Bay Area Dragons Explained
The Bay Area Dragons were a professional basketball team in the East Asia Super League. Based in Hong Kong, the team was meant to represent the Greater China region.
Established in 2021, the team competed in the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup in the Philippines as a guest team and in the 2023 EASL Champions Week. They were disbanded in September 2023.
History
Formation
The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes, a franchise team for the East Asia Super League, representing Greater China. Hong Kong was made as the home venue of the Phoenixes.[1] Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives.[2]
The team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong Basketball Association and Chun Yu Basketball Club.[3] The Phoenixes are the only franchise team in the EASL, with other participating teams seeded from domestic leagues from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines.[1]
Former Chinese Basketball Association general manager Liu Quansheng was appointed as the team's first general manager.[3] [4]
Participation in the PBA
They entered the 2022–23 Commissioner's Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association which started in September 2022 as a guest team.[5] [6] The team also changed their name to the "Bay Area Dragons" upon joining the PBA, to avoid confusion with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters.[7] [8] [9] In May 2022, former NBL coach and incumbent Australia Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian was announced as the team's first head coach.[10]
The Bay Area Dragons reached the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals, becoming the fourth guest team to reach the last stage of a PBA competition.[11] They could only field one of their two foreign players or import at a time in selected games.[12] However, they would lose to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 4–3.[13]
EASL Champions Week
The Dragons took part in the 2023 EASL Champions Week tournament where they finished third.[14]
Planned PBA return and 2023–24 EASL participation
They are set to return in the Commissioner's Cup of the 2023–24 PBA season. However, they would be allowed to field one import for the whole conference.[15] [16] They underwent a rebrand and renamed themselves as the Chun Yu Bay Area Dragons. They were set to return to Hong Kong with their PBA games planned to be held there.[17] The team which were also set to take part in the 2023–24 EASL season would sign five new players and retain eight players.[18]
Disbandment
The Dragons' participation in the PBA and EASL was effectively cancelled after the EASL announced the Dragons's disbandment on 1 September 2023 reportedly due to financial reasons.[19] The EASL mentions "conflict of interest" for managing a team and organizing the league at the same time, as the official reason for dissolving the club.[20]
Home venue
The Southorn Stadium, an indoor arena in Wan Chai, Hong Kong was the designated home venue of the Dragons.[21] [22] However they never played any competitive EASL or PBA games in the venue since the team got disbanded.
Season-by-season records
List of notable personnel
Players
Coaches
Honours
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA):
Runners-up (1): 2022–23 Commissioner's Cup
External links
Notes and References
- News: Moura . Nelson . 2022 East Asia Super League format to include new GBA basketball team franchise with local players . 2 December 2021 . MacauBusiness.com . Macau News Agency . 1 December 2021.
- Web site: East Asia Super League Debuts Season 1 of Premier Home-and-Away Pan-Regional League in 2022 . East Asia Super League . 22 February 2022 . The newly formed Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes and the championship team from Chinese Taipei’s P.LEAGUE+, will be the Greater China representatives. . 22 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220222161913/https://easl.basketball/east-asia-super-league-debuts-season-1-of-premier-home-and-away-pan-regional-league-in-2022/ . dead .
- News: McNicol . Andrew . East Asia Super League wants to bring professional basketball team to Hong Kong . 2 December 2021 . South China Morning Post . 1 December 2021 . en.
- News: Aye . John . EASL looking to rise as world's third-biggest league . 2 December 2021 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 1 December 2021 . en.
- News: EASL Greater China rep to see action in PBA. February 23, 2022 . PBA.ph . February 18, 2022 . en.
- News: Joble . Rey . Bay Area Dragons' Myles Powell, Liu Chuanxing look forward to playing in PBA . 5 September 2022 . ABS-CBN News . 12 August 2022.
- News: Ramos . Gerry . PBA to welcome first foreign guest team in 22 years . 20 March 2022 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 19 March 2022 . en.
- News: Naredo . Camille . Hong Kong's Bay Area Dragons to join PBA as guest team . 21 March 2022 . 21 March 2022.
- Web site: EASL Members Bay Area Dragons . East Asia Super League . East Asia Super League Ltd. . 21 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220321144924/https://easl.basketball/easl-members/bay-area-dragons/ . 21 March 2022.
- News: Bay Area Dragons appoint NBL legend Goorjian as head coach . 19 May 2022 . South China Morning Post . 12 May 2022 . en.
- News: Terrado . Jonas . Bay Area goes for kill vs San Miguel Beer . 15 January 2023 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 18 December 2022 . en.
- News: Henson . Joaquin . Bay Area’s dilemma . 23 May 2023 . The Philippine Star . 27 September 2022.
- News: Ginebra pulls off Game 7 rout of Bay Area before biggest PBA crowd ever . en . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 15 January 2023.
- News: Dalupang . Denison Rey . EASL: Bay Area secures third place . 23 May 2023 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 5 March 2023 . en.
- News: Garcia . John Mark . PBA sets terms for Bay Area return: ‘Yung imports, 'di na pwede dalawa’ . 23 May 2023 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 21 May 2023 . en.
- News: Castillo . Musong R. . PBA: Only one import allowed for Bay Area Dragons in next Commissioner’s Cup . 27 May 2023 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 27 May 2023 . en.
- News: Times . Bay Area comes home to Hong Kong . 19 July 2023 . Tiebreaker Times . 19 July 2023.
- News: East Asia Super League sacks entire Bay Area Dragons team during online meeting . 2 September 2023 . South China Morning Post . 1 September 2023 . en.
- News: Li . Matthew . EASL disbands Bay Area Dragons ahead of PBA Comm's Cup . 2 September 2023 . Tiebreaker Times . 1 September 2023.
- News: Li . Matthew . EASL cites 'conflict of interest' as reason for Bay Area disbandment . 5 September 2023 . Tiebreaker Times . 5 September 2023.
- News: Chan . Mike . Bay Area Dragons to face region’s best in Hong Kong in EASL’s second season . 2 September 2023 . South China Morning Post . 25 July 2023 . en.
- News: Villanueva . Ralph Edwin . Bay Area Dragons announce PBA return . 2 September 2023 . The Philippine Star . 19 July 2023.
- News: Ramos . Gerry . As Powell is reactivated, here's the only way Nicholson can come back . 2 September 2023 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 10 November 2022 . en.
- News: Bay Area Dragons sign 7-foot-5 Liu ahead of PBA stint, EASL . 2 September 2023 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . Associated Press . 23 June 2022 . en.
- Web site: Eaton . Matt . Bay Area Dragons sign CBA veterans ahead of East Asia Super League season opener . South China Morning Post . August 10, 2022 . September 5, 2022.
- News: Agcaoili . Lance . Duncan Reid banners Bay Area Dragons team for PBA, EASL . 2 September 2023 . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 23 June 2022 . en.
- News: Ramos . Gerry . Sedrick Barefield Bay Area contract only for EASL Champions Week . 2 September 2023 . Sports Interactive Network Philippines . 7 February 2023 . en.
- News: Why Cholo Villanueva is Bay Area's 'real MVP' . 2 September 2023 . Spin.ph . 22 December 2022 . en.
Andrew Nicholson[23]
Liu Chuanxing[24]
Sedrick Barefield[27]
Brian Goorjian (Head coach)