Bay Area Dragons

The Bay Area Dragons are a professional basketball team in the East Asia Super League. Based in Hong Kong, the team is meant to represent the Greater China region.

Bay Area Dragons
Bay Area Dragons logo
LeaguesEast Asia Super League
Philippine Basketball Association (guest team)
Founded2021
HistoryBay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes (2021–2022)
Bay Area Dragons (2022–present)
LocationHong Kong
General managerLiu Quansheng
Head coachBrian Goorjian

History

The Dragons were originally formed as the Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes, a franchise team for the East Asia Super League, representing Greater China. Hong Kong was made as the home venue of the Phoenixes.[1] Both the Phoenixes and the P. League+ champions of Taiwan were designated by the EASL as Greater China's representatives.[2]

The team was established under the agreement of the Hong Kong Basketball Association and Chun Yu Basketball Club.[3] The Phoenixes are the only franchise team in the EASL, with other participating teams seeded from domestic leagues from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines.[1]

Former Chinese Basketball Association general manager Liu Quansheng was appointed as the team's first general manager.[3][4]

They entered the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association as a guest team.[5][6] The team also changed their name to the Bay Area Dragons upon joining the PBA, to avoid confusion with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters.[7][8][9] In May 2022, former NBL coach and incumbent Australia Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian was announced as the team's first head coach.[10]

The Bay Area Dragons reached the 2022–23 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals, becoming the fourth guest team to reach the last stage of a PBA competition.[11] However, they would lose to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, 4–3.[12]

Roster
Bay Area Dragons roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.Name
G 0 Hong Kong Scotty Ewing
G 1 Hong Kong Glen Yang
F 6 China Si Kun
F 8 China Zhu Songwei
F 9 China Ju Mingxin
G 10 China Liu Xiaoyu
F 11 Australia Hayden Blankley
G 13 United States Myles Powell
G/F 15 Canada Warren Liang
F 16 China Song Jianhua
C 21 China Liu Chuanxing
G/F 22 Canada Kobey Lam
F 25 China Zheng Qilong
C 31 China Zhang Zhiyuan
F/C 33 Hong Kong Duncan Reid
F/C 44 Canada Andrew Nicholson
Head coach

Australia Brian Goorjian

Assistant coach(es)

Philippines Pocholo Villanueva[13]
United States Bill Tomlinson

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Honours

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)

Runners-up (1): 2022–23 (Commissioner's Cup)

References
  1. Moura, Nelson (1 December 2021). "2022 East Asia Super League format to include new GBA basketball team franchise with local players". MacauBusiness.com. Macau News Agency. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  2. "East Asia Super League Debuts Season 1 of Premier Home-and-Away Pan-Regional League in 2022". East Asia Super League. Retrieved 22 February 2022. The newly formed Bay Area Chun Yu Phoenixes and the championship team from Chinese Taipei's P.LEAGUE+, will be the Greater China representatives.
  3. McNicol, Andrew (1 December 2021). "East Asia Super League wants to bring professional basketball team to Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  4. Aye, John (1 December 2021). "EASL looking to rise as world's third-biggest league". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  5. "EASL Greater China rep to see action in PBA". PBA.ph. February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  6. Joble, Rey (12 August 2022). "Bay Area Dragons' Myles Powell, Liu Chuanxing look forward to playing in PBA". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  7. Ramos, Gerry (19 March 2022). "PBA to welcome first foreign guest team in 22 years". Spin.ph. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  8. Naredo, Camille (21 March 2022). "Hong Kong's Bay Area Dragons to join PBA as guest team". Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  9. "EASL Members | Bay Area Dragons". East Asia Super League. East Asia Super League Ltd. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  10. "Bay Area Dragons appoint NBL legend Goorjian as head coach". South China Morning Post. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  11. Terrado, Jonas (18 December 2022). "Bay Area goes for kill vs San Miguel Beer". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  12. "Ginebra pulls off Game 7 rout of Bay Area before biggest PBA crowd ever". Spin PH. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  13. "Cholo Villanueva tapped as Bay Area Dragons deputy coach". ABS-CBN News. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
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