ASEAN Basketball League

The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), is a professional men's basketball league in East and Southeast Asia which includes five teams from Southeast Asian nations, one team from Hong Kong, two teams from Macau, and two teams from Taiwan. The league was proposed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and launched its inaugural season on 1 October 2009.

ASEAN Basketball League
Organising bodyTune Group
Founded2009 (2009)
First season2009–10
Country
ConfederationFIBA Asia (Asia)
Number of teams9
Current champions CLS Knights Indonesia (1st title)
(2018–19)
Most championships Hi-Tech Bangkok City
(2 titles)
TV partners
WebsiteASEANBasketballLeague.com
2019–20 ABL season

History

Formation

Basketball officials from 6 ASEAN nations gathered in Metro Manila on 1 September 2009 to officially launch the new league.[In its inaugural season, there were six (6) participating teams from different nations in Southeast Asia:

Team City/Country
Brunei Barracudas Brunei, Darrussalam
KL Dragons Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Philippine Patriots San Juan, Philippines
Satria Muda BritAma Jakarta, Indonesia
Singapore Slingers Kallang, Singapore
Thailand Tigers Thailand

League expansion

On 22 September 2011, the Brunei Barracudas announced that they were bowing out of the third season of ABL after participating for 2 seasons.[1] On 20 October 2011, the Saigon Sports Academy officially announced the participation of Saigon Heat into the third season of ABL, making them the first ever international professional basketball team to represent Vietnam.[2]

In the same season, San Miguel Beermen and Bangkok Cobras joined the league along with Saigon Heat. Unfortunately, the Beermen left the ABL after winning the title in 2013. The Cobras also left the league after one season.[3] Further, in 2014, Laskar Dreya South Sumatra (INA) joined and played for a season.

In 2015, Pilipinas MX3 Kings and Mono Vampire joined the league and both teams left in 2016. On 17 July 2016, Kaohsiung Truth from Kaohsiung, Taiwan announced that they will participate in the 2016–17 season.[4] In the same year, the Eastern Basketball Club confirmed its participation in the league.[5] The two teams were the first teams from outside Southeast Asia to compete in the league.

The Philippines returned in the league with Alab Pilipinas on 6 August 2016.[6] In September 2017, ABL confirmed four new teams for the 2017–18 season: CLS Knights Indonesia, Formosa Dreamers, the returning Mono Vampire Basketball Club,[7] and the Nanhai Kung Fu after the Kaoshiung Truth disbanded after the seventh season of ABL.

After the 2018 season, the Kung Fu moved to Macau and became the Macau Black Bears,[8] while the league announced the addition of the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors, based in Zhuhai in the Pearl River delta.[9] On 9 September 2019, the league confirmed the entry of the third team from Taiwan, Taipei Fubon Braves situated in Taipei after Formosa Dreamers and disbanded Kaohsiung Truth.[10] Fubon Braves secured the best record in the Super Basketball League and capped it off with the SBL championship after sweeping the Finals series in four games. They are also one of the eight teams to compete in the 2019 FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

COVID-19 pandemic

The 2019-20 ABL season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 placing the status of the ABL in uncertainty. Mono Vampires withdrawal, reports of Taiwanese teams planning to join a domestic league, inactivity of the league's social media site were among the factors that fueled speculations that the ABL itself would fold. However ABL co-owner dispelled such rumors committing the resumption of the league, with its 11th season set to commence in early 2021.[11]

Teams

Current teams
Locations of ABL teams.
Team City / Region Arena Capacity Founded Joined ABL Head coach
Formosa Dreamers Changhua Changhua Stadium 5,743 2017 Kyle Julius
Hong Kong Eastern Wan Chai Southorn Stadium 2,000 1932 2016 Jordan Brady
Kuala Lumpur Dragons Kuala Lumpur MABA Stadium 2,500 2009 Jamie Pearlman
Macau Black Bears Macau The Venetian Macao, Hall D TBC 2017 Charles Hantoumakos
Macau Wolf Warriors Macau Foshan Shishan Gymnasium, Foshan TBC 2018 Todd Purves
Zhongshan Shaxi Gymnasium, Zhongshan TBC
Saigon Heat Ho Chi Minh City CIS Arena 2,500 2011 2012 Kevin Yurkus
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas Metro Manila Caloocan Sports Complex, Caloocan 3,000 2016 Jimmy Alapag
Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay 12,000
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Hoops Dome 6,000
Santa Rosa, Laguna Santa Rosa Sports Complex 5,700[12]
Antipolo, Rizal Ynares Center 7,400
Singapore Slingers Kallang OCBC Arena 3,000 2006 2009 Neo Beng Siang
Taipei Fubon Braves Taipei Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium 5,000 1983 2019 Hsu Chin-che

Former teams
Locations of former ABL teams.
Country Team Years
From To
 Brunei Brunei Barracudas 2009 2011
 Taiwan Kaohsiung Truth 2016 2017
 Indonesia CLS Knights Indonesia 2017 2019
Indonesia Warriors 2012 2014
Laskar Dreya South Sumatra 2014
Satria Muda BritAma 2009 2011
 Philippines AirAsia Philippine Patriots 2009 2012
Pilipinas MX3 Kings 2015 2016
San Miguel Beermen 2012 2013
 Thailand Bangkok Cobras 2012
Hi-Tech Bangkok City 2009 2016
Mono Vampire 2015 2020

Champions

The finals was a best-of-5 (2–2–1) series (2010, 2013, 2016–present), it became best-of-3 (1–1–1) series from 2011 to 2012 and 2014.

