October 16, 2024 — F-Pico Arena, Fukuyama, Japan

‍

Storylines:

‍

1. Proving Hong Kong Eastern Belongs 

‍

‍

Hong Kong enters the 2024-25 East Asia Super League season as one of two expansion teams, alongside the Macau Black Bears. Though Eastern possesses a handful of regionally recognized veterans, it remains one of the lesser-known clubs in this year’s field.

‍

Hong Kong last participated in a major tournament at the 2023 ASEAN Basketball League Invitational — a tournament-style competition featuring eight teams from Southeast Asia. Despite finishing second in pool play, Eastern cruised to the championship series where it took down Vietnamese team, the Saigon Heat, in three games.

‍

It’s clear that Hong Kong has international experience and a talented roster, but the question remains whether it can beat some of EASL’s more established participants. In Macau’s season opener, the Black Bears led reigning PBA champions, the Meralco Bolts, for most of the first quarter before ultimately buckling.

‍

Can Eastern fend off defending B.LEAGUE champions, the Hiroshima Dragonflies, away from home? Or will both expansion teams tip off their EASL campaigns with losses?

‍

2. Hiroshima enters as reigning B.LEAGUE Champions

‍

‍

As reigning B.LEAGUE champions, Hiroshima has high expectations this season. In 2023-24, the Dragonflies knocked off heavy favorites — and fellow Japanese EASL team — the Ryukyu Golden Kings to win their first-ever domestic title.

‍

Although Hiroshima returns outstanding imports Dwayne Evans II and Kerry Blackshear Jr., the loss of head coach Kyle Milling is a costly one. Under new head coach Shogo Asayama — a former Dragonflies’ team captain — the team has gotten off to a rocky 0-4 start in the B.LEAGUE, including consecutive losses to Milling’s new team, Gunma Crane Thunders.

‍

Wednesday marks Hiroshima’s EASL debut and the beginning of a new, region-wide challenge. The Dragonflies will look to its showdown with Hong Kong as a way to break their four-game losing streak.

‍

3. Familiar Faces

The 2024-25 season marks Eastern’s first EASL experience as an organization. However, three of its stars — Kobey Lam, Glen Yang and Cameron Clark — have competed in past EASL events. Given the players’ prior participation in the league, Hong Kong could have an unseen advantage.

‍

‍

In March 2023, Lam, Yang and Clark all competed in EASL Champions Week — a four-day-long tournament involving teams from Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines. Lam and Yang suited up for the now-disbanded Bay Area Dragons while Clark was a member of the San Miguel Beermen (PBA).

‍

In two games with the Beermen, Clark’s offensive ability was put on full display. The 6-foot-7 forward notched 25 and 35 points in back-to-back contests against the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Korean side, Anyang KGC. Lam and Yang’s Dragons, meanwhile, placed third in the tournament after making it past the group stage and beating Ryukyu 90-70 in the Third-Place Game.

‍

Hiroshima Dragonflies (Japan — B.LEAGUE) Players to Watch:

‍

#30 Ryo Yamazaki, Guard, 6-feet

• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Averages
  • 9.3 points, 2.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion
• 2023-24 NISSAY B.LEAGUE Championship MVP 
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2023
• Signed with the Saitama Broncos in 2013
• Yamazaki attended college at Tacoma Community College
• Yamazaki is from Saitama, Japan

‍

#8 Kerry Blackshear Jr., Forward, 6-foot-8

• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Averages some text
  • 18.0 points, 4.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion 
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Sixth-Man of the Year 
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2022 
• Blackshear Jr. went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft 
• 2020 Second-Team All-SEC with Florida 
• 2019 Second-Team All-ACC with Virginia Tech 
• Blackshear Jr. attended college at Virginia Tech (2015-2019) and Florida (2019-20)
• Blackshear Jr. is from Orlando, Florida, USA

‍

#24 Nick Mayo, Forward, 6-foot-7

• 2024-25 B.LEAGUE Averages
  • 11.5 points, 2.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champion
• Joined the Hiroshima Dragonflies in 2021
• Mayo went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft
• 4x First-Team All-OVC (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• 2016 OVC Freshman of the Year
• Mayo attended college at Eastern Kentucky (2015-2019)
• Mayo is from Oakland, Maine, USA

