The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL), founded by CEO Jay Li, is set to launch this summer, featuring elite college basketball programs from across Asia. With backing from investors like Joe Tsai, the league will host its inaugural single-elimination tournament in August with 12 top programs. Li envisions the AUBL as a central force for youth talent development, aiming to create basketball stars similar to Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin while tapping into Asia's vast fan base. Future plans include a full season in 2026 and international participation beyond Asia.
"One thing people didn't know about before is, hey, there are a lot of good colleges in Asia that are world-leading institutions, very famous schools, but they also have fascinating basketball programs and there is already an existing following," Li told ESPN.
"And the AUBL is really just bringing that to another level. And we are not just an Asian basketball league. We could be the centerpiece of youth talent development for the entire world when it comes to developing Asia's next Yao Ming, Asia's next Jeremy Lin."
"In Europe, the pipeline of young talent is very strong, but the commercial value of basketball is lagging behind there, right? That's why the NBA, they're trying to expand their presence globally."
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