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EASL takes 'first step' to become 'Basketball's Champions League' - is it possible?

The East Asian Super League (EASL), billed as the "Champions League of basketball," has come to an end. It was the second season of the league, but the first season was severely curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time the league actually played full-time. The players and managers of the KBL were mostly satisfied despite the tight schedule that they had to play alongside their domestic leagues. The KBL produced two top-four teams. Seoul SK took second place and Anyang Jeongwanjang finished third. EASL CEO Henry Kerins has ambitious plans to double the size of the competition in two years.

The EASL was founded in 2016 as the Asia League. Matt Beyer, a former Chinese interpreter in the NBA, recognized the potential in Asia. Unlike the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which has organized continental divisions such as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the European Football Association (UEFA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) does not have regional affiliates. The Asian League was rebranded as the EASL in 2019. In 2020, it signed a 10-year deal with FIBA for the exclusive rights to organize club competitions in Asia.

KBL teams played domestic league games on weekends and EASL games on Wednesdays. They played 54 regular season games plus eight EASL games. The group stage was a home-and-home series that traveled to Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The semifinals and finals were held in Cebu, Philippines as the EASL Final Four. It was an intense schedule.

Anyang head coach Kim Sang-sik was very positive about the tournament. "As long as it's not a scheduling issue, it's really good. It's not easy to experience an international tournament like this, not only for players but also for managers and coaches. There are no official matches unless you go to the national team. It's a really valuable experience. You learn a lot. The players love it. But if you have a shallow player base, only the best players can play. If this is solved, it will be very good." Seoul SK's Oh Jae-hyun said, "It's definitely a tight schedule. But it's an opportunity for young players like me. It's a chance for young players like me to develop naturally by facing foreign players in international competitions."

The biggest draw is the big prize money. The total prize pool for the EASL is $1.75 million (approximately KRW 2.3 billion). It is $1 million (approx. KRW 1.3 billion) for the championship, $500,000 (approx. KRW 660,000) for the runner-up, and $250,000 (approx. KRW 330,000) for the third place. The first prize for the KBL Championship is 100 million won.

Anyang's Park Ji-hoon laughed, saying, "The prize money is so big that it's definitely motivating." Choi Sung-won of Anyang also emphasized, 토토사이트 "It's a chance to showcase Korean basketball and 'me' on the international stage."

Overall, SK head coach Jeon Hee-cheol said the transition to the KBL was worth it. "Honestly, it was hard for me to adapt at the beginning, but after I adjusted to the pace of the home and away games, I recovered well. I don't think it will be a big problem physically. It's a different way of looking at basketball, and it's therapeutic to come back with a win," he concluded.

"Korea is an important market in Asia," said EASL CEO Kerins. We hope to add one or two more teams from competitive leagues in Korea and Japan for the 2025-2026 season," said EASL CEO Kerins.

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