The Super Basketball League season closed out on a high note with the annual awards ceremony taking place at the Gis MOTC Convention Center in Taipei on Sunday afternoon.
Quincy Davis of Pure Youth Construction walked away as the top winner of the season by claiming the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) distinction along with the blocked-shot title, the top defensive frontcourt player of the year honor and a spot on the All-SBL team.
The American center, who became a formidable force inside the paint for the Builders, was a big factor in helping his team cruise through the regular season with a team-best 22-8 record, before storming through the post-season to -capture their first-ever league title.
“It’s an honor to be recognized among the elites in a league that is filled with so many great players. I’m very happy for being able to help the team win [their first-ever title],” Davis said on Sunday.
Joining Davis as the other big winner on the day was Pure Youth head coach Hsu Jin-tseh, who won an unprecedented third straight Coach of the Year honor for his style of coaching, guiding a group of younger players along with veterans Chen “Airman” Hsin-an and Doug Creighton.
“This one is for the entire team,” Hsu said, crediting his team’s success to the hard work they put in from every position throughout the organization.
Taiwan Mobile Cloud Leopards center Ryan Wright was the -scoring champ in the regular season for netting a league-best 19.3 points per game in the 22 contests in which he participated, while fellow guard Su Yi-jeh took home the top assist-man honor, with nearly six dish-outs per game (5.7).
Yulon Luxgen forward Kevin Johnson landed the rebound title for snatching up 15.1 boards per game as fellow guard Chen Chih-chung walked away with the top defensive backcourt player of the year honor and a spot on the All-SBL team for his in-your-face defense, which caused opposing teams immense problems all season long.
Kinmen Kaoliang rookie standout Liu Tsan’s league-best 2.2 steals per game was the deciding factor that helped him beat out Yulon rookie Chou Bo-chen for the Rookie of the Year honor as the members of the Association of Basketball Writers were split between the two rookies and went with Liu for his quick thinking and quick hands.
Rounding out the All-SBL team were Su, the Airman and departing Taiwan Beer forward Yang Jing-min, who signed a three-year deal with China’s CBA last week.
Snagging the sixth man of the year was Kinmen Kaoliang’s Hong Chi-chao, whose leadership in a very young ball club was deservingly recognized.
Last, but not least, was the most improved player of the year award, which went to Bank of Taiwan’s Hsu Chih-chiang, who came back from a season-ending injury last year with a solid campaign that ended with a late-season scoring spree that also earned the Bankers’ team captain the Player of the Month honors for March and last month.
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS