Bay Area Dragons ‘exciting prospect’ for Goorjian
Six-time Australian National Basketball League (NBL) champion Brian Goorjian has been selected as the first head coach of Hong Kong’s Bay Area Dragons.
Goorjian – who led Australia’s national team to a maiden Olympic medal in Tokyo last summer – is widely considered one of the most successful coaches in the NBL, and has played an integral role in the development of Asian basketball.
He coached in the China Basketball Association (CBA) for more than a decade and became the first foreign coach of the year during the 2013-2014 CBA season.
The 68-year-old will lead the newly formed franchise – which has temporarily based itself in Manila – for the next two seasons.
“Being the first guest club in the Philippine Basketball Association in two decades while competing in the premier league in Asia, East Asia Super League, is an exciting prospect,” Goorjian said.
In March, the Dragons said they would relocate to the Philippines for their inaugural season, to avoid travel-related restrictions in their home city of Hong Kong.
The Dragons will also compete in the Philippines league as well as the eight-team pan-regional East Asia Super League (EASL) that is set to launch in October. Goorjian will manage a roster of top free agents from Hong Kong, the mainland, Taiwan and Macau for its local players.
Like all EASL teams, the club will also have one Asian import and two foreign import players to round out its roster.
“Brian Goorjian is one of the best coaches in the world and holds a deep understanding of Asian basketball,” East Asia Super League CEO Matt Beyer said.
“Without a doubt, he will make this club very competitive. He’s developed some of the best players in Asia and coached the best teams. Goorjian’s accolades speak for themselves.”
Bay Area Dragons general manager Liu Quansheng insisted that with Goorjian at the helm, his club was in good hands.
“As the first-ever Chinese club to play internationally in a foreign league, the goal of our organisation is foundation and to build a team that’ll be at the top of the standings. Coach Goorjian is the first step in doing so,” Liu said.
The opening of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup is expected to begin in the Philippines in October. The EASL’s inaugural home-and-away, pan-regional format season also begins in October, with eight teams competing.
The champions and runners-up from the previous Japan B. League, Korea KBL and Philippines PBA seasons will qualify to compete in the EASL. The Bay Area Dragons and the championship team from Taiwan’s P. League+ will be the Greater China representatives.
There are plans to expand the league, potentially giving the leading clubs from the Chinese Basketball Association access to the international competition.