# Basketball Champions League Asia

The Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia), formerly the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, is an annual continental club men's basketball competition organised by FIBA Asia. It is the highest level club competition for basketball in Asia.
Introduced in 1981, as the Asian Basketball Club Championship, the competition rebranded in 2004 to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup. In 2024, the tournament was renamed as the Basketball Champions League Asia.
Al Riyadi and Sagesse from Lebanon are the most successful teams in the history of the competition with three championships each. Lebanese and Iranian clubs have won the most titles with a total of six among teams from each of these countries.

## History

The competition was first organised by the Asian Basketball Confederation in 1981, when the inaugural tournament was hosted in Hong Kong. The first-ever champions were the Bayi Rockets from China. In 1995, the name of the competition was changed to the ABC Champions Cup. After the ABC became integrated in FIBA in 2004, the competition was rebranded as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
In the 1990s, FIBA announced plans to expand the Intercontinental Cup with the teams from the BCL Asia, Basketball Africa League (BAL), NBL, and the NBA, at some point in the future.
In 2024, it was announced that the tournament will be renamed as the Basketball Champions League Asia, a name in line with other continental competitions in the Americas and Europe.
Al Riyadi Club Beirut and Sagesse from Lebanon are the most successful clubs in the history of the competition, having won three titles each. Clubs from Lebanon and Iran have the most combined titles, with a total of six each.
In 2025, the BCL Asia qualifying rounds renamed as BCL Asia-East.

## Qualification

As of the 2024 season, teams can qualify for the BCL Asia directly through their national leagues, through the FIBA West Asia Super League or through the qualifying rounds.
Allocated spots in the Basketball Champions League Asia :
| Method | Country | League |
| Direct Qualification | China | Chinese Basketball Association |
| Direct Qualification | South Korea | Korean Basketball League |
| Direct Qualification | Japan | B.League |
| Direct Qualification | Philippines | Philippine Basketball Association |
| FIBA Zonal Leagues | Central, West Asia and Gulf | FIBA West Asia Super League champions |
| FIBA Zonal Leagues | Central, West Asia and Gulf | FIBA West Asia Super League runners-up |
| BCL Asia-East | East and Southeast Asia | Winners of the BCL Asia-East |
| BCL Asia-East | East and Southeast Asia | Runners-up of the BCL Asia-East |

## Summary
### Champions

| Year | Hosts | Champions | Score | Runners-up | Third Place |
| 1981 | Hong Kong | Bayi Rockets | No playoffs | Nippon Kokan | Apcor |
| 1984 | Ipoh | Northern Cement | 82–56 | Bayi Rockets | Kuang Hua |
| 1988 | Jakarta | Swift-PABL | 84–69 | Liaoning Hunters | Samsung Electronics |
| 1990 | Jakarta | Liaoning Hunters | No playoffs | Bank of Korea | Kazma |
| 1992 | Bangkok | Kia Motors | No playoffs | Liaoning Hunters | Kazma |
| 1995 | Kuala Lumpur | Andok's | 101–82 | Petronas | Kia Motors |
| 1996 | Manila | Hapee Toothpaste | 77–74 | Isuzu Lynx | Guangdong Winnerway |
| 1997 | Jakarta | Regal | 64–59 | Kia Motors | Aspac |
| 1998 | Kuala Lumpur | Beijing Hanwei | 71–70 | Regal | Al-Riyadi |
| 1999 | Beirut | Sagesse | 84–71 | Liaoning Hunters | Petronas |
| 2000 | Beirut | Sagesse | 55–52 | Al-Ittihad | Al-Manama |
| 2001 | Dubai | Al-Ittihad | 103–101 (OT) | Al-Rayyan | Al-Wahda |
| 2002 | Kuala Lumpur | Al-Rayyan | 92–78 | Al-Ittihad | Al-Wahda |
| 2003 | Kuala Lumpur | Al-Wahda | 96–63 | Al-Rayyan | Sangmu Phoenix |
| 2004 | Sharjah | Sagesse | 72–70 | Al-Wahda | Al-Rayyan |
| 2005 | Quezon City | Al-Rayyan | 83–76 | Fastlink | Sagesse |
| 2006 | Kuwait City | Fastlink | 94–69 | Al-Jalaa Aleppo | Al-Rayyan |
| 2007 | Tehran | Saba Battery Tehran | 83–75 | Al-Jalaa Aleppo | Al-Rayyan |
| 2008 | Kuwait City | Saba Battery Tehran | 82–75 | Al-Rayyan | Al-Wasl |
| 2009 | Jakarta | Mahram Tehran | 78–68 | Zain | Al-Riyadi |
| 2010 | Doha | Mahram Tehran | 93–73 | Al-Riyadi |
| 2011 | Pasig | Al Riyadi | 91–82 | Mahram Tehran | Al-Rayyan |
| 2012 | Beirut | No title awarded | Not held | Al-Riyadi Mahram Tehran | Duhok |
| 2013 | Amman | Foolad Mahan Isfahan | 84–74 | Al-Rayyan | ASU |
| 2016 | Chenzhou | China Kashgar | 96–88 | Al-Riyadi | Petrochimi Bandar Imam |
| 2017 | Chenzhou | Al Riyadi | 88–59 | China Kashgar | BC Astana |
| 2018 | Nonthaburi | Petrochimi Bandar Imam | 68–64 | Alvark Tokyo | Seoul SK Knights |
| 2019 | Nonthaburi | Alvark Tokyo | 98–74 | Al-Riyadi | Palayesh Naft Abadan |
| 2020 | Guangzhou | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia |
| 2022 | Dubai | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia |
| 2024 | Dubai | Al Riyadi | 122–96 | Shabab Al Ahli | Hiroshima Dragonflies |

