East Asia Super League: entire Bay Area Dragons team sacked during online meeting, players told ‘contracts terminated’

Players left stunned by move which came just two weeks after team signed five new members
Officials decline to comment on decision, with insiders suggesting move was taken to safeguard league’s future

FIBA (International Basketball Federation)

Mike Chan

Published: 8:10pm, 1 Sep 2023

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The East Asia Super League abruptly sacked its entire Bay Area Dragons team on Friday, telling those involved during an online meeting their contracts were being terminated.

Sources said stunned players were now in the process of discussing the terms of their departure.

The move came just two weeks after the league’s franchise team announced the signing of five new players, including Hong Kong’s Oliver Xu, and the retention of eight others.

EASL officials declined to comment, saying they would be making a further announcement connected to the situation on Tuesday, although there are indications the decision was taken to safeguard the financial stability of the league as a whole.

“They called a virtual team meeting this morning and announced the news to the players,” one source said. “Compensation will not be paid in full and I understand that negotiations between the players and the team are still going on.”

Hong Kong player Duncan Reid was one of several players told they were having their contracts terminated. Photo: Handout

Another source said officials still intended to start the league’s first full season, which is scheduled to run from October 11 to March 10 next year, as planned, and with the same number of teams.

Only a fortnight ago officials revealed that the Dragons had signed five new players, including former Hong Kong Eastern guard Xu, to their roster for the 2023-24 season. The 26-year-old dazzled in the Asean Basketball League earlier this year, but had since become a free agent.

The team also retained eight players, including Hongkongers Duncan Reid and Glen Yang, as well as the likes of Hayden Blakely, Kobey Lam and Zhu Songwei, from their inaugural season, in which the team finished third in the “Champions Week” in March.

Last month, the league said the Dragons would play their EASL home games in Hong Kong this season. The team has also signed up for the Philippine Basketball Association’s Commissioner’s Cup, in which they finished as runners-up to Barangay Ginebra after a seven-game thriller last season.

In the EASL, the team had been drawn alongside Ginebra, Japanese side Ryukyu Golden Kings, and Seoul SK Knights in Group B in a draw made in June.

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