SASABAK ang Hong Kong Eastern at Macau Black Bears sa East Asia Super League 2024-25 Season, sa isang major expansion ng professional club basketball championship ng East Asia.
Ang mga koponan ay maglalaro ng kanilang home games sa Hong Kong at Macau, ayon sa pagkakasunod, na magdadala sa full season ng EASL action sa Greater Bay Area sa unang pagkakataon.
Sa pagdagdag sa Hong Kong Eastern at Macau Black Bears sa mga lalahok na koponan sa EASL 2024-25 Season ay lumobo na sa 10 ang teams mula walo, at nagpalakas sa kinatawan mula sa Greater China.
Makakaharap ng Hong Kong at Macau sides ang best teams mula sa Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea at Pilipinas para madesisyunan ang kampeon sa East Asia.
Ang Eastern ay isa sa pinakasikat na koponan ng Hong Kong at reigning domestic champions. Nakopo ng koponan ang kanilang ikatlong sunod na domestic A1 Division title noong 2023. Isa rin silang two-time winner ng ASEAN Basketball League (2016-17 at 2023).
Ang Eastern ay nalagay sa Group A para sa 2024-25 Season Group Stage, kung saan makakasagupa nila ang B.LEAGUE champions Hiroshima Dragonflies, Korean Basketball League (KBL) runners-up Suwon KT Sonicboom, P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, at PBA Governors’ Cup champions San Miguel Beermen.
Ang Macau Black Bears ay binuo noong 2018 bilang kauna-unahang professional team ng koponan Ang koponan ang reigning Macau basketball league champions at kinatawan na rin ang rehiyon sa ASEAN Basketball League at sa The Asia Tournament.
Nasa Group naman ang Black Bears kung saan makakabangga nila ang B.LEAGUE runners-up Ryukyu Golden Kings, KBL champions Busan KCC Egis, P.LEAGUE+ champions New Taipei Kings, at PBA Philippine Cup champions Meralco Bolts.
“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. We have accelerated those plans due to the strong demand from the regional leagues to join, and their readiness to do so,” sabi ni EASL CEO Henry 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. Both teams have great ownership and ambitions to be major brands in Asian basketball. Fans are in for incredible clashes next year as Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears take to the court against our existing line-up of amazing teams from Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.”