Bay Area, a team that features top professional players from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, and the Chinese diaspora, will make Hong Kong its home beginning in August 2023, with games being played between October 2023 and March 2024.
The Dragons, the groundbreaking professional basketball team created by the East Asia Super League (EASL) to represent Greater China talent, will be located in Hong Kong for most of the 2023-24 season, also spending time in Manila.
The Bay Area Dragons will play EASL home games at Southorn Stadium. This will include three home games in the East Asia Super League Season 2 group stage against Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup champion Ginebra San Miguel, Japan B.LEAGUE 2022-23 champion Ryukyu, and Korean Basketball League 2022-23 runner-up Seoul SK.
“We expect the Dragons to bring Hong Kongers immense excitement, inspiration, and pride. Dragons’ games will be the hottest sports tickets in town,” said EASL CEO and co-founder Matt Beyer.
The Dragons will also play home games in Hong Kong as part of the 2024 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. The team is entering the Philippine championship for a second season after a highly successful first season in 2022-23. Participation in the Commissioner’s Cup will mean that the Dragons spend portions of the season in Manila.
“The PBA is very excited about adding a Hong Kong element to our upcoming Commissioner’s Cup, and we look forward to the Bay Area Dragons team re-joining the PBA,” said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial.
The Dragons are operating in Hong Kong in partnership with the local team Chun Yu Basketball Club and with the recognition of the Hong Kong Basketball Association. Under the partnership with Chun Yu Basketball Club, the full name of the Dragons for the 2023-24 season will be the Chun Yu Bay Area Dragons. Last season, the team was simply called the Bay Area Dragons.
The Dragons’ squad for 2023-24 is currently being assembled. It will include Chinese stars Zhu Songwei and Liu Chuanxing, who played with the team in 2022-23. Several other players from last season will be returning, and they will be joined by exciting new talent. The team will also include Team Hong Kong captain Duncan Reid and former South China standout Glen Yang.
The Dragons will continue to be led by their world-class coaching team comprising Head Coach Brian Goorjian, General Manager Liu Quansheng, assisted by Vice General Manager Garrison Guo, Assistant Coaches William Tomlinson and Jimmy Li, and strength and conditioning coach Francesco Berre.
The Dragons will enter the 2023-24 season with a fresh new look as the team’s logo and brand have been redesigned.
