Basketball Champions League Asia

Basketball Champions League Asia

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The Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) is an annual continental club men's basketball competition organised by FIBA Asia. It is the highest level club competition for basketball in Asia and it replaced the FIBA Asia Champions Cup,

In 1981 the FIBA Asia Club Championship was introduced and, the competition was rebranded in 2004 as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup. It lasted until 2019.

In 2024, a new tournament was launched, the Basketball Champions League Asia as the continent's top tier club competition.

History

Earlier iterations (1981–2019)

The Asia Champions Cup was organized by the Asian Basketball Confederation in 1981, when the inaugural tournament was hosted in Hong Kong. The first-ever champions were the Bayi Rockets from China. In 1995, the name of the competition was changed to the ABC Champions Cup. After the ABC became integrated in FIBA in 2004, the competition was rebranded as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.

In the 1990s, FIBA announced plans to expand the Intercontinental Cup with the teams from the BCL Asia, Basketball Africa League (BAL), NBL, and the NBA, at some point in the future.

Al Riyadi Club Beirut and Sagesse from Lebanon are the most successful clubs in the history of the competition, having won three titles each. Clubs from Lebanon and Iran have the most combined titles, with a total of six each.

BCL Asia era (2024–present)

In 2024, it was announced that the tournament will be renamed as the Basketball Champions League Asia, a name in line with other continental competitions in the Americas and Europe. The 2024 edition was the 29th top-tier club competition in Asia following a 5-year hiatus.

In 2025, the BCL Asia qualifying rounds renamed as BCL Asia – East.

The winner of the competition gets a spot in the annual FIBA Intercontinental Cup tournament.

The Basketball Champions League Asia is a premier professional basketball tournament that brings together the top teams from across the Asian continent to compete for regional supremacy. Featuring high-intensity games, skilled athletes, and strategic gameplay, the league showcases the best of Asian basketball talent. Fans can expect thrilling matchups, electrifying atmosphere, and a celebration of the sport's growth and popularity in the region. The tournament aims to elevate Asian basketball on the global stage, fostering competition, sportsmanship, and unity among participating nations.