‍

Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong) Players to Watch:

‍

#19 Chris McLaughlin — Center, 6-foot-8

• 2024 Season Averages
  • 16 points, 3.7 assists, 11.2 rebounds
• 2023-24 HKBA Champion
• 2023-24 HKBA Most Valuable Player
• 2023 ABL Champion
• 2023 ABL Defensive Player of the Year
• Joined Hong Kong Eastern in 2022
• McLaughlin attended college at the University of Victoria
• McLaughlin is from Oakville, Ontario, Canada

‍

#23 Ka Hin (Marco) Leung — Guard, 6-foot-2

• 2024 Season Averages 
  • 9.7 points, 1.0 assists, 1.0 rebounds
• 2023-24 HKBA Champion
• 2023 ABL Champion
• Joined Hong Kong Eastern in 2019
• 2018 Hong Kong High School Triple Crown winner with Diocesan Boys’ School
• 2019 Hong Kong Junior College Cup champion with Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Leung attended college at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
• Leung is from Hong Kong SAR

‍

#21 Cameron Clark — Forward, 6-foot-6

• Joined Hong Kong Eastern in 2024
• 2017 LNB Pro A Champion with Elan Sportif Chalonnais
• 2017 All-LNB Pro A First Team with Elan Sportif Chalonnais
• 2017 LNB Pro A Scoring Champion with Elan Sportif Chalonnais
• 2017 LNB All-Star with Elan Sportif Chalonnais
• 2017 All-FIBA Europe Cup First Team with Elan Sportif Chalonnais
• 2017 FIBA Europe Cup Scoring Champion with Elan Sportif Chalonnais
• Clark went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft
• Clark attended college at Oklahoma (2010-2014)
• Clark is from Sherman, Texas, USA

‍

Hiroshima By The Numbers:

‍

Team History

• Founded in 2013
• 2023-24 B.LEAGUE Champions

‍

2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• Home vs. Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong) — Oct. 16, 2024
• Away vs. Hong Kong Eastern (Hong Kong) — Oct. 30, 2024
• Away vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Dec. 4, 2024
• Away vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Dec. 25, 2024
• Home vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Jan. 8, 2025
• Home vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Jan. 22, 2025

‍

2023-2024 B.LEAGUE Champions

• Regular season record: 36-24
• Finished 5th in B.LEAGUE Western Conference
• Defeated San-En NeoPhoenix (2-0) and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins (2-1); defeated the Ryukyu Golden Kings (2-1) in the B.LEAGUE Finals

2023-24 B.LEAGUE Statistic Leaders

• Points: Dwane Evans — 15 ppg
• Rebounds: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 7.6 rpg
• Assists: Ryo Terashima, Dwane Evans — 3.6 apg
• Steals: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 1.2 spg
• Blocks: Kerry Blackshear Jr. — 0.7 bpg

‍

Hong Kong By The Numbers:

Team History

• Founded in 1932
• 2x HKBA A1 Division Champions (2018, 2023-24)
• 2x ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) Champions (2016-17, 2023)

‍

2024-25 EASL Upcoming Games

• Away vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) — Oct. 16, 2024
• Home vs. Hiroshima Dragonflies (B.LEAGUE) — Oct. 30, 2024
• Home vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Dec. 18, 2024
• Home vs. Suwon KT Sonicboom (KBL) — Jan. 7, 2025
• Away vs. San Miguel Beermen (PBA) — Jan. 15, 2025
• Away vs. Taoyuan Pauian Pilots (P. LEAGUE+) — Feb. 5, 2025

‍

2023-24 HKBA A1 Statistic Leaders

• Points: Chris McLaughlin — 16 ppg
• Rebounds: Chris McLaughlin — 11.2 rpg
• Assists: Dominic Gilbert — 4.7 apg
• Steals: Dominic Gilbert — 1.5 spg
• Blocks: Chris McLaughlin — 1.5 bpg

‍