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ASEAN Basketball League

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ASEAN Basketball League
Organising bodyTune Group
Founded1 October 2009; 15 years ago (2009-10-01)
First season2009–10
Folded2023
Country Brunei
 Taiwan
 Hong Kong
 Indonesia
 Macau
 Malaysia
 Philippines
 Singapore
 Thailand
 Vietnam
ConfederationFIBA Asia
Divisions1
Number of teams6–10
Last championsHong Kong Hong Kong Eastern (2nd title)
Most championshipsThailand Hi-Tech Bangkok City
Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern
(2 titles each)
TV partnersCable TV (Hong Kong)
Singtel (Singapore)
FPT (Vietnam)
ABL (YouTube)

The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) was an international professional men's basketball league in Southeast Asia, composed of eight teams from Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), in addition to Hong Kong and Macau. Earlier teams have included Taiwan and Brunei. The league was proposed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and launched its inaugural season on 1 October 2009.

History

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Formation

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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 participating teams from different nations in Southeast Asia:

Team City Region
Brunei Barracudas Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei
Kuala Lumpur Dragons Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Philippine Patriots San Juan Philippines
Satria Muda BritAma Jakarta Indonesia
Singapore Slingers Kallang Singapore
Thailand Tigers Bangkok Thailand

League expansion

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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 and uncertainty

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The 2019–20 ABL season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, placing the status of the ABL in uncertainty. The withdrawal of Mono Vampires, the reports of Taiwanese teams planning to join a domestic league, and the inactivity of the league's social media were among the factors that fueled speculations that the ABL itself would fold. However, an ABL co-owner dispelled such rumors, stating that they plan to hold the eleventh season in 2021.[11] Plans to resume the league were postponed again with the new starting date for the season initially being in February 2022.[12] The start date was pushed back again a month later to September.[13] The plan did not proceed, but in October the ABL announced its return.[14]

An invitational tournament was held in 2023 and won by Hong Kong Eastern. On November 20, 2023, the league's uncertainty continued as FIBA had dropped support for the ABL. It is "unlikely to play for the foreseeable future", from statement made by the Singapore Slingers.[15][16]

Teams

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class=notpageimage|
Locations of former ABL teams.
Nation Team(s) Year(s)
From To
 Brunei Brunei Barracudas 2009 2011
 Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern 2016 2023
 Indonesia CLS Knights Indonesia 2017 2019
Indonesia Warriors 2012 2014
Laskar Dreya South Sumatra 2014
Louvre Surabaya 2023
Satria Muda 2009 2011
 Macau Macau Wolf Warriors 2018 2020
Macau Black Bears 2017 2023
 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Dragons 2009 2020
NS Matrix Deers 2023
 Philippines AirAsia Philippine Patriots 2009 2012
Pilipinas MX3 Kings 2015 2016
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas 2016 2020
San Miguel Beermen 2012 2013
Zamboanga Valientes 2023
 Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) Formosa Dreamers 2017 2020
Kaohsiung Truth 2016 2017
Taipei Fubon Braves 2019 2020
 Singapore Singapore Slingers 2009 2023
 Thailand Bangkok Cobras 2012
Bangkok Tigers 2023
Hi-Tech Bangkok City 2009 2016
Mono Vampire 2015 2020
 Vietnam Saigon Heat 2012 2023

Champions

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The finals is a best-of-5 (2–2–1) series (2010, 2013, 2016–2019) and is a best-of-3 (1–1–1) series (2011, 2012, 2014, 2023)

Season Finalists Semi-finalists
Champions Result Runners-up
2009–10 Philippines Philippine Patriots^ 3–0 Indonesia Satria Muda Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Dragons Singapore Singapore Slingers
2010–11 Thailand Chang Thailand Slammers^ 2–0 Philippines Philippine Patriots Singapore Singapore Slingers Malaysia Westports KL Dragons
2012 Indonesia Indonesia Warriors 2–1 Philippines San Miguel Beermen^ Philippines Philippine Patriots Malaysia Westports Malaysia Dragons
2013 Philippines San Miguel Beermen^ 3–0 Indonesia Indonesia Warriors Thailand Thailand Slammers Malaysia Westports Malaysia Dragons
2014 Thailand Hi-Tech Bangkok City 2–0 Malaysia Westports Malaysia Dragons^ Vietnam Saigon Heat Singapore Singapore Slingers
2015–16 Malaysia Westports Malaysia Dragons^ 3–2 Singapore Singapore Slingers Thailand Hi-Tech Bangkok City Vietnam Saigon Heat
2016–17 Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions^ 3–1 Singapore Singapore Slingers Philippines Alab Pilipinas Vietnam Saigon Heat
2017–18 Philippines San Miguel Alab Pilipinas 3–2 Thailand Mono Vampire China Chong Son Kung Fu^ Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern
2018–19 Indonesia CLS Knights Indonesia 3–2 Singapore Singapore Slingers Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern Thailand Mono Vampire
2019–20 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia.
2020–21 Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia.
2021–22
2023 Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern 2–1 Vietnam Saigon Heat^ Malaysia NS Matrix Deers Singapore Singapore Slingers
  • ^ finished regular season with the best win–loss record.

Championship table by club

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

Team  Gold  Silver  Bronze Total
Thailand Hi-Tech Bangkok City 2 0 2 4
Hong Kong Hong Kong Eastern 2 0 2 4
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Dragons 1 1 4 6
Philippines AirAsia Philippine Patriots 1 1 1 3
Indonesia Indonesia Warriors 1 1 0 2
Philippines San Miguel Beermen 1 1 0 2
Philippines Alab Pilipinas 1 0 1 2
Indonesia CLS Knights Indonesia 1 0 0 1
Singapore Singapore Slingers 0 3 4 7
Vietnam Saigon Heat 0 1 3 4
Thailand Mono Vampire 0 1 1 2
Indonesia Satria Muda BritAma 0 1 0 1
Macau Macau Black Bears 0 0 1 1
Malaysia NS Matrix Deers 0 0 1 1
Total 10 10 20 40
  • Italic: teams from outside Southeast Asia

Individual awards

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ABL presented five 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 was given to the league's best head coach of the season.

Prior to the 2015–16 ABL season, there was only one 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

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Special awards

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See also

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References

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  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". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  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 Straits Times. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  12. ^ Panerio, Jonas (20 January 2022). "Davao Occidental Tigers' cagers to play in ASEAN Basketball League". Sunstar. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  13. ^ Lee, David (24 March 2022). "Basketball: ABL to return with Bali 3x3 event in April, 5v5 season set to restart later". The Straits Times. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  14. ^ "ASEAN Basketball League announces return". ABS-CBN News. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Singapore Slingers 'stop playing' amid uncertainty around ASEAN Basketball League's future". CNA. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  16. ^ "CLUB STATEMENT". Singapore Slingers. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  17. ^ a b Tan, Les (20 July 2010). "Attaporn MVP win highlight of losing ABL season for Thailand Tigers". Red Sports. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Mario Wuysang MVP Sesi Reguler ABL" [Mario Wuysang is ABL Regular Season MVP]. Republika. 5 March 2011.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "San Miguel's Taulava named ABL MVP". ABS-CBNnews.com. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Slingers' Wong Wei Long Wins 2014 ABL Local MVP". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Basketball: Slingers' Wong Wei Long named ABL Local MVP". Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  23. ^ "Long Lions Take Home Three Awards, Parks Named ABL Local MVP". Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  24. ^ "Tucker, McKinney, Parks, headline ABL awardees | ABL". Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  25. ^ "AirAsia Philippine Patriots' Anthony Johnson Scoops Up ABL's Best Import Award 2012". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  26. ^ "Bangkok City's Chris Charles Wins Second Consecutive ABL Import MVP Award". Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
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