Regardless if you love or hate them, the Bay Area Dragons added a new dimension of excitement to the PBA.
OKBET players loved betting on games involving the Dragons, and fan interest in games involving the Dragons was also high. The record attendance during Game 7 of the Commissioner’s Cup final was evidence of the hype their entry created in the league.
With the quality of basketball and the amount of attention the Dragons generated for the league, people within the Philippine basketball scene began discussing whether this partnership could extend beyond the most recent PBA conference.
Matt Beyer, the East Asia Super League’s CEO, said that both parties experienced benefits due to this partnership. They are open to more opportunities for Bay Area to play in future PBA Conferences.
Moreover, they opened the door for the league to expand to the Asian market. Beyer promised to help the Philippines’ premier professional basketball league get major rights deals in China and the greater Asian market. They also suggested that games be played in Macau or Hong Kong.
The EASL opened this possibility to the PBA due to the high quality of basketball they saw. The record viewership they saw from local hoops fans also made it a good idea for them to try to build a foothold in the Philippine market.
While it’s unlikely that they will topple the PBA in terms of local viewership, it will help expand their reach in the basketball-crazy nation.
Bay Area Learned From PBA Stint
The Bay Area Dragons fell short of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup title after a solid finals series. Still, head coach Brian Goorjian is happy with his team’s experience.
Goorjian highlighted the importance of international competition after his team’s loss to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings at the Philippine Arena. He stressed that the teams, the league, and the Asian basketball scene would improve if teams regularly competed with their neighbors.
The six-time NBL champion also shared that the atmosphere at the Philippine Arena and the gritty play of the Gin Kings will help his team grow as players. He said that his team had never played against a team like Ginebra, which should help sharpen their basketball skill by leaps and bounds.
Should the EASL and PBA work something out about Bay Area’s return to the league, Filipino basketball fans should expect a much more competitive Bay Area squad.
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