KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia) - An opportunity to further grow what has been a rich team history lies ahead for Taoyuan Pauian as another road to the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) opens up next week.
The Pilots are among the eight competing teams of the first BCL Asia-East set to commence with its first window on March 24 at the MABA Stadium, motivated not just to make a mark in another international foray like what they've done recently but, of course, to go back and fight in the continent's highest club competition.
History
Go back, you wonder? That's because as new as they may sound and look for some fans, the club has already experienced playing in that big of a stage - in the erstwhile FIBA Asia Champions Cup, that is.
Then carrying the Pauian banner, the Chinese Taipei entity has played there twice, with their last stint in 2018 in Nonthaburi, Thailand where they finished sixth in the tournament conquered by Petrochimi of Iran.
Major changes would then take place within the organization in the coming years. In 2020, the five-time Super Basketball League champions opted to split the team into two, one of which joined the P. League+ following the latter's establishment in that same year, becoming Chinese Taipei's first fully professional league.
The team was actually known as the Taoyuan AirApe at that time, but was rebranded as the Taoyuan Pilots on November 2020. And about two years later, they opted to add their sponsor's name, Pauian Archiland Construction, to their branding, becoming known as the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots from then on.
They've written quite a solid resume under their present banner. After reaching the the 2023-24 P. League+ Finals, they finished as runners-up in the East Asia Super League (EASL) Final Four 2025 in Macau just recently.
Now, they're definitely looking to book a spot in the BCL Asia 2025, where the champion by tournament's end won't just be crowned as Asia's best but will represent the region in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
Emblem
Players to watch
Lu Chun-Hsiang became known by even more fans in Asia when he struck the dagger to help Chinese Taipei beat the Philippines at home during Window 3 of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers last February.
And we may soon see such heroics in the BCL Asia-East, as he's captaining a Pilots side that tote a number of former youth and men's national team cogs like Lin Cheng, Li Chia-Kang, and Lil Pai Yao-Cheng, to name some.
Taoyuan are expected to compete with practically the same team it fielded in the recent EASL, which could mean that reinforcements Alec Brown and Treveon Graham are running it back with the crew.
The Pilots are one of the first four teams set too see action in the opening window of BCL Asia-East 2025 from March 24-27 at the MABA Stadium. To see their complete schedule, click here.
FIBA