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The East Asia Super League (EASL) is officially set to raise the curtain on its new season with a twin opening in Taipei and Tokyo on October 8, 2025 — a move that reflects the league’s expanding reach and growing stature as Asia’s premier basketball competition.

All eyes in Taiwan will be on the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, which will host a blockbuster doubleheader featuring some of the region’s most decorated clubs.

The action tips off with a clash between the B.LEAGUE champions Utsunomiya Brex and the P. LEAGUE+ runners-up Taipei Fubon Braves. Utsunomiya, led by veteran guard Makoto Hiejima, entered as one of Japan’s most successful franchises. The Braves, meanwhile, look to prove their resilience after falling short in a grueling seven-game finals series last season, banking on the leadership of Chinese Taipei legend Lin Chih-Chieh.

The second game of the night brings a rematch between the P. LEAGUE+ champions Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings. Their last encounter came in the 2025 EASL Final Four semifinals, where Taoyuan stunned Ryukyu, 71–64. This time, the Golden Kings are eager for redemption, while the Pilots hope to reaffirm their place among Asia’s elite.

Game schedule (HKT):

• Utsunomiya vs. Taipei Fubon – 6:30 PM
• Taoyuan vs. Ryukyu – 8:30 PM

China came within a single basket of toppling Oceania powerhouse Australia in the FIBA Asia Cup final, bowing 90-89 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but sending a clear message that it remains a force in Asian basketball.

The Chinese squad, bannered by Hu Mingxuan and Hu Jinqiu, led by as many as 15 points through three quarters before faltering in the final minutes against the defending champions. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the performance was a reminder of China’s proud basketball heritage and its potential return to continental supremacy.

Gilas Pilipinas advanced to the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinals after triumphing over host nation Saudi Arabia in a tense 95-88 overtime victory on Monday, August 11 (Tuesday, August 12 in Manila) at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.

Justin Brownlee once again showed his ‘Never Say Die’ attitude after drilling a contested three-pointer with 3.7 seconds left to force the extra period. He went on to finish with 29 points, five assists, and four rebounds, paving the way for a quarterfinal showdown with two-time defending champion Australia on Wednesday, August 13.

Brownlee’s heroics set the stage for Kevin Quiambao, who buried two triples in OT to complete a 17-point performance alongside three dimes and three deflections.

"It was a special game, it was a special performance from both teams," said head coach Tim Cone. "They (Saudi Arabia) posed a lot of problems for us, and by all rights, they had the game won — except for the guy sitting to my right (Brownlee). If you know his history, that’s not unusual. He’s been hitting big shots."

AJ Edu anchored the middle with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists, while Dwight Ramos chipped in 13 markers, 10 boards, three dimes, and a rejection.

Beyond Brownlee’s late-game magic, the Philippines secured the win by neutralizing Saudi Arabia’s high-scoring duo of Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Mohammed Alsuwailem in the extra frame. 

Abdur-Rahkman erupted for 33 points on 8-of-14 shooting from deep, while Alsuwailem tallied 26 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks — but the two combined for only five points in OT as Gilas closed the door on the hosts’ upset bid.

The Scores:

Philippines 95 – Brownlee 29, Edu 17, Quiambao 17, Ramos 13, Fajardo 6, Tamayo 5, Thompson 4, Newsome 4, Malonzo 0, Perez 0, Aguilar 0.

Saudi Arabia 88 – Abdur-Rahkman 33, Alsuwailem 26, Almuwallad 10, Abdel Gabar 8, Ma. Almarwani 4, Belal 3, Kadi 3, Mo. Almarwani 1, Shubayli 0.

Quarters: 25-15, 40-37, 60-59, 79-79 (reg.), 95-88 (OT).

The Meralco Bolts have officially qualified for the East Asia Super League (EASL) for the third consecutive season, further cementing their place among Asia’s top basketball teams.

Meralco will once again be the lone representative of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in the 2025–26 EASL season. By making it back, the Bolts join Japan’s Ryukyu Golden Kings and Chinese Taipei’s New Taipei Kings as the only squads to participate in all three editions of the regional league.

The Bolts first joined the EASL during its inaugural 2023–24 season, where they endured a tough introduction to international play. But that experience helped spark their historic 2024 PBA Philippine Cup championship run, where they dethroned the San Miguel Beermen and clinched a second straight EASL appearance.

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has officially opened applications for the 2025 Rookie Draft ahead of its 50th season, which will open on October 5, 2025.

