BEIRUT (Lebanon) - National team events did take the spotlight this 2025 bannered by the FIBA Asia Cup, but the year that's coming to a close also proved to be a banner year for club competition in this continent.
The 2024-25 season should go down as the busiest that the said scene has been through to date, as seven high-level events involving ball clubs from all regions were held across 11 months - for almost a year, yes.
Of course, the focus was centered on the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) but equally exciting was the action that came from various routes the teams took en route to the highest club tilt in Asia.
The road toward the erstwhile FIBA Asia Champions Cup began back in October 21, 2024, when the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) commenced with the Gulf League to kick off its fourth season in existence.
And by March 4 of this year, both Sub-Zone Leagues were in action as the WASL-West Asia League opened, albeit with a different format as it was played in a double round-robin - both held in the Lebanese capital.
It was also later in March when a new meet was launched. The inaugural BCL Asia-East was held, which provided another BCL Asia pathway for teams from Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Nearly two months later, the BCL Asia picture would gradually take shape.
Al Riyadi, for one, successfully defended their WASL throne following a mighty sweep of the 2025 Final 8 last May 10-18 in Beirut - an opportunity they earned after completing a 'three-peat' in WASL-West Asia.
The Yellow Castle bannered the WASL ensemble to the grand stage as they were joined by runners-up Tabiat Basketball of Iran and UAE powerhouse Shabab Al Ahli, who also conquered the WASL-Gulf League.
Two weeks later, two more tickets were secured after Ulaanbaatar Xac and the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots reached the title bout of the BCL Asia-East Final 4 in Mongolia, with the Broncos winning the crown, 86-77.
And these quintet would go on to join four others - the PBA's Meralco Bolts, CBA side Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, B.League champs Utsunomiya Brex, and the Changwon LG Sakers of the KBL - in the BCL Asia in Dubai.
It was the second time in a row that the contest was held in the 'City of Gold' and Riyadi wanted an encore of the 2024 edition and become the first since Mahram Tehran in 2010 to win the title in back-to-back fashion.
The story, however, didn't turn out the way they wanted. They bowed to the Brex in a thrilling Final, 94-93, with DJ Newbill knocking down the go-ahead trifecta with 23.6 seconds left to dethrone the Lebanese side.
It was the first time that the coveted championship was brought to Japan in six years or when Alvark Tokyo defeated, coincidentally, Riyadi in the Final of the 2019 festivities held in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Newbill would go on to win Tournament MVP honors and bannered the All-Star Five which also featured BCL Asia-East MVP Ian Miller, who towed the Broncos to a bronze-medal finish by beating Shabab Al Ahli.
Utsunomiya would go on to represent Asia in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025, FIBA's highest club competition, in Singapore last September, which was eventually won by Unicaja Malaga for successful title defense.
From October to June, there was indeed no shortage whatsoever of elite-level club basketball in Asia, which underscores the efforts of FIBA in growing and promoting the game of basketball in this continent.
But it wasn't just the men's side which received much attention.
The women's game has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years and the same goes in Asia, especially with another staging of the Women's Basketball League Asia (WBL Asia) last September as well.
A total of six ball clubs participated in its second offering, namely league pioneers Fujitsu Red Wave and Cathay Life, Dongguan New Century, Busan BNK Sum, the Ulaanbaatar Amazons, and Al Ula Club.
Still, another Chinese team emerged triumphant as Dongguan won it all, beating their Japanese foes in the Red Wave convincingly in the Final, 95-67, with Yang Shuyu starring with 23 points to snare MVP honors.
They have become just the second team ever to rule Asia's premier women's club competition after Sichuan Yuanda Meile won the inaugural festivities last year, thus ensuring that the tiara stays within China.
Given all these, fans and pundits alike can look forward to yet another exciting club season ahead in 2026.
FIBA