MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on my Mind) - Asian basketball is rapidly growing, and though the focus has been on national team play, the effect of well-run professional leagues has also been undeniable.

As Asian hoops continues to be more inclusive, the level of competition all over the continent continues to rise, and this naturally has an effect on the talent level that can be found available for national teams as well.

In this week's column, I will look at five of, in my opinion, the best professional basketball leagues in Asia. Here they are:

Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)

Perhaps the most talent-laden pro league in Asia, the CBA just finished its 23rd season by crowning the Liaoning Flying Leopards as 2018 champions. It was the first title for Liaoning, and many view it as a sign of a changing of the guard in the CBA, which has traditionally been dominated by the Guangdong Southern Tigers, Bayi Rockets and Beijing Ducks. What makes the CBA extra special, however, is how it has become a viable alternative destination for ex-NBA players. Instead of plying their trade in Europe or elsewhere, a number of former NBA talents have chosen to cross halfway around the world and play in China. These include Stephon Marbury, Michael Beasley and, yes, even the now infamous JR Smith. The CBA is among the biggest leagues in Asia and currently has 20 teams with their previous season going from 2017 October to 2018 May.

Korean Basketball League (KBL)

The KBL is another favorite of mine mainly because of Korea's history of title contention in the entire continent. It seems like no matter what the year or tournament, Korea are able to send very good teams that will always be in contention for a spot on the podium, if not the title itself, and this helps raise the profile of the KBL, which just concluded its 22nd season this past month. The Seoul SK Knights, bannered by national team stalwart Kim SunHyung, rose to the top and claimed the 2018 KBL title, and he is sure to wow the crowds again by the time he suits up for Korea in the third window. One element that set the KBL apart before was their unique way of employing foreign players. For most leagues, teams would just scout for these foreign players and make them offers right off the bat, but in the KBL's case, they used to hold a one-of-a-kind KBL Foreign Players Draft. Starting in the 2018-2019 season, though, the KBL will experiment with a "free contract signing" framework.

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)

The PBA distinguishes itself by being the oldest professional basketball league outside of the NBA, tracing its roots way back to 1975. Its role in helping the Philippines become a bona fide hotbed of basketball cannot be overstated, and it remains a critical element in the sports and entertainment fabric of the country and its people. What's interesting about the PBA is how, unlike most other professional leagues, the teams are not geographically-based. Instead, teams are sponsored by corporations and have no "home" or "away" games. In effect, the teams, especially the expansion clubs, have to build their fanbases from the ground up by way of winning. Perhaps the most unique aspect of the PBA is how it doesn't crown a single champion every season. Instead, it employs a novel format with three "shorter seasons" or conferences making up the entire PBA regular season. Each conference (i.e. the Philippine Cup, Commissioner's Cup, Governors' Cup) runs for anywhere from 3-4 months and crowns its own champion. The rarest and most deified feat for any PBA team is to bag a Grand Slam, which means they get to win all three conferences in a single season. To date, only four teams have won Grand Slams - the Crispa Redmanizers, the San Miguel Beermen, the Alaska Aces and the Magnolia Hotshots (then known as the San Mig Coffee Mixers).

Japanese B.League

This is the youngest league on this list, but it's also one of the most promising. Stemming from Japan's controversial years of having two top tier professional leagues, the B.League was born, and now it is thriving. The B.League just ended only its second full season, crowning the Toyota Alvark as the champions of the First Division. It has parallel elements with European-style football leagues where promotion and relegation take place, and this adds to the excitement by upping the stakes even for the teams that don't make it to the Playoffs. After the 2017-2018 season, the Toyama Grouses and Kumamoto Volters were both relegated to the Second Division, while the Akita Northern Happinets and Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka were promoted. Taking all the teams of all three divisions into account, the B.League is also the biggest professional league in Asia with a total of 45 teams.

Lebanese Basketball League (LBL)

The country of Lebanon is known for its people's passion for basketball, and not surprisingly, this is evident in their show of support for their respective LBL clubs. Foremost among these are Al Riyadi and Sagesse, whose rivalry is legendary and has been coined the "Derby of Beirut." Both teams are historically the main feeders for the Lebanese national team, and it's no shock that they have - between them - won all but two titles of the LBL's 24 seasons. There may be a new power rising, however, with the Homenetmen Beirut BC ascending to the throne for the first time in history led by promising talents Hayk Gyokchyan, Elie Chamoun and Karim Zeinoun. If this dynamic in the league continues, then that may usher in a new era of greatness and vibrance in the LBL.

Honorable mentions:
ASEAN Basketball League (ABL)
Indonesia Basketball League (IBL)
Super Basketball League (SBL)

Enzo Flojo

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