Application forms are now available at the PBA office in Libis, and interested applicants have three weeks—from August 4 to 29—to submit their requirements and become eligible for the draft proceedings scheduled for September 7, 2025.

Requirements for applicants are as follows:

Local players:

• Two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures
• Original copy of PSA birth certificate
• School records (if 19 years old)
• Duly accomplished application form

Fil-foreign players:

• Valid Philippine passport
• School records (if 19 years old)
• Two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures
• Duly accomplished application form

As the Philippine Basketball Association celebrates its 50th season beginning on October 5, 2025, the league is also eyeing to play more games outside the country to reach even the fans abroad.

In a meeting yesterday, July 30, the PBA board of governors already approved official games to be played in Dubai on October 25 and in Bahrain on December 15 and 17.

Not only that, the league is also in the process of sealing deals to bring games to Abu Dhabi, Doha (Qatar), Saudi Arabia, and even as far as New York, according to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial.

Another thing that can spice up the golden season is the possibility of inviting foreign guest teams again—this time from Macau, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.

"They're all interested to play in the PBA, and the board is willing to accept their participation. Pwede ngang silang tatlo," said Marcial.

"Malamang sa import-laced conference. Hindi pa lang natin alam kung sa Governors' Cup o sa Commissioner's Cup," he added.

Norman Black is set to coach the Gilas Pilipinas Men’s team in the upcoming 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, scheduled from December 9 to 20.

Current Gilas head coach Tim Cone earlier announced that he would not be able to call the shots for the SEA Games due to a scheduling conflict with the 2025–26 PBA Philippine Cup, which will be in full swing during the tournament. Cone will instead focus on steering the national team in the opening window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers from November 24 to December 2.

With Cone stepping aside, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) tapped Black to take over. The 66-year-old veteran coach currently serves as the federation’s head of player identification and development and also works as a consultant for the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA.

The TNT Tropang 5G refused to go down quietly as they kept their Grand Slam aspirations alive with a crucial 86-78 victory over the San Miguel Beermen in Game 5 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals on Wednesday night, July 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With their backs against the wall and the championship on the line, the Tropang 5G came out firing, displaying urgency and hunger from the opening tip. TNT quickly established control behind a strong first-quarter performance, jumping to a 27-20 lead. Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser spearheaded the early assault, dropping 14 of his 18 points in the opening frame. The athletic big man also tallied five rebounds, one assist, three steals, and a game-high five blocks in a dominant all-around showing.

It was a total team effort from TNT, with several players stepping up to deliver in the do-or-die game. The ageless Kelly Williams showed flashes of his former MVP form, finishing with 14 markers, seven boards, and two assists. Calvin Oftana and Jordan Heading provided steady contributions with 13 points apiece, while RR Pogoy and Almond Vosotros chipped in 11 markers each. Vosotros, in particular, delivered clutch baskets and energy plays that turned the tide in TNT’s favor, earning recognition as the x-factor of the night.

The Beermen, who were aiming to close out the series and clinch their 30th PBA title, found themselves playing catch-up for most of the contest. Jericho Cruz once again led San Miguel with a game-high 20 points and four rebounds, continuing his string of strong performances in the finals.

Marcio Lassiter and June Mar Fajardo tried to rally the Beermen back, scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively. Fajardo, the 12-time Best Player of the Conference, also anchored the paint, but San Miguel struggled to find consistency on both ends, especially in crunch time when TNT’s defense clamped down.

Despite several attempts to mount a comeback, the Beermen were unable to overtake the Tropang 5G, who displayed poise, hustle, and defensive tenacity to protect their lead until the final buzzer.

The win breathes new life into TNT’s grand slam bid—having already captured the Commissioner’s Cup and the Governors’ Cup earlier this season. A win in this Philippine Cup would secure the franchise’s first-ever Grand Slam and only the sixth in PBA history.

Game 6 is now set for Friday, July 25, at 7:30 PM at the Philsports Arena, with the momentum slightly shifting in favor of TNT. Another win would push the series to a thrilling Game 7, while a San Miguel victory would seal yet another championship for the storied franchise.

One thing is certain: with the stakes higher than ever, Game 6 promises fireworks as two of the league’s powerhouses battle it out for PBA supremacy.

The scores:

TNT 86 – Ganuelas-Rosser 18, Williams 14, Oftana 13, Heading 13, Vosotros 11, Pogoy 11, Aurin 4, Khobuntin 2, Heruela 0.

