2025 was another successful year for EASL. It closed with a thrilling 2024-25 Final Four in Macau SAR, then rolled straight into the start of a historic 2025-26 campaign as the league expanded, rebranded, and delivered its longest and most competitive season yet.

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February 12, 2025 — Joseph Lin’s “Night-Night” 3 sends NTK to EASL Final Four 2025

One of the defining moments of 2025 came on February 12, 2025, at Xinzhuang Gymnasium, when the New Taipei Kings and the Meralco Bolts met in a true winner-take-all showdown on the final regular season gameday of the 2024-25 EASL season.

With a Final Four berth on the line, the game stayed tight throughout, with both teams trading baskets and neither side able to create real separation, pushing the showdown into double overtime. With 1:10 left in the second extra period, Joseph Lin buried a right-wing 3 to put it away, then hit the iconic Steph Curry “night night” celebration.

Lin finished with 19 points and seven assists in 44 minutes, sending the Kings to the Final Four, where New Taipei ultimately placed third at EASL Final Four 2025.

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March 9, 2025 — Hiroshima Dragonflies Win EASL 2024-25 Championship 

On March 9, 2025, the Hiroshima Dragonflies captured the 2024-25 EASL Championship, edging the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 72-68 at the Studio City Event Center in Macau SAR. Hiroshima was led by Dwayne Evans, who posted 18 points and 11 rebounds and went on to earn EASL Final Four MVP honors.

After finishing 4-2 in the regular season, Hiroshima went 2-0 in Macau S.A.R. to lift the trophy, marking the second straight season in the league’s two-year history in which a B.LEAGUE club from Japan won it all.

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EASL Rebrands and Expands Heading into 2025-26 Season

Ahead of the 2025-26 season, EASL took a major step forward, expanding from 10 to 12 teams and setting a 42-game schedule for the campaign. The league also widened its footprint across the region, featuring three clubs from Japan, a first-ever representative from Mongolia, and three teams from Chinese Taipei, creating more regional rivalries and more must-watch matchups.

The offseason also marked a new era for the league’s identity, as EASL introduced a refreshed logo and launched its seasonal brand campaign, #YourGame. Built around the fans who helped shape EASL from the beginning, the campaign was both a thank you and an invitation, recognizing the supporters who built the league while welcoming new audiences across Asia. 

With a bigger field and a broader stage, the 2025-26 season became a chance to show appreciation to the teams, partners, and fans throughout the region who made EASL’s third season possible.

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October 8, 2025 — EASL Tip Off 2025: The league’s 1st triple-header

On October 8, 2025, EASL tipped off the 2025-26 season with its first-ever triple-header, featuring three games in one night across two cities. The slate included two games in Taipei and one in Tokyo.

In Tokyo, Mongolia’s first-ever EASL representative, the Xac Broncos, made an immediate statement by defeating the home side, Alvark Tokyo. In Taipei, the action escalated quickly as the Taipei Fubon Braves outlasted the Utsunomiya Brex in double overtime, fueled by a 43-point eruption from Archie Goodwin in his EASL debut with the Braves. 

The nightcap then delivered another headline moment, as the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots pulled away from the Ryukyu Golden Kings in a rematch of their EASL Final Four 2025 semifinal earlier that year.

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November 1, 2025 — EASL Plays 1st-Ever Game in Mongolia 

On November 1, 2025, EASL reached another milestone with its first-ever game in Mongolia, played at M Bank Arena in Ulaanbaatar. In front of a home crowd, the Xac Broncos — nine-time champions of Mongolia’s “The League,” — earned a statement win over the New Taipei Kings, the reigning third-place finishers from the previous EASL Final Four, 90-76.

The Broncos set the tone from the opening tip, exploding for 35 points in the first quarter and carrying a 17-point lead into the second as they controlled the game throughout. Ian Miller delivered a historic performance with 40 points in 37 minutes, currently the second-highest single-game scoring output of the season, while Efe Odigie dominated the paint with 19 points and 21 rebounds. 

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November 15, 2025 — EASL Hosts Basketball In Cebu  

On November 15, 2025, EASL staged Basketball for Cebu, turning the Meralco Bolts vs. Macau Black Bears matchup at Cebu Coliseum into a night with a purpose. All ticket proceeds were directed toward supporting communities affected by the floods, earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters in Cebu, reinforcing that the event was about more than the game itself.

The weekend also included a grassroots component through EASL’s Future Champions Group, which hosted a camp for 70-plus local kids led by high-level coaches ahead of tipoff. On the court, Meralco delivered a 92-74 win powered by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who scored a game-high 34 points while playing all 40 minutes. Ismael Romero added a historic performance of his own, pulling down 28 rebounds, an EASL single-game record. 

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December 6, 2025 — PBA Legends Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Justin Brownlee Team Up

On December 6, 2025, EASL delivered a headline moment as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Justin Brownlee, two of the most recognizable stars in Philippine basketball, suited up together for the Meralco Bolts.

The duo’s pairing was made possible through a preseason arrangement that brought both players into Meralco’s 2025-26 EASL campaign, creating one of the most anticipated team-ups of the season.

The Bolts backed it up on the floor at The Capital Arena in Ilagan City, Philippines, edging the Macau Black Bears 93-91 to complete a season-series sweep. Sina Vahedi earned Player of the Game honors with 23 points in 25 minutes, while Brownlee filled the box score with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Hollis-Jefferson added 15 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, and Chris Newsome chipped in 10 assists, the Bolts’ first double-digit assist performance by a player this season.

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December 14, 2025 — Taoyuan Pauian Pilots Come Back From 26 Down For Biggest Comeback in EASL History 

On December 14, 2025, the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots closed the year with a statement win at Taoyuan Arena, defeating the Macau Black Bears 104-86 to move back atop Group B at 3-1 and finish 2025 ranked No. 1 in the EASL Power Rankings. The final score, however, does not capture the full story of the night.

Taoyuan’s victory required a historic turnaround, as the Pilots overcame a 26-point deficit, the largest comeback win in EASL history. Lu Chun-Hsiang earned Player of the Game honors with 26 points, four rebounds, and six assists in 33 minutes, while Alec Brown led all scorers with 27 points and reached 200 career EASL points in the process. Off the bench, Amdy Dieng provided a key lift on the glass, grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds.

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December 24, 2025 — Jameel Warney Becomes 1st-Ever Player to Score 300 EASL Points 

Right when it seemed like Jameel Warney had already written enough EASL history, he added another chapter on Christmas Eve. On the road against the previously unbeaten Taipei Fubon Braves (2-0), Warney powered the Seoul SK Knights to an 88-79 win that vaulted SK into first place in Group A.

Warney played all 40 minutes and finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, a performance that also made him the first player in EASL history to reach 300 career points. Earlier in the month, he became just the third member of the 200-point, 100-rebound club, securing his 100th rebound on December 17 against the Utsunomiya Brex.

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December 28, 2025 — EASL Stands with Tai Po: Assisting Tai Po Fire Relief Efforts

On December 28, EASL’s final gameday of 2025 produced a moment that went beyond basketball at Southorn Stadium, home of Hong Kong Eastern. All ticket and merchandise proceeds from the night were directed toward relief and reconstruction efforts following the Tai Po fire, which had impacted the Hong Kong community in late November. The evening opened with a moment of silence for the victims, setting the tone for a game played with added meaning.

On the court, Eastern delivered a statement performance in its first home game of the 2025-26 season, earning its first EASL win after an 0-2 start by defeating the Taipei Fubon Braves 103-93. It was also a historic night for the hosts, as all five starters scored in double figures for the first time this season. Cameron Clark led the way with 24 points in nearly 37 minutes.