PBA to hold some Commissioner's Cup games in Hong Kong

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Basketball Association is lining up official games of its Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong matches will feature guest team Bay Area Dragons, who established their home turf at the Southorn Stadium for its campaign in both the PBA and the East Asia Super League.

“Nasa table na iyan, two or three official games in Hong Kong,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial told The STAR on Wednesday.

Marcial said details will still be finalized on the dates of the HK sortie and the PBA ball clubs that will face the Dragons there.

The PBA exec added that the plan to hold only one game per playdate at the Dragons’ lair in the import-flavored conference slated for an October tip-off.

Bay Area will return to the PBA after a successful stint in last season’s Commissioner’s meet. The Dragons finished a fighting second to Barangay Ginebra and figured in an epic Game 7 witnessed a record 54,589 crowd at the Philippine Arena.

“The PBA is very excited to add in a Hong Kong element to our upcoming Commissioner’s Cup and we look forward to the Bay Area Dragons team rejoining the PBA,” said Marcial.

The Dragons announced their new home base Wednesday ahead of the 2023-24 EASL Season. The team is set to host the Gin Kings, Japan B. League champs Ryukyu Golden Kings and KBL runner-up Seoul SK Knights in the EASL calendar.

“We expect the Dragons to bring Hong Kongers immense excitement, inspiration and pride,” said EASL CEO and co-founder Matt Beyer. “The Dragons’ games will be the hottest sports tickets in town.”