NEW TAIPEI CITY (Chinese Taipei) - The club is relatively young but the New Taipei Kings have already written accomplishments that make not only their city but all of Chinese Taipei beaming with much pride.
And definitely, they would want to add more to their lore by qualifying for the prestigious Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) through the ongoing BCL Asia-East 2025.
History
Owned by Kings Blessed Investment, the organization was founded in 2021 by Chairman Walter Wang and served as one of two expansion teams that joined the P. League+ (PLG) back in the 2021-22 season.
And in just their third season, the Kings reached the pinnacle of success when they won their maiden league crown following a gentleman's sweep of the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, 4-1, in the 2023-24 Finals.
New Taipei would become part of history the month after that feat. They became one of the seven founding members of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League, which opened shop last October.
The club has gone on to achieve major victories outside of Chinese Taipei as well. They've reached the Final Four of the last two East Asia Super League seasons, including a third-place finish in the 2024-25 edition.
It's worth noting that their success is also thanks to their staff and front office. They have former Qatar and Japan head coach Tom Wisman as a deputy, and ex-player Chia En Mao as their general manager.
Emblem
Players to watch
Lee Kai-Yan earned Finals MVP honors in their PLG championship run and has since become a major cog to Coach Ryan Marchand's rotation, and so he's expected to deliver once more in their upcoming campaign.
But it's not just him which fans should keep an eye on when New Taipei begin their BCL Asia-East run on April 27 when they host Thailand powerhouse Hi-Tech Basketball Club at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
The squad features former Chinese Taipei men's national team veteran Lu Cheng-Ju and another seasoned internationalist in Lin Chin-Pang, who competed n the Champions Cup with Pauian in 2016 and in 2018.
Expected to reinforce the Kings, meanwhile, are Austin Daye and Sani Sakakini, both of which could be making their way back to the FIBA club competition ecosystem after previously playing in FIBA WASL.
The Kings are part of Group B together with Hi-Tech, the Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos of Mongolia, and Singaporean outfit Adroit Club. To see their complete schedule, click here.
FIBA