Bay Area Dragons to play as guest team in next PBA Governors' Cup

A foreign team is making its way to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) again.

On Monday, the East Asia Super League (EASL) announced that the Bay Area Dragons will join Asia's first play-for-pay basketball league in the next edition of the PBA Governors' Cup.

The Hong Kong-based Dragons will be composed of free agents from Hong Kong, Macau, Chinese Taipei, and Mainland China. The team is made up to represent Greater China in the EASL.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial welcomed the development in the league.

"This is a great opportunity for the PBA with the Dragons competing in the PBA," Marcial said in a press conference. "They will learn from us and we will also learn from them."

The team is expected to stay in Manila from August 2022 to March 2023. As a guest team, the Dragons will also be eligible for the Governors' Cup title, as they will comply with the same import requirement.

Aside from playing in the PBA, EASL CEO Matt Beyer also hopes that the team will be able to play with Gilas Pilipinas. "I hope this is something we can work with the PBA."

This is not the first time a foreign team will play in the PBA. The most recent time this happened was back in 2004 when the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and the US Pro-Am Selection played as guest teams in the PBA Fiesta Conference.

This development is part of the PBA's multi-year partnership with the EASL.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA News