The East Asia Super League (EASL) is making major strides in its expansion, with the announcement that Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears will compete in the 2024-25 season.
This move marks a significant milestone in the league’s development, as it brings top-tier basketball action to the Greater Bay Area for the first time in a full EASL season.
Both teams will serve as the region’s representatives, with Hong Kong Eastern hosting games in Hong Kong and the Macau Black Bears doing the same in Macau.
The addition of these two powerhouse squads raises the total number of teams competing in the EASL to ten, reflecting the league’s growing influence and presence in East Asia’s basketball landscape.
The Greater Bay Area’s representation will now extend across borders as Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears square off against elite clubs from Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines, vying for the prestigious East Asia championship.
Hong Kong Eastern enters the EASL with a storied basketball pedigree. As reigning domestic champions, Eastern clinched their third A1 Division title in 2023, cementing their dominance in Hong Kong basketball.
On the international stage, Eastern boasts two ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) championships, having claimed titles in 2016-17 and again in 2023.
“Hong Kong Eastern will take on East Asia’s best teams in the EASL 2024-25 season. Eastern wants to be a major force in Asian basketball and to put Hong Kong on the map as a basketball powerhouse,” said Hong Kong Eastern official Wilson Choi.
For the upcoming EASL 2024-25 season, Eastern has been placed in Group A, where they will face formidable opponents, including B.LEAGUE champions Hiroshima Dragonflies, Korean Basketball League (KBL) runners-up Suwon KT Sonicboom, P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, and PBA Governors’ Cup champions San Miguel Beermen.
Meanwhile, the Macau Black Bears, founded in 2018 as Macau’s first professional basketball team, are eager to make their mark on the EASL stage.
The Black Bears recently secured the Macau basketball league championship and have also represented the region in the ASEAN Basketball League and The Asian Tournament.
“The Black Bears showed their strength in the ABL in recent years. We are investing so we can compete more strongly and challenge the best teams in Asia in the EASL. We are proud to represent Macau and the wider Greater Bay Area in the EASL 2024-25 season,” said Macau Black Bears executive Lukas Peng,
In the EASL 2024-25 season, the Black Bears find themselves in Group B, where they will face stiff competition from B.LEAGUE runners-up Ryukyu Golden Kings, KBL champions Busan KCC Egis, P. LEAGUE+ champions New Taipei Kings, and PBA Philippine Cup champions Meralco Bolts.
EASL CEO Henry Kerins expressed excitement about the league’s expansion, noting that it reflects the growing demand from regional leagues to join the competition.
“EASL is getting bigger and it’s getting better. It was always our ambition to expand and bring in more leagues, representing more regions in Asia,” said Kerins. “The 2024-25 season now includes two powerful teams from two amazing cities, in one of the biggest basketball markets in the world – China’s Greater Bay Area.”
