Eastern and Macau Black Bears joining EASL

The East Asia Super League is expanding to Hong Kong and Macau for its 2024-25 season, taking to 10 the number of teams in the professional basketball league.

League officials said that Hong Kong Eastern and the Macau Black Bears would join the league, which also features teams from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.

Eastern won their third domestic A1 Division title in 2023 and are two-time winners of the Asean Basketball League, in 2016-17 and 2023.

The Black Bears were formed in 2018 as Macau's first-ever professional team. They are the reigning Macau league champions and have also represented the region in the Asean league.

EASL officials said the schedules will be announced soon and that the season will begin in October.

"It was always our ambition to expand and bring in more leagues," said league chief executive Henry Kerins. "We have accelerated those plans due to the strong demand from the regional leagues to join, and their readiness to do so."

Japan's Chiba Jets won the 2023-24 title, the league's second season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS