# East Asia Super League

The East Asia Super League (EASL) is an international basketball league featuring clubs from Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), Hong Kong, and Macau.
From 2017 to 2019, four pre-season tournaments (the Super 8 and the Terrific 12) were organized by EASL, featuring clubs from selected professional basketball leagues in the region.
With official backing from FIBA Asia, EASL has made a transition towards a full-fledged league. The first such season commenced in 2023 and feature eight teams. This was expanded to ten teams for the 2024–25 season, and expanded to eleven teams for the 2025–26 season.

## History

The East Asia Super League was co-founded by Matt Beyer and Henry Kerins as the Asia League as a response to what the founders deem as a lack of high-level international tournaments featuring basketball clubs in the region also taking into account the population in the region, about 2 billion, which could be a potential market for a regional inter-club tournament. The Asia League was envisioned to be East Asian counterpart of the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League where professional teams from Asia could compete against each other with minimal conflict with their mother league's schedules.
Their stated mission is to be able to organized basketball tournaments featuring club sides from top Asian leagues with the organizers naming the CBA (China), B.League (Japan), KBL (South Korea), PBA (Philippines), SBL (Taiwan), and the ABL (Southeast Asia, China, and Taiwan).

### Preseason tournaments era (2017–2020)
#### The Super 8

The first tournament by EASL, then called the Asia League, was the Super 8: Macau Basketball Invitational, involving eight teams in September 2017 at the Studio City Event Centre in Macau. The competing teams in attendance were the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, Shenzhen Aviators (formerly Shenzhen Leopards), Goyang Orions, Seoul Samsung Thunders, Fubon Braves, Pauian Archiland, Chiba Jets, and Ryukyu Golden Kings.
Organizers initially dubbed the tournament as the "Asia League," but this led to a legal dispute with FIBA over the name of the league when FIBA deemed the tournament's branding and marketing to be in conflict with its own FIBA Asia Champions Cup. The dispute led to the renaming of the competition to "Super 8," and the tournament was then officially recognized by FIBA after the league organizers sought legal assistance of Quinn Emanuel's Thomas Werlen, who has represented FIFA in investigations of the United States Department of Justice.
The inaugural Super 8 tournament was won by the Chiba Jets of the Japanese B. League, with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions placing second and the Goyang Orions taking third place. The event garnered 21 million views worldwide.
A second edition of the tournament, dubbed the Summer Super 8, followed in July 2018 at the Macau East Asian Games Dome, and featured the introduction of two professional club teams from the PBA, the NLEX Road Warriors and Blackwater Elite. The eight competing teams in attendance were the Guangzhou Loong Lions, Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Seoul Samsung Thunders, Incheon Electroland Elephants, NLEX Road Warriors, Blackwater Elite, Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka, and Formosa Dreamers. The Guangzhou Loong Lions won first place, while the Seoul Samsung Thunders took second place and the Incheon Electroland Elephants placed third.

#### The Terrific 12

In 2018, the Super 8 tournament was expanded into a larger tournament format called The Terrific 12, featuring 12 teams instead of eight. The Terrific 12 (2018) tournament was organized in collaboration with and supported by the Sports Bureau of Macau SAR Government and hosted at the Studio City Event Centre.
The competing teams were the Shandong Heroes (formerly Shandong Golden Stars), Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, Seoul Samsung Thunders, Fubon Braves, Yulon Luxgen Dinos, Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, Ryukyu Golden Kings and Chiba Jets. The Ryukyu Golden Kings won first place, while the Guangzhou Loong Lions placed second and the Seoul Samsung Thunders took third place.
In 2019, Asia League rebranded to the "East Asia Super League," and it hosted the second iteration of The Terrific 12 at the Tap Seac Multi-Sports Pavilion in Macau from September 17–22. The competing teams were the Liaoning Flying Leopards, Shenzhen Aviators, Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, Chiba Jets, Niigata Albirex BB, Ryukyu Golden Kings, Utsonomiya BREX, Jeonju KCC Egis, Seoul SK Knights, Blackwater Elite, TNT KaTropa and San Miguel Beermen.
Terrific 12 (2019) also featured the EASL debut of former NBA player and CBA import Lance Stephenson, who earned MVP awards for his 34-point outburst in the Terrific 12 (2019) championship finals, a close 83–82 finish for the Liaoning Flying Leopards over the Seoul SK Knights. The Zhejiang Guangsha Lions won second place and the San Miguel Beermen took home third in the event.
Plans for a 2020 iteration of The Terrific 12 tournament on September have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### Start of regular EASL seasons (2023–)
#### Plans and postponements

