ‘Champions Week’ tournament in Japan
- Shortened five-day tournament will pit the league’s eight teams against each other in March
- Season 2 set to kick off later in 2023, after issues owing to the pandemic put paid to Season 1
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, featuring champions and runners-up from Japan’s B. League, Korean Basketball League and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), as well as the Dragons and the champions from Taiwan’s P. League, with both teams representing Greater China.
The league also intends to expand to 16 teams for its third season in 2024-25, with the number of games extending to 52, from 24 in Season 2.
“Champions Week in Japan will be unlike anything ever seen before,” Beyer said. “It provides fans with electrifying game action and a platform for the top leagues and professional teams in the region to gain global exposure.”
