The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) was an international professional men's basketball league in the East Asia, composed of eight teams, including six clubs from Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), in addition to Hong Kong and Macau. Former teams have included Taiwan and Brunei. The league was proposed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and launched its inaugural season on 1 October 2009.
History
Formation
Basketball officials from 6 ASEAN nations gathered in Metro Manila on 1 September 2009 to officially launch the new league. In its inaugural season, there were six participating teams from different nations in Southeast Asia:
League expansion
On 22 September 2011, the Brunei Barracudas announced that they were bowing out of the third season of ABL after participating for 2 seasons. On 20 October 2011, the Saigon Sports Academy officially announced the participation of Saigon Heat into the third season of ABL, making them the first ever international professional basketball team to represent Vietnam. In the same season, San Miguel Beermen and Bangkok Cobras joined the league along with Saigon Heat. Unfortunately, the Beermen left the ABL after winning the title in 2013. The Cobras also left the league after one season. Further, in 2014, Laskar Dreya South Sumatra (INA) joined and played for a season.
In 2015, Pilipinas MX3 Kings and Mono Vampire joined the league and both teams left in 2016. On 17 July 2016, Kaohsiung Truth from Kaohsiung, Taiwan announced that they will participate in the 2016–17 season. In the same year, the Eastern Basketball Club confirmed its participation in the league. The two teams were the first teams from outside Southeast Asia to compete in the league. The Philippines returned in the league with Alab Pilipinas on 6 August 2016. In September 2017, ABL confirmed four new teams for the 2017–18 season: CLS Knights Indonesia, Formosa Dreamers, the returning Mono Vampire Basketball Club, and the Nanhai Kung Fu after the Kaoshiung Truth disbanded after the seventh season of ABL.
After the 2018 season, the Kung Fu moved to Macau and became the Macau Black Bears, while the league announced the addition of the Zhuhai Wolf Warriors, based in Zhuhai in the Pearl River delta. On 9 September 2019, the league confirmed the entry of the third team from Taiwan, Taipei Fubon Braves situated in Taipei after Formosa Dreamers and disbanded Kaohsiung Truth. Fubon Braves secured the best record in the Super Basketball League and capped it off with the SBL championship after sweeping the Finals series in four games. They are also one of the eight teams to compete in the 2019 FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty
The 2019-20 ABL season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 placing the status of the ABL in uncertainty. The withdrawal of Mono Vampires, the reports of Taiwanese teams planning to join a domestic league, and the inactivity of the league's social media site were among the factors that fueled speculations that the ABL itself would fold. However, an ABL co-owner dispelled such rumors committing the resumption of the league stating that they plan to hold the eleventh season in 2021. Plans to resume the league were postponed again with the new starting date for the season initially being in February 2022. The start date was pushed back again a month later to September. The plan did not proceed as planned. In October, the ABL through social media announced that it is returning without providing anymore details.
An invitational tournament was held in 2023 and won by Hong Kong Eastern, but on November 20, 2023, the league's uncertainty continued as FIBA had dropped support for the ABL and that the league is "unlikely to play for the foreseeable future" in a statement made by the Singapore Slingers.
Teams
2023 teams
| Team |
City / Region |
Arena |
Capacity |
Founded |
Joined ABL |
Head coach |
 Bangkok Tigers |
Bangkok |
Nimibutr Stadium |
5,600 |
2018 |
2023 |
Jakkraphan Chupthaisong |
 Hong Kong Eastern |
Wan Chai |
Southorn Stadium |
2,000 |
1932 |
2016 |
 Željko Pavličević |
 Louvre Surabaya |
Surabaya |
Hi-Test Arena |
1,200 |
2019 |
2023 |
 Jomar Tierra |
 Macau Black Bears |
Macau |
The Venetian Macao, Hall D |
TBC |
2017 |
 Charles Dubé-Brais |
 NS Matrix Deers |
Negeri Sembilan |
MABA Stadium |
2,500 |
2015 |
2023 |
Jeff Viernes |
 Saigon Heat |
Ho Chi Minh City |
CIS Arena |
2,500 |
2011 |
2012 |
 Matthew Van Pelt |
 Singapore Slingers |
Kallang |
OCBC Arena |
3,000 |
2006 |
2009 |
Neo Beng Siang |
| Zamboanga Valientes |
Zamboanga City |
Zamboanga City Coliseum |
15,000 |
2006 |
2023 |
Expedito De Los Santos |
Former teams
| Nation |
Team(s) |
Year(s) |
| From |
To |
 Brunei |
Brunei Barracudas |
2009 |
2011 |
 Indonesia |
CLS Knights Indonesia |
2017 |
2019 |
| Indonesia Warriors |
2012 |
2014 |
| Laskar Dreya South Sumatra |
2014 |
| Satria Muda |