SMB 78 – Cruz 20, Lassiter 15, Fajardo 13, Tautuaa 9, Trollano 8, Ross 6, Perez 5, Rosales 2, Brondial 0, Teng 0, Tiongson 0.

Quarter Scores: 27-20; 41-31; 59-53; 86-78.

The San Miguel Beermen have tied the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals at 1-1 after defeating the TNT Tropang 5G, 98-92, in Game 2 on Wednesday, July 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Don Trollano delivered a breakout performance off the bench, tallying 22 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed six rebounds and handed out an assist, leading San Miguel's charge to equalize the series.

June Mar Fajardo provided solid support with 17 markers, nine boards, three dimes, and one steal. Mo Tautuaa also stepped up, sealing the win with a wide-open layup to close the game without any controversy. He ended with 16 points and four rebounds.

Jeron Teng made his presence felt with 10 markers—all in the first half—while assistant playing coach Chris Ross showcased his trademark leadership and defensive intensity, wrapping up the game with seven points, four rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.

The Beermen started strong with a 23-19 lead in the first quarter, then widened the gap with a 28-20 second period to take a 51-39 advantage at the half. However, TNT responded with a 35-24 third-quarter run to trim SMB’s lead to just one, 75-74, entering the fourth and final quarter.

For TNT, Calvin Oftana kept his team in the hunt with 23 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal. He was followed by Jordan Heading with 15 markers, two boards, and one deflection.

Tropang 5G big men Kelly Williams and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser also scored in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Meanwhile, Poy Erram finished with six points in 15 minutes of action before leaving the game due to a sprained ankle.

With the series now tied, both teams look to gain the upper hand in Game 3 on Friday, July 18, at 7:30 PM at the Big Dome.

After a close Game 1 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup Finals — marred by the “basket interference” controversy — protagonists San Miguel Beermen and TNT Tropang 5G now focus on winning Game 2.

San Miguel, the winningest franchise in PBA history, will try to tie the series at 1-1 while moving past their opening game loss, which was clouded by the PBA technical committee’s review of Mo Tautuaa’s dunk.

They will once again bank on the dominance of eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, along with CJ Perez and the rest of the squad, to get the equalizer.

On the other side, TNT — eyeing the first grand slam in franchise history — will again lean on RR Pogoy, who returned in Game 1 after missing the latter part of the semifinals. Pogoy was named Best Player of the Game after finishing with 24 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 2-of-2 from the four-point line. He even knocked down a buzzer-beater before halftime to give TNT a 61-41 lead after leading just 28-22 at the end of the first quarter.

In that game, SMB tried to erase the 24-point deficit but still trailed by 19 at the end of the third period.

In the fourth and final canto, the Beermen mounted a comeback and even briefly took the lead. There was an exchange of three-pointers between Chris Ross and Pogoy at the end game before a jump ball was called — which then led to the controversial review.

TNT will also continue to rely on the brilliance of Jordan Heading and Calvin Oftana, along with their frontcourt unit of Poy Erram, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and 2007–08 MVP Kelly Williams to contain Fajardo’s impact.

Now that both teams have moved on from their first encounter, the question is: who wants it more heading into Game 2, set later tonight — July 16, 7:30 PM — at the Smart Araneta Coliseum?

The TNT Tropang 5G are back in the Finals—and the grand slam dream is still alive.

TNT powered past the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 116-95, in Game 6 of their PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals on Sunday, July 6, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. With the win, they secured their third consecutive Finals appearance and stayed on course for what could be the franchise’s first-ever grand slam.

Jordan Heading led the charge, finishing with 29 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals in a statement performance that helped TNT close out the series, 4-2.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser added 17 markers, five rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in a complete two-way showing. Glenn Khobuntin posted a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Kim Aurin and Calvin Oftana chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.

“All we wanted was to give ourselves a chance… these guys—they don’t know the meaning of quit,” said TNT head coach Chot Reyes, recalling the team’s early 0-3 start in the conference and their climb back into title contention.

On the Rain or Shine side, Caelan Tiongson dropped a game-high 30 points alongside six rebounds and an assist. Andrei Caracut and Adrian Nocum contributed 15 and 11, but the Elasto Painters had no answers for TNT’s late surge, especially during a 14-2 blast sparked by Heading and Ganuelas-Rosser in the final frame.

