Coming off one of its most successful season, the Asean Basketball League will start its seventh season on November 25 with a finals rematch between eventual champs Westports Malaysia Dragons and the Singapore Dragons at the OCBC Arena in Singapore.
Sporting a new-look lineup, the Dragons are looking to make league history by being the first team to repeat as champions. The Singapore Slingers, meanwhile, kept an intact lineup and was the consensus favorite among team officials in the press launch held at the Solaire Gand Ballroom, earlier today.
“They kept an intact lineup and they definitely have a great chance at repeating,” said Alab Pilipinas team owner Charlie Dy.
Alab will be looking to bring back the ABL crown to the Philippines after a three-year drought. They will debut on November 27 at the Alonte Sports Complex.
“We definitely won’t be beating anyone with our talent. We have to out-execute and work harder than everyone in the league,” claimed Alab’s first-time head coach Mac Cuan.
Also, the league will welcome two teams from outside the region for the first time in its history – professional Christian Ministry team the Kaohsiung Truth and the Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions.
The Philippine club team will be composed of former PBA players and recently graduate collegiate stalwarts. Former PBA players Val Acuna, Robby Celiz, Jeric Fortuna, Paulo Hubalde, Jens Knuttel and JR Cawaling join amateur standouts Igee King, Jovet Mendoza and Fil-Al swingman Lawrence Domingo as Alab’s core players.
The team has yet to sign imports.