### Records and statistics

Performances in the Basketball Champions League Asia by club :
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
| Al Riyadi | 3 | 3 | 2011, 2017, 2024 | 2012, 2016, 2019 |
| Sagesse | 3 | 0 | 1999, 2000, 2004 | — |
| Al-Rayyan | 2 | 5 | 2002, 2005 | 2001, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2013 |
| Mahram Tehran | 2 | 2 | 2009, 2010 | 2011, 2012 |
| Saba Battery Tehran | 2 | 0 | 2007, 2008 | |
| Liaoning Hunters | 1 | 3 | 1990 | 1988, 1992, 1999 |
| Al-Ittihad | 1 | 2 | 2001 | 2000, 2002 |
| Zain | 1 | 2 | 2006 | 2005, 2009 |
| Al-Wahda | 1 | 1 | 2003 | 2004 |
| Kia Motors | 1 | 1 | 1992 | 1997 |
| Bayi Rockets | 1 | 1 | 1981 | 1984 |
| Regal | 1 | 1 | 1997 | 1998 |
| Xinjiang Flying Tigers / China Kashgar | 1 | 1 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Alvark Tokyo | 1 | 1 | 2019 | 2018 |
| Petrochimi Bandar Imam | 1 | 0 | 2018 | — |
| Northern Cement | 1 | 0 | 1984 | — |
| Swift-PABL | 1 | 0 | 1988 | — |
| Andok's | 1 | 0 | 1995 | — |
| Hapee Toothpaste | 1 | 0 | 1996 | — |
| Beijing Hanwei | 1 | 0 | 1998 | — |
| Foolad Mahan Isfahan | 1 | 0 | 2013 | — |
| Al-Jalaa Aleppo | 0 | 2 | — | 2006, 2007 |
| Petronas | 0 | 1 | — | 1995 |
| Nippon Kokan | 0 | 1 | — | 1981 |
| Bank of Korea | 0 | 1 | — | 1990 |
| Isuzu Lynx | 0 | 1 | — | 1996 |
| Shabab Al Ahli | 0 | 1 | — | 2024 |

## Titles by country

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Lebanon | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 2 | Iran | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | China | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| 4 | Philippines | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Qatar | 2 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Syria | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| 7 | Japan | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | South Korea | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 9 | Jordan | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | Saudi Arabia | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Hong Kong | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Malaysia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 15 | Bahrain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Chinese Taipei | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Indonesia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Iraq | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Kazakhstan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (19 entries) | Totals (19 entries) | 28 | 30 | 29 | 87 |