In August 2020, EASL and FIBA entered into a multi-year agreement granting EASL FIBA's recognition to hold a full-fledged in-season league featuring clubs from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan (representing "Greater China"). The inaugural season would feature 8 teams. It was planned that they would play home-and-away games against each other with the top four teams advancing to a Final Four event.
P. League+ (Taiwan), the Philippine Basketball Association, the Korean Basketball League (South Korea), and the B.League (Japan) committed to send teams for the EASL. The Bay Area Dragons, a franchise team meant to represent "Greater China" was also formed by the EASL.
The EASL received high profile financial support. The Raine Group along with former NBA stars such as Metta Sandiford-Artest, Baron Davis and Shane Battier in December 2021 reportedly invested in the EASL.
The launch of the EASL would be hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans to hold its inaugural home-and-away tournament in 2022 cancelled.

#### 2023 season: Champions Week

In place of the cancelled 2022 home-and-away tournament, the 2023 EASL Champions Week would be organized. It was originally meant as a pre-season tournament for the 2023–24 season. Anyang KGC were the first champions.
2023-24 EASL Season: Inaugural Season
With the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions lifted in regions surrounding the partnering leagues, EASL was able start their inaugural season in October 2023.
The champions and runner-up of Japan's B.League (Ryukyu Golden Kings and Chiba Jets), South Korea's KBL (Anyang KGC and Seoul SK Knights), Chinese Taipei's P. League+ (Taipei Fubon Braves and New Taipei Kings) got a berth for the 2023-24 season. The Philippines' PBA was represented by 2023 PBA Commissioner's Cup champions, TNT Tropang Giga and semifinalists, Meralco Bolts.
The 2023 B.League runner-up Chiba Jets went undefeated in the Group Stage, winning the Group A while 2023 KBL champions, Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters came in second in Group A with a 4-2 record. In Group B, 2023 KBL runners-up, Seoul SK Knights won the group, while P. League+ runners-up, New Taipei Kings, came in second. The four teams would advance to the 2024 EASL Final Four in a three-day playoffs held in Hoops Dome, Cebu, Philippines.
In the first game of the 2024 EASL Final, the Seoul SK Knights defeated Korean-counterpart Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters in a tightly contest battle, advancing to the 2024 EASL Final Four Championship Game. The Chiba Jets stayed undefeated following a win against the New Taipei Kings.
In the Championship Game, the Chiba Jets defeated Seoul SK Knights in a tightly-contested game, beating the Korean side 72-69, becoming the first champion in EASL history. Japan National Basketball Team captain, Yuki Togashi was named 2024 EASL Final Four Most Valuable Player.
2024-25 EASL Season: Second Season
The 2024 B.League champions Hiroshima Dragonflies and runners-up Ryukyu Golden Kings represented Japan. The 2024 KBL champions, Busan KCC Egis and runners-up, Suwon KT Sonicboom represented South Korea. The 2024 P. League+ champions New Taipei Kings and runners-up Taoyuan Pauian Pilots represented Chinese Taipei. The 2024 PBA Philippine Cup champions Meralco Bolts and 2024 PBA Commissioner's Cup champions San Miguel Beermen represented the Philippines.
For the expansion teams, representing Hong Kong was Hong Kong Eastern, while the Macau Black Bears represented Macau.
In the Championship Game, the Hiroshima Dragonflies defeated Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, 72-68, winning the 2024–25 season championship. And Dwayne Evans was named as 2025 EASL Final Four Most Valuable Player.
2025-26 EASL Season: Third Season
On January 24, 2025, the EASL announced that the 2024-25 season champion of The League will represent Mongolia to join 2025-26 EASL Season.

## Leagues represented

The East Asia Super League starting from the 2023 EASL Champions Week is represented by teams from selected domestic leagues.
The league considers the franchise team and the P. League+ championship team of Taiwan as representatives of "Greater China".
Starting from the 2025–26 season, the league represented are as follow:
| League | Country or region | Berth(s) |
| B.League | Japan | 2 |
| Korean Basketball League | South Korea | 2 |
| P. League+ | Chinese Taipei | 2 |
| Philippine Basketball Association | Philippines | 2 |
| The League | Mongolia | 1 |
| Expansion teams | Hong Kong Macau | 2 |

### Preseason tournaments

The following leagues were represented in the EASL's preseason tournaments from 2017 to 2023.
From 2021 to 2023, the EASL maintained its own franchise team independent from any other domestic leagues, the Bay Area Dragons.
| Country or region | League |
| China | Chinese Basketball Association |
| Chinese Taipei | Super Basketball League |
| Japan | B.League |
| South Korea | Korean Basketball League |
| Philippines | Philippine Basketball Association |
| Philippines | None (selection team) |
| Hong Kong | None (franchise team) |

## Tournament champions
### Regular seasons

| No. | Year | Final Four hosts | Final | Final | Final | Third and fourth place | Third and fourth place | Third and fourth place | No. of teams |
| No. | Year | Final Four hosts | Winners | Score | Second place | Third place | Score | Fourth place | No. of teams |
| 1 | 2023–24 Details | Philippines | Chiba Jets | 72–69 | Seoul SK Knights | Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters | 78–76 | New Taipei Kings | 8 |
| 2 | 2024–25 Details | Macau | Hiroshima Dragonflies | 84–80 | Taoyuan Pauian Pilots | New Taipei Kings | 72–68 | Ryukyu Golden Kings | 10 |
| 3 | 2025–26 Details | TBA | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 11 |

### Preseason tournaments

| Year | Tournament | Final | Final | Final | Third and fourth place | Third and fourth place | Third and fourth place |
| Year | Tournament | Winners | Score | Second place | Third place | Score | Fourth place |
| Asia League (2017–2018) ||||||||||
| 2017 | Super 8 | Chiba Jets | 83–73 | Zhejiang Guangsha Lions | Goyang Orions | 88–71 | Ryukyu Golden Kings |
| 2018 | Super 8 | Guangzhou Loong Lions | 78–72 | Seoul Samsung Thunders | Incheon Electroland Elephants | 67–62 | NLEX Road Warriors |
| 2018 | The Terrific 12 | Ryukyu Golden Kings | 85–76 | Guangzhou Loong Lions | Seoul Samsung Thunders | 105–92 | Nagoya Diamond Dolphins |
| East Asia Super League (2019–2023) ||||||||||
| 2019 | The Terrific 12 | Liaoning Flying Leopards | 83–82 | Seoul SK Knights | Zhejiang Lions | 91–89 | San Miguel Beermen |
| 2020 | The Terrific 12 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | 2021–22 | No tournament | No tournament | No tournament | No tournament | No tournament | No tournament |
| 2023 | Champions Week | Anyang KGC | 90–84 | Seoul SK Knights | Bay Area Dragons | 90–70 | Ryukyu Golden Kings |

### Medal table
#### Preseason tournaments era (2017–2023)

| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| South Korea | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| China | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Hong Kong | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |

## Media coverage

As of the 2024–25 season
| Country/region | Broadcaster |
| Worldwide | Courtside 1891 |
| Worldwide | DAZN |
| Worldwide | Facebook Watch |
| Brunei | Astro |
| Malaysia | Astro |
| China | Various television / OTT streaming services |
| Hong Kong | HOY TV |
| Indonesia | Emtek |
| Japan | U-Next |
| South Korea | CJ ENM |
| Macau | TDM |
| Macau | Macau Cable |
| Maldives | ICE Network |
| Middle East and North Africa | Etisalat |
| Myanmar | Sky Net |
| Philippines | One Sports |
| Philippines | Pilipinas Live |
| Singapore | StarHub TV |
| Taiwan | Videoland |
| Thailand | TrueVisions |
| Vietnam | K+ |