The New Taipei Kings, champions of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League’s (TPBL) inaugural season, are to compete in the East Asia Super League (EASL) for the third consecutive year, the league announced yesterday.
The Kings will join P.League+ (PLG) teams the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and the Taipei Fubon Braves in competing against top teams from other East Asian countries.
“New Taipei is a proven winner and has reached the top time and time again in our league,” EASL chief executive officer Henry Kerins was quoted as saying in a statement. “EASL is the Champions League of Asian basketball, and with New Taipei, we’re adding another true champion. They’ve shown they’re one of the best teams in Asia, and we’re excited to see what they do this season.”
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei Kings via CNA
The announcement confirmed New Taipei City as the 13th team to join the upcoming season, which is set to feature three teams each from Taiwan and Japan, two each from Hong Kong, South Korea and the Philippines, and one from Mongolia.
Despite participating in the previous two seasons, New Taipei City would this year enter as TPBL champions.
“Given the recent collaboration between the P.League+ and TPBL, we are pleased to welcome the TPBL’s New Taipei Kings into our longstanding partnership with EASL and its upcoming season,” PLG chief executive officer Charles “Blackie” Chen said in the statement.
The Kings, who joined the TPBL in the off-season, secured their spot in the previous EASL season by clinching the PLG championship in 2023-2024. Their participation in the next EASL season had remained uncertain until yesterday’s confirmation.
On Thursday last week, TPBL commissioner Chuang Jui-hsiung confirmed that discussions were ongoing about a collaboration between the PLG and TPBL for next season, with a combined total of 10 teams likely to compete in a unified regular season and championship without a formal merger.
Also yesterday, the PLG confirmed it had received an application from the Hung Kuo group to join the league, following the recent disbandment of the Kaohsiung Steelers.
The league and the three PLG teams welcomed the application, but emphasized that “in the next two years, the PLG would prioritize the two leagues’ collaboration and adhere to the letters of intent,” expressing hope that “Taiwan’s basketball talent and resources can firmly work together.”
Jesper Boqvist on Tuesday scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period as the Florida Panthers, after raising their second straight NHL Stanley Cup banner, opened the defense of the title by beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. Mackie Samoskevich — getting his second assist, the fifth two-point game of his career — chipped the puck toward the goal and Boqvist knocked it out of the air for the lead with 10 minutes, 20 seconds left. A.J. Greer and Carter Verhaeghe also had goals for Florida, who got 17 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky. Frank Nazar had a goal and an assist and Teuvo
Mexico’s teenage playmaker Gilberto Mora has lit up the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile as he basks in the limelight afforded by the absences of Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono. “I don’t know if I’m the biggest star, and I’m not really interested in that. I think you can always give more,” 16-year-old Mora said before Mexico’s 4-1 win against host nation Chile in the round-of-16 on Tuesday, in which he provided the assist for the opening goal. Next on Mora’s schedule is a quarter-final clash against Argentina this morning Taiwan time, but after
World No. 3 Alexander Zverev on Monday said that he was playing “terrible tennis” after he was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters by France’s Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. His exit leaves Novak Djokovic as the tournament’s top-ranked player, increasing the 38-year-old Serb’s chances of winning a record-extending fifth title in the Chinese financial hub. In stifling conditions, world No. 54 Rinderknech came back from a set down to stun an increasingly rattled Zverev into submission. It is the second time the Frenchman has beaten him, after bundling him out of Wimbledon earlier this year. A despondent Zverev told reporters the match had
‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’: Nathan Lukes hit a two-run single and Addison Barger had three of Toronto’s 12 hits as the Blue Jays bounced back After taking down the storied New York Yankees in their own ballpark in their American League Division Series on Wednesday, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider was ready to revel in the triumph. “Start spreading the news,” Schneider said while popping a bottle of bubbly to set off the Blue Jays’ jubilant celebration inside their Yankee Stadium clubhouse. With the party under way, the familiar lyrics from Frank Sinatra’s version of New York, New York — the Yankees’ long-time victory anthem — sounded in the background as roaring Toronto players sprayed each other with booze in the Bronx. This time, it was their
RSS