San Miguel Beermen made a statement in Game 4 of the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals, against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 107-82, on Wednesday night at the Mall of Asia Arena to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

CJ Perez spearheaded the charge with a near-complete performance, tallying 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block in almost 35 minutes of action. His energy sparked a game-changing 17-0 run in the fourth quarter that broke the game wide open for the Beermen.

Juami Tiongson added 14 points, while June Mar Fajardo turned in another monster game with 12 markers, a game-high 19 boards, three dimes, two deflections, and a rejection.

San Miguel’s well-balanced offense saw five players score in double figures, including Jericho Cruz and Rodney Brondial with 12 apiece, and Don Trollano who chipped in 11.

Game 5 is set for Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with both powerhouse squads looking to seize control of the series and inch closer to a Finals berth.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel bounced back in style, securing a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup semifinals series with a 100-90 win over the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

RJ Abarrientos came up huge with a near triple-double performance—24 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists—leading the Gin Kings back on top after dropping Game 2.

Jamie Malonzo added 20 points with four rebounds and two assists, while Japeth Aguilar chipped in 18 markers alongside seven boards, two dimes, three steals, and two blocks in a vintage two-way showing.

Ginebra also got key contributions from Scottie Thompson and Stephen Holt. Thompson tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, while Holt recorded 10 points, seven boards, and a deflection.

For San Miguel, Don Trollano kept them in the fight with 22 points and three rebounds. JuneMar Fajardo posted a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, along with three dimes and a block.

CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz added 11 points apiece, while Juami Tiongson rounded out the Beermen’s double-digit scorers with 10.

Ginebra edged SMB 23-20 in the opening quarter, but the Beermen fought back strong in the second to take a 50-46 halftime lead. That momentum didn't last, as Ginebra responded with a commanding 25-14 third period to retake control at 71-64, then sealed the win with a 29-26 finish in the final frame.

“I’m just real proud of the guys for steadying themselves,” said head coach Tim Cone. “We figured a couple of things out. I felt we played with a really good tempo, and then RJ played tremendous down the stretch to keep them at bay.”

Game 4 is set for Wednesday, July 2, at 5:00 PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters broke through in their best-of-seven semi-finals series in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup, taking Game 3 in dominant fashion with a 107-86 win over TNT Tropang 5G on Sunday, June 29, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Anton Asistio powered the Elasto Painters with a personal playoff-high 24 points off the bench. He also tallied six assists and a rebound in just under 29 minutes of action, going 7-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-3 from the four-point arc.

Caelan Tiongson added 16 markers, four rebounds, one assist, and a block, while Keith Datu delivered a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double performance to go with two assists and a rejection.

Leonard Santillan contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Andrei Caracut chipped in 10 points, four assists, and four steals, helping Rain or Shine build early momentum and keep control through most of the game.

TNT, on the other hand, struggled without RR Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Rey Nambatac. Calvin Oftana led the Tropa with 16 points and eight rebounds but registered a -22 plus-minus while shooting just 1-of-6 from deep. Simon Enciso and Glenn Khobuntin added 12 points each.

As widely projected, the Dallas Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — officially ushering in a new era for the franchise.

Flagg will give a new look at the Dallas franchise after the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to Los Angeles ahead of last season’s trade deadline. The Mavericks got a lot of backlash with that decision, but drafting Flagg—a highly touted prospect out of Duke—offers hope that brighter days are ahead.

The 18-year-old forward will join a retooled Mavericks roster that’s poised to compete right away. He’ll be joined by Anthony Davis, one of the league’s top two-way bigs, and Kyrie Irving, who just inked a three-year extension with the team. Klay Thompson also remains in the fold, bringing his signature shooting and veteran leadership.

Key rotation pieces like Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington is all expected to return healthy and ready to contribute. Meanwhile, Dallas is reportedly the frontrunner to sign D’Angelo Russell in free agency — a potential offensive boost while Irving works his way back from a season-ending injury suffered in the 2024 playoffs.

Flagg won’t just have talent around him — he’ll also have guidance. He’s set to be coached by Jason Kidd, one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game, now tasked with shaping Flagg into the league’s next franchise superstar.

Draft night got even sweeter for Flagg when two of his Duke teammates also landed in the Top 10. Kon Knueppel went 4th overall to the Charlotte Hornets, while Khaman Maluach was taken 10th by the Phoenix Suns — making it a landmark night for the Blue Devils program.