East Asia Super League: Bay Area Dragons boss questions Hong Kong ‘culture’ as he looks to Macau for new home
- Having initially selected Hong Kong as home, basketball franchise Bay Area Dragons are now looking to Macau as permanent base
- Franchise boss Matt Bayer has reservations about ‘culture towards sports in Hong Kong’, points to delayed construction of Kai Tak Sports Park
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The man behind the fledgling East Asia Super League questioned Hong Kong’s commitment to sport, as he revealed he was looking to Macau as a permanent home for the Bay Area Dragons basketball franchise.
Matt Beyer, the league’s CEO, said he wanted to base the team, which is currently competing in the finals of the Commissioner’s Cup in the Philippines, either in or near the Greater Bay Area, but expressed reservations about the “culture towards sports in Hong Kong”.
And while not completely ruling the city out as a base in the future, Beyer pointed to the delay in the construction of the Kai Tak Sports Park to the second quarter of 2024 as another reason for looking elsewhere when it came to when choosing the a new home base.
The EASL and its predecessor, the Asia League, has a long-standing relationship with Macau, having held four tournaments in the casino hub before the coronavirus pandemic, and the basketball chief said the local government’s Sports Bureau had been supportive over the years.
“Both Hong Kong and Macau are great potential homes for the Bay Area Dragons as we look beyond this season,” said Beyer, who recently wrapped up a trip to Macau.
Hong Kong basketball star Duncan Reid, who played in the Dragons’ 99-82 win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Game 2 of the finals on Wednesday, said he was looking forward to having the team based in Hong Kong.
“I would love for the team to be based in Hong Kong and I think that is the long-term goal for the franchise,” the 33-year-old said. “With regards to other options, including Macau and GBA, it is totally fine but the main thing is that we can continue to compete in the top leagues in Asia.”
That is exactly what is on the cards for the Dragons, with Beyer revealing the team’s plan to continue competing under the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) next season – after topping the Commissioner’s Cup with a 10-2 regular season record.
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“Our focus is finishing out the PBA Finals with strength and winning a championship, as well as doing the same at EASL Champions Week [in March],” Beyer said.
The Dragons advanced to the finals after eliminating Rain or Shine Elastopainters, and defending champions San Miguel Beerman in previous rounds. They are currently tied 1-1 with Ginebra in the best-of-seven series in the finals, with Game 3 next Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Apart from rejoining the PBA in the new year, the team are also contemplating preseason tours in Australia, as they make the most of the connections established by head coach Brian Goorjian, as well as games against the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) teams.
An EASL source said the CBA was set to enter “as many as four teams” in the league in 2024-25, when it expands to a 16-team format from the eight teams who are expected to compete in its inaugural season, which starts in October next year.