Season Finalists Semifinalists
Champions Result Runners-up
2009–10 Philippine Patriots^ 3–0 Satria Muda BritAma Kuala Lumpur Dragons Singapore Slingers
2010–11 Chang Thailand Slammers^ 2–0 AirAsia Philippine Patriots Singapore Slingers Westports KL Dragons
2012 Indonesia Warriors 2–1 San Miguel Beermen^ AirAsia Philippine Patriots Westports Malaysia Dragons
2013 San Miguel Beermen^ 3–0 Indonesia Warriors Sports Rev Thailand Slammers Westports Malaysia Dragons
2014 Hi-Tech Bangkok City 2–0 Westports Malaysia Dragons^ Saigon Heat Singapore Slingers
2015–16 Westports Malaysia Dragons^ 3–2 Singapore Slingers Hi-Tech Bangkok City Saigon Heat
2016–17 Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions^ 3–1 Singapore Slingers Alab Pilipinas Saigon Heat
2017–18 San Miguel Alab Pilipinas 3–2 Mono Vampire Chong Son Kung Fu^ Hong Kong Eastern
2018–19 CLS Knights Indonesia 3–2 Singapore Slingers Hong Kong Eastern Mono Vampire
2019–20 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • ^ finished regular season with the best win-loss record.

Championship table by country

This medal ranking is based on the country the club represents. The winning country bags the Gold, the runners-up gets the silver, while the semifinalists are awarded with a bronze.

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Philippines3227
2 Indonesia2204
3 Thailand2136
4 Malaysia1146
5 Hong Kong1023
6 Singapore0336
7 Vietnam0033
8 China0011
Totals (8 nations)991836

Championship table by club

This medal ranking is based on the club/team representation.

Team Gold Silver BronzeTotal
Hi-Tech Bangkok City2024
Kuala Lumpur Dragons1146
AirAsia Philippine Patriots1113
Indonesia Warriors1102
San Miguel Beermen1102
Hong Kong Eastern1023
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas1012
CLS Knights Indonesia1001
Singapore Slingers0336
Mono Vampire0112
Satria Muda BritAma0101
Saigon Heat0033
Macau Black Bears0011
Total991836
  • Bold: teams that are still active
  • Italic: teams from outside Southeast Asia

Individual awards

ABL presents five (5) individual awards to players: the Local MVP, World Import MVP, ASEAN Heritage MVP, and the Defensive Player of the Year. The Coach of the Year award is given to the league's best head coach of the season.

Prior to the 2015–16 ABL season, there was only one (1) MVP award for imports and was called the Best Import award. It was divided into two for World Imports (for players hailing from outside Southeast Asia and to the ASEAN Heritage Imports (for players from other Southeast Asian countries or players with at least one Southeast Asian parent). Also, the Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards were only awarded since the 2012 season.

Most Valuable Players

Special Awards

References
  1. "Brunei Barracudas Bow Out of ABL Season 3". ABL. 22 September 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  2. "Saigon Heat enter ABL 2016–17 season". vietnamnews.vn. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  3. "Major setback for ABL as champions San Miguel Beermen on the way out". Spin.ph. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  4. Taiwan's Kaohsiung Truth Joins ABL as League Expands
  5. Hong Kong Eastern Confirms Participation In ABL
  6. "New Philippine Team Set to Join ABL". ABL. 6 August 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  7. Lee, David (25 September 2017). "Nine teams for new ABL season". New Straits Times. TNP. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  8. "Chong Son Kung Fu Relocates and Rebrands to Macau Black Bears | ABL". ABL. 9 August 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  9. "ASEAN Basketball League adds historic 10th team with the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors | ABL". ABL. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  10. "The Fubon Braves To Join ABL's Tenth Season". ABL. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  11. "Singapore Slingers co-owner Wee Siew Kim says ABL 'is here to stay'". The Strait Times. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  12. http://santarosacity.gov.ph/news-manager/2017/03/world-class-multi-purpose-complex-opens-in-santa-rosa/
  13. Tan, Les (20 July 2010). "Attaporn MVP win highlight of losing ABL season for Thailand Tigers". Red Sports. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  14. "Mario Wuysang MVP Sesi Reguler ABL" [Mario Wuysang is ABL Regular Season MVP]. Republika. 5 March 2011.
  15. Belen, Reynaldo (28 June 2012). "Beermen's Avenido is ABL Local MVP". InterAksyon. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  16. "San Miguel's Taulava named ABL MVP". ABS-CBNnews.com. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  17. Slingers’ Wong Wei Long Wins 2014 ABL Local MVP
  18. Basketball: Slingers’ Wong Wei Long named ABL Local MVP
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. AirAsia Philippine Patriots’ Anthony Johnson Scoops Up ABL's Best Import Award 2012
  22. Bangkok City's Chris Charles Wins Second Consecutive ABL Import MVP Award
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