Basketball Champions League Asia Explained

Basketball Champions League Asia
Organiser:FIBA Asia
Region:Asia
Promotion:FIBA Intercontinental Cup
First:1981
Teams:8
Champions: Al Riyadi (3rd title)
Season:2024
Most Champs: Al Riyadi
Sagesse
(3 titles each)
Tv:YouTube (online streaming)
Current:2024 Basketball Champions League Asia

The Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia), formerly the FIBA Asia Champions Cup,[1] is an annual continental club men's basketball competition organised by FIBA Asia. It is the highest level club competition for basketball in Asia.

Introduced in 1981, as the Asian Basketball Club Championship, the competition rebranded in 2004 to the FIBA Asia Champions Cup. In 2024, the tournament was renamed as the Basketball Champions League Asia.[2]

Al Riyadi and Sagesse from Lebanon are the most successful teams in the history of the competition with three championships each. Lebanese and Iranian clubs have won the most titles with a total of six among teams from each of these countries.

History

The competition was first organised by the Asian Basketball Confederation in 1981, when the inaugural tournament was hosted in Hong Kong. The first-ever champions were the Bayi Rockets from China. In 1995, the name of the competition was changed to the ABC Champions Cup. After the ABC became integrated in FIBA in 2004, the competition was rebranded as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

In the 1990s, FIBA announced plans to expand the Intercontinental Cup with the teams from the BCL Asia, Basketball Africa League (BAL), NBL, and the NBA, at some point in the future.[3] [4]

In 2024, it was announced that the tournament will be renamed as the Basketball Champions League Asia, a name in line with other continental competitions in the Americas and Europe.

Al Riyadi Club Beirut and Sagesse from Lebanon are the most successful clubs in the history of the competition, having won three titles each. Clubs from Lebanon and Iran have the most combined titles, with a total of six each.

Qualification

As of the 2024 season, teams can qualify for the BCL Asia directly through their national leagues, through the FIBA West Asia Super League or through the qualifying rounds.

Allocated spots in the Basketball Champions League Asia!Method!Country!League
Direct Qualification ChinaChinese Basketball Association
South KoreaKorean Basketball League
JapanB.League
PhilippinesPhilippine Basketball Association
FIBA Zonal LeaguesCentral, West Asia and GulfFIBA West Asia Super League champions
FIBA West Asia Super League runners-up
Qualifying tournamentsEast and Southeast AsiaWinners of the qualifying round
Runners-up of the qualifying round

Summary

align=center width=5% Yearalign=center width=15% Hostsalign=center width=24% Championsalign=center width=8% Scorealign=center width=24% Runners-upalign=center width=24% Third Place
1981 Hong Kong Bayi RocketsNo playoffs Nippon Kokan Apcor
1984 Ipoh Northern Cement82–56 Bayi Rockets Kuang Hua
1988 Jakarta Swift-PABL84–69 Liaoning Hunters Samsung Electronics
1990 Jakarta Liaoning HuntersNo playoffs Bank of Korea Kazma
1992 Bangkok Kia MotorsNo playoffs Liaoning Hunters Kazma
1995 Kuala Lumpur Andok's101–82 Petronas Kia Motors
1996 Manila Hapee Toothpaste77–74 Isuzu Lynx Guangdong Winnerway
1997 Jakarta Regal64–59 Kia Motors Aspac
1998 Kuala Lumpur Beijing Hanwei71–70 Regal Al-Riyadi
1999 Beirut Sagesse84–71 Liaoning Hunters Petronas
2000 Beirut Sagesse55–52 Al-Ittihad Al-Manama
2001 Dubai Al-Ittihad103–101 (OT) Al-Rayyan Al-Wahda
2002 Kuala Lumpur Al-Rayyan92–78 Al-Ittihad Al-Wahda
2003 Kuala Lumpur Al-Wahda96–63 Al-Rayyan Sangmu Phoenix
2004 Sharjah Sagesse72–70 Al-Wahda Al-Rayyan
2005 Quezon City Al-Rayyan83–76 Fastlink Sagesse
2006 Kuwait City Fastlink94–69 Al-Jalaa Aleppo Al-Rayyan
2007 Tehran Saba Battery Tehran83–75 Al-Jalaa Aleppo Al-Rayyan
2008 Kuwait City Saba Battery Tehran82–75 Al-Rayyan Al-Wasl
2009 Jakarta Mahram Tehran78–68 Zain Al-Riyadi
2010 Doha Mahram Tehran93–73 Al-Rayyan Al-Riyadi
2011 Pasig Al Riyadi91–82 Mahram Tehran Al-Rayyan
2012 BeirutNo title awardedNot held Al-Riyadi
Mahram Tehran
Duhok
2013 Amman Foolad Mahan Isfahan84–74 Al-Rayyan ASU
2016 Chenzhou China Kashgar96–88 Al-Riyadi Petrochimi Bandar Imam
2017 Chenzhou Al Riyadi88–59 China Kashgar BC Astana
2018 Nonthaburi Petrochimi Bandar Imam68–64 Alvark Tokyo Seoul SK Knights
2019 Nonthaburi Alvark Tokyo98–74 Al-Riyadi Palayesh Naft Abadan
2020 Guangzhou[5] Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia[6]
2022 DubaiCancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
2024 Dubai Al Riyadi122–96 Shabab Al Ahli Hiroshima Dragonflies

Performance by club

See also: Basketball Champions League Asia records and statistics.

See also

References

General
Specific

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 22ND FIBA ASIA CHAMPIONS CUP . fibaasia.net . https://web.archive.org/web/20120513004949/http://manila2011.fibaasia.net/History.aspx . May 13, 2012 . dead .
  2. News: Mongolia, Indonesia to host BCL Asia Qualifying rounds . 1 March 2024 . FIBA . 29 February 2024 . en.
  3. http://esportes.opovo.com.br/app/esportes/maisesportes/2013/08/23/noticiasmaisesportes,2615924/com-copa-intercontinental-fiba-ensaia-campeonato-mundial.shtml Esportes.Opovobr Com Copa Intercontinental, Fiba ensaia Campeonato Mundial.
  4. http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/esportes,pinheiros-e-olympiacos-comecam-a-disputar-o-titulo-da-intercontinental,1081702,0.htm Estadao.com Pinheiros e Olympiacos começam a disputar o título da Intercontinental.
  5. Web site: FIBA Asia Board Meeting Decisions . Basketball Association of Singapore . FIBA Asia . 3 March 2024 . 3 August 2020.
  6. Web site: Bayi Rockets soar to first FIBA Asia Champions Cup . FIBA . 3 March 2024 . en . 22 October 2022.