While the NBA Draft has dominated the headlines for the Brooklyn Nets, their owner, Joe Tsai, has recently made headlines in support of the new Asian University Basketball League.
The collegiate league is designed to feature several schools in China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, giving these players a wider platform to play in front of. The league's debut is set to be played with their inaugural tournament on August 18th and will be played in Hangzhou, China.
This tournament will feature 12 different teams, including China’s Taiyuan University of Technology and Peking, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Tsinghua and Zhejiang universities; the University of Hong Kong; Japan’s Hakuoh and Nippon Sport Science universities; Korea’s Dongguk, Konkuk and Yonsei universities; and National Chengchi University of Taiwan.
While the first dozen or so games will be played in this tournament style, the AUBL has already discussed its plans for the 2026 season having home-and-away games that span through six months and end with a final four format much like the NCAA's final four.
Tsai has been known to invest in new leagues across the sports world, as he is also the owner of the WNBA's New York Liberty. In fact, investing through Blue Pool Capital, Tsai has also been linked to the Premier Lacrosse League, Fanatics and Just Women’s Sports, to name a few.
Tsai will be hopeful this year's 2025 NBA Draft is a bit more friendlier to his Brooklyn Nets than seasons prior as his team sits with the 8th overall pick in the draft and a plethora of options to choose from.
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