ASEAN Basketball League

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 participating teams from different nations in Southeast Asia:

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. 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. 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. 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. In the same year, the Eastern Basketball Club confirmed its participation in the league. 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. In September 2017, ABL confirmed four new teams for the 2017–18 season: CLS Knights Indonesia, Formosa Dreamers, the returning Mono Vampire Basketball Club, 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, while the league announced the addition of the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors, based in Zhuhai in the Pearl River delta. 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. 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

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 fuelled speculations that the ABL itself would fold. However, an ABL co-owner dispelled such rumours, stating that they plan to hold the eleventh season in 2021. Plans to resume the league were postponed again with the new starting date for the season initially being in February 2022. The start date was pushed back again a month later to September. The plan did not proceed, but in October the ABL announced its return.

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.

Teams

Champions

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)

• ^ finished regular season with the best win–loss record.

Championship table by club

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

• Italic: teams from outside Southeast Asia

Individual awards

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

Locals

World Imports

Heritage Imports

Finals

Special awards

Defensive Player of the Year

Coach of the Year

References

References

1. (22 September 2011). "Brunei Barracudas Bow Out of ABL Season 3".
2. "Saigon Heat enter ABL 2016–17 season".
3. (7 September 2013). "Major setback for ABL as champions San Miguel Beermen on the way out".
4. [http://aseanbasketballleague.com/news/kaohsiung-truth-joins-abl-league-expands/ Taiwan's Kaohsiung Truth Joins ABL as League Expands]
5. "Hong Kong Eastern Confirms Participation In ABL".
6. (6 August 2016). "New Philippine Team Set to Join ABL".
7. (25 September 2017). "Nine teams for new ABL season". TNP.
8. (9 August 2018). "Chong Son Kung Fu Relocates and Rebrands to Macau Black Bears {{!}} ABL". ABL.
9. (10 August 2018). "ASEAN Basketball League adds historic 10th team with the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors {{!}} ABL". ABL.
10. (9 September 2019). "The Fubon Braves To Join ABL's Tenth Season". ABL.
11. (10 July 2020). "Singapore Slingers co-owner Wee Siew Kim says ABL 'is here to stay'". The Straits Times.
12. (20 January 2022). "Davao Occidental Tigers' cagers to play in ASEAN Basketball League". Sunstar.
13. (24 March 2022). "Basketball: ABL to return with Bali 3x3 event in April, 5v5 season set to restart later". The Straits Times.
14. (4 October 2022). "ASEAN Basketball League announces return". ABS-CBN News.
15. "Singapore Slingers 'stop playing' amid uncertainty around ASEAN Basketball League's future".
16. (2023-11-20). "CLUB STATEMENT".
17. Tan, Les. (20 July 2010). "Attaporn MVP win highlight of losing ABL season for Thailand Tigers". Red Sports.
18. (5 March 2011). "Mario Wuysang MVP Sesi Reguler ABL". [[Republika (Indonesian newspaper).
19. Belen, Reynaldo. (28 June 2012). "Beermen's Avenido is ABL Local MVP". InterAksyon.
20. (5 June 2013). "San Miguel's Taulava named ABL MVP". [[ABS-CBNnews.com]].
21. "Slingers' Wong Wei Long Wins 2014 ABL Local MVP".
22. "Basketball: Slingers' Wong Wei Long named ABL Local MVP".
23. "Long Lions Take Home Three Awards, Parks Named ABL Local MVP".
24. "Tucker, McKinney, Parks, headline ABL awardees | ABL".
25. "AirAsia Philippine Patriots' Anthony Johnson Scoops Up ABL's Best Import Award 2012".
26. "Bangkok City's Chris Charles Wins Second Consecutive ABL Import MVP Award".