Rumors

Thousands of Vietnamese refugees actually settled in Oklahoma City after the fall of Saigon in 1975. There are about 30,000 Oklahomans who have Vietnamese roots, according to a story about the Vietnamese Asian community in 2023 by The Oklahoman newspaper. It is not uncommon for Vietnamese and Asian fans to attend Thunder games wearing Jaylin Williams jerseys and for them to approach her and her son for pictures and autographs, Linda Williams said. “The Vietnamese community here has been so gracious,” Linda Williams said. “They call me family here. [Season-ticket holder] Long Tran calls me Cuz when he sees me. You see so many Vietnamese fans with Jaylin’s jersey on. They reach out to him on Instagram. And here, they take selfies with me. It’s been really delightful to be with the fan base here.”

Andscape

Dirk Nowitzki on Luka Doncic trade: I was shocked too. That’s a good word for it. We were on a family trip, had been in Europe for a long time, even in winter, then traveled through Asia a bit. At the end of the trip, we were in the Maldives, just relaxing at the beach. It was literally the last day, and I was in my room, about to pack my things. Then suddenly, my phone exploded with calls and messages from all over the world. I immediately went on Twitter, read the news, and at first, I was just shocked—like everyone else. I don’t think anyone saw it coming that the Mavs would ever trade Luka. So for me, it was totally unexpected, completely out of nowhere. I was so stunned that I just put everything aside. We were supposed to go for a quick lunch with the family before flying out, but instead, I sat in my room for an hour, scrolling through X, trying to figure out if it was real. Some people were saying that the entire trade was fake, that Shams’ account had been hacked. It took a few minutes before it was finally verified. Then I just followed the reactions—every player was posting something about it. The entire league, the entire basketball world was in shock.

YouTube

Basketball is huge in Asia, especially in China, and decision makers in places like Singapore, Macau and beyond are eager to add new forms of entertainment to boost local tourism. This is not a Saudi-led project. “The thesis is simple: basketball is a global game, and the world wants more of it,” said Neil Meyer, global co-head of media and telecom at UBS.

ft.com

The league is exploring opening a new academy in another part of the world where it can improve the basketball infrastructure. It is considering the Middle East and Asia. The United Arab Emirates would make sense as a likely favorite to be that new hub, though the NBA has not settled on a choice yet.

New York Times

Stephen Curry is joining a club few professional athletes can relate to: the retail space. Curry is set to be in Asia next week promoting the launch of his Curry 12 shoe with Under Armour, and while over there, the Warriors star will open a Curry Brand store in Chengdu, China.

Front Office Sports

Shams Charania: 2020 Lakers reunion: DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard and Quinn Cook will play together on the Taiwan Mustags in the Asian Tournament in July, sources say. Howard serves as a player and part-owner of the Taiwan league.

Twitter

The NBA has announced a multiyear partnership with K-pop girl group Le Sserafim. As part of the "Friends of the NBA" program in Asia, Le Sserafim will attend NBA games, create exclusive content, and participate in league promotions. This collaboration aims to connect with fans at the intersection of sports and music.

ABS-CBN News

The NBA has a new partner ... and it's none other than K-pop group LE SSERAFIM!! Adam Silver's organization announced the big collaboration this week ... saying the quintet of musicians will headline the NBA's celeb and influencer operation in Asia. The Association hopes the group's popularity will help expand its fanbase overseas ... similar to what it did when it enlisted BTS' Suga as an ambassador. It seemed like a pretty "Smart" move -- especially considering Chaewon, Yunjin, Sakura, Kazuha and Eunchae are quite the hoop heads.

TMZ.com

A new chapter in the storied career of Asian basketball phenom Jeremy Lin begins this week, as he leads New Taipei Kings into their first game of the East Asia Super League 2023-24 Season. Jeremy is playing at the P. LEAGUE+ team alongside his brother Joseph, in a combination that is capturing the imaginations of basketball fans across Asia.

TalkBasket

“It was very tough,” he recalled being ruled out from the World Cup held in Asia during the offseason, “The day I made the decision, not me, as a group we made a decision. I had to tell the coach that I was not going to be able to play. It was very tough.” “It has not bothered me at all,” he added on his current health status, following the international competition and heading to the NBA Regular Season, “The medical staff did an incredible job of loading slowly. I wanted to go