Will there be a homecourt edge for Meralco?
It sure is an intriguing possibility, now that Dubai is confirmed to be the host of the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) 2025 next month.
FIBA Asia made the announcement Wednesday, marking the second time in a row that the Emirati city will be the venue of the continent’s highest club tilt.
Dubai was also the host of last year’s BCL Asia inaugurals, which Al Riyadi conquered with a mighty five-game sweep.
No Philippine team competed in the said meet after the PBA begged off, citing the busy 2023 it had as it helped out in the FIBA Basketball World Cup hosting.
But now, the league is sending the Bolts, who are coming into the contest as the defending PBA Philippine Cup champions after beating San Miguel last season.
Led by Gilas Pilipinas guard Chris Newsome, Meralco could potentially bring a spike to the attendance, given the Filipino community’s presence in Dubai.
The BCL Asia 2025 is set on June 7-13, with the Group Phase games to be played at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall.
The Semi-Finals and championship will then be held at the Coca-Cola Arena, which had previously hosted three PBA games back in 2019.
Of course, much of the focus will be on the repeat-seeking Riyadi, who secured their return by completing a back-to-back in the FIBA West Asia Super League.
They beat Tabiat in the 2025 Final 8 title bout just last Sunday, but the Iranian side will join the Lebanese powerhouse as the WASL representatives.
Also part of the competition are 2024-25 Chinese Basketball Association champions Zhejiang Guangsha Lions and KBL winners Changwon LG.
The Sakers, who have Filipino import Carl Tamayo, recently beat the Seoul SK Knights of Juan Gomez de Liano in a best-of-seven Finals that went the distance.
The 8-team field will be finalized when the 2025 B.League Finals and the BCL Asia-East 2025 Final 4 in Mongolia on May 30-31 come to a close.
The draw and schedule will be announced soon.
