EASL returns for a third straight home-and-away season with an expanded look to deliver a 42-game schedule which will be accessible globally through over 18 broadcast partners. PBA 2024 Philippine Cup champion Meralco will represent Asia’s first pro league in its third consecutive EASL appearance, this time bringing in import legends Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to team with Cuban 6-9 center Ismael Romero to make a strong push for the championship.
If three’s a charm for EASL, it could also be three’s a charm for the Bolts who’re poised to go all out for the $1 million first prize. PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said the league is backing up Meralco’s bid 100 percent, facilitating Brownlee’s transfer from Barangay Ginebra and Hollis-Jefferson’s loan from TNT.
EASL’s growth as the region’s top basketball conclave is nothing short of impressive. With FIBA’s full support, it has progressed from eight teams in its first campaign to 10 and now, 12. This season, Mongolia has joined the fray with seven-time national champion Xac Broncos bannering the entry in Group C with Alvark Tokyo, New Taipei Kings and Changwon LG Sakers. Group B is made up of the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, Ryukyu Golden Kings, Meralco and Macau Black Bears. In Group A are Utsonomiya Brex, Taipei Fubon Braves, Seoul SK Knights and Hong Kong Eastern. The cast lists three from Japan, three from Chinese-Taipei, two from South Korea and one each from Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia and the Philippines.
To welcome its third season, EASL has created a tagline #YourGame and new logo with a basketball on wings. ‘#YourGame is more than a campaign, it’s an open invitation,’ said EASL vice president and head of marketing Mat Morgan. ‘Whether it comes from us, our teams or the fans, it always says the same thing: This league is for you. It’s personal, cultural and built to welcome everyone into the story.’ As for the logo, EASL creative manager Hadrein Damalerio said, ‘We saw an opportunity to create a brand identity that not only stands out but stands for something.it reflects our ambition to build the most elevated basketball platform in Asia.the design bridges our previous typography with added symbolic motion, capturing the rising energy of basketball across Asia and our commitment to push it forward.’