2009 |
2011 |
 Macau |
Macau Wolf Warriors |
2018 |
2020 |
 Malaysia |
Kuala Lumpur Dragons |
2009 |
2020 |
 Philippines |
AirAsia Philippine Patriots |
2009 |
2012 |
| Pilipinas MX3 Kings |
2015 |
2016 |
| San Miguel Alab Pilipinas |
2016 |
2020 |
| San Miguel Beermen |
2012 |
2013 |
 Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) |
Formosa Dreamers |
2017 |
2020 |
| Kaohsiung Truth |
2016 |
2017 |
| Taipei Fubon Braves |
2019 |
2020 |
 Thailand |
Bangkok Cobras |
2012 |
| Hi-Tech Bangkok City |
2009 |
2016 |
| Mono Vampire |
2015 |
2020 |
Champions
The finals is a best-of-5 (2–2–1) series (2010, 2013, 2016–2019) and is a best-of-3 (1–1–1) series (2011, 2012, 2014, 2023)
| Season |
Finalists |
Semi-finalists |
| Champions |
Result |
Runners-up |
| 2009–10 |
Philippine Patriots^ |
3–0 |
Satria Muda |
Kuala Lumpur Dragons |
Singapore Slingers |
| 2010–11 |
Chang Thailand Slammers^ |
2–0 |
Philippine Patriots |
Singapore Slingers |
Westports KL Dragons |
| 2012 |
Indonesia Warriors |
2–1 |
San Miguel Beermen^ |
Philippine Patriots |
Westports Malaysia Dragons |
| 2013 |
San Miguel Beermen^ |
3–0 |
Indonesia Warriors |
Thailand Slammers |
Westports Malaysia Dragons |
| 2014 |
Hi-Tech Bangkok City |
2–0 |
Westports Malaysia Dragons^ |
Saigon Heat |
Singapore Slingers |
| 2015–16 |
Westports Malaysia Dragons^ |
3–2 |
Singapore Slingers |
Hi-Tech Bangkok City |
Saigon Heat |
| 2016–17 |
Hong Kong Eastern Long Lions^ |
3–1 |
Singapore Slingers |
Alab Pilipinas |
Saigon Heat |
| 2017–18 |
San Miguel Alab Pilipinas |
3–2 |
Mono Vampire |
 Chong Son Kung Fu^ |
Hong Kong Eastern |
| 2018–19 |
CLS Knights Indonesia |
3–2 |
Singapore Slingers |
Hong Kong Eastern |
Mono Vampire |
| 2019–20 |
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia. |
| 2020–21 |
Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia. |
| 2021–22 |
| 2023 |
Hong Kong Eastern |
2–1 |
Saigon Heat^ |
NS Matrix Deers |
Singapore Slingers |
- ^ finished regular season with the best win–loss record.
Championship table by club
This medal ranking is based on the club/team representation.
| Team |
1 Gold |
2 Silver |
3 Bronze |
Total |
| Hi-Tech Bangkok City |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| Hong Kong Eastern |
2 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
| Kuala Lumpur Dragons |
1 |
1 |
4 |
6 |
| AirAsia Philippine Patriots |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Indonesia Warriors |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| San Miguel Beermen |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Alab Pilipinas |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| CLS Knights Indonesia |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Singapore Slingers |
0 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
| Saigon Heat |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
| Mono Vampire |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Satria Muda BritAma |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Macau Black Bears |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| NS Matrix Deers |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Total |
10 |
10 |
20 |
40 |
- Bold: teams that are still active
- Italic: teams from outside Southeast Asia
Individual awards
ABL presents five individual awards to players: the Local MVP, World Import MVP, ASEAN Heritage MVP, and the Defensive Player of the Year. The Coach of the Year award is given to the league's best head coach of the season.
Prior to the 2015–16 ABL season, there was only one MVP award for imports and was called the Best Import award. It was divided into two for World Imports (for players hailing from outside Southeast Asia and to the ASEAN Heritage Imports (for players from other Southeast Asian countries or players with at least one Southeast Asian parent). Also, the Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards were only awarded since the 2012 season.
Most Valuable Players
Locals
| Season |
Player |
Nationality |
Team |
| 2009–10 |
Attaporn Lertmalaiporn |
Thailand |
Thailand Tigers |
| 2010–11 |
Mario Wuysang |
Indonesia |
Satria Muda |
| 2012 |
Leo Avenido |
Philippines |
San Miguel Beermen |
| 2013 |
Asi Taulava |
Philippines |
San Miguel Beermen |
| 2014 |
Wei Long Wong |
 Singapore |
Singapore Slingers |
| 2015–16 |
Wei Long Wong |
Singapore |
Singapore Slingers |
| 2016–17 |
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. |
Philippines |
Alab Pilipinas |
| 2017–18 |
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. |
Philippines |
Alab Pilipinas |
| 2018–19 |
Bobby Ray Parks Jr. |
Philippines |
Alab Pilipinas |
|
World Imports
|
Special Awards
Defensive Player of the Year
|
Coach of the Year
|
See also
In Spanish: Liga de Baloncesto de la ASEAN para niños
- ABL 3x3 International Champions Cup
- East Asia Super League
- West Asia Super League
- FIBA Asia Champions Cup
- AsiaBasket
Chinese Taipei
Hong Kong
Vietnam
