Taipei: The 2025-26 East Asia Super League (EASL) season will kick off on October 8 with exciting doubleheader games in Taipei and Tokyo, marking the league's continued expansion across the region.
According to Focus Taiwan, fans in Taiwan's capital will witness a thrilling matchup at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium. The event will feature the 2024-25 P.LEAGUE+ (PLG) champion Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and runner-up Taipei Fubon Braves. These teams will compete against two formidable Japanese teams, the Utsunomiya Brex and the Ryukyu Golden Kings.
The Taipei Fubon Braves are set to host the reigning B.LEAGUE champion Utsunomiya Brex, while the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots will face the Ryukyu Golden Kings in a highly anticipated rematch of last season's EASL final. Ryukyu earned its place by winning Japan's Emperor's Cup, joining the Brex and B.LEAGUE runner-up Alvark Tokyo as Japan's representatives in the new season.
The New Taipei Kings, representing the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL), will join the EASL roster and make their debut on October 22 against Alvark, as per the EASL schedule. This season, the league will see 12 teams compete for the championship title and a US$1 million prize over the course of 42 games.
Having expanded from eight teams in its inaugural season to 10 last year, the EASL will now be divided into three groups for the first time. Other teams participating include the Seoul SK Knights and Changwon LG Sakers from South Korea's Korean Basketball League (KBL), the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association, Hong Kong Eastern, the Macau Black Bears, and Mongolia's Xac Broncos.
The Tokyo opener will be a significant occasion, marking the league's first-ever game in Japan's capital. Alvark will host the Xac Broncos at Keio Arena Tokyo, marking the EASL debut for both teams. The league's expansion efforts will also introduce group games on weekends for the first time, moving away from the previous schedule of holding games only on Wednesdays to avoid conflicts with domestic league schedules.