HONG KONG (AP) — The World Cup site in Okinawa will hold a preview tournament in March when the East Asian Super League kicks off for Season 1 with its first Champions Week in Japan.
EASL organizers said on Wednesday that the eight qualifying teams will take part in Champions Week in Japan from March 1-5, with the league match and third-place playoff hosted by the Ryukyu Golden Kings at the stadium which will host Basketball World Cup matches. August 25 next year.
A total of 10 matches will be played, with Japan National League champions Utsunomiya Brex hosting the top six in the group stage and Ryukyu Golden Kings hosting two group matches and the playoffs.
“EASL is honored to be the basketball hub of East Asia, bringing together the best of the best teams from clubs across the region in elite competition,” said the EASL chief executive. EASL, Matt Beyer. “EASL Champions Week in Japan will provide fans with electrifying gaming action and a platform for the region’s top professional leagues and teams to gain global exposure.
The eight-team league will feature winners and runners-up from the Japanese, South Korean and Philippine leagues as well as Taiwan champions and the Bay Area Dragons, a club representing Greater China. The Dragons will be based in Manila ahead of Season 1 and will also play in the Philippines league.
The pan-regional EASL has begun production on a reality series covering the inaugural season and plans to produce five 20-minute episodes based on Champions Week.
South Korean director John H. Lee is involved in the project and is working with executive producer Ezra Holland, head of CTRL Media owned by former NBA star Steve Nash.
The San Miguel Beermen, the most successful basketball club in the Philippines and the only remaining original franchise in the domestic league, and TNT Tropang Giga will feature in EASL Season 1.
“We can’t wait to see our top teams travel to Japan to compete in the East Asian Super League competition,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial. “We are also well aware of the growing popularity of Filipino players and basketball in Japan, and we are ready to have a great run for the championship.”
Korean Basketball League commissioner Kim Hee Ok said he hoped the Champions Week would be “a foundation for the long-term prosperous and stable operation of the EASL”.
EASL organizers plan to launch the eight-team home-and-away format later next year and aim to expand to 16 teams for Season 3 in 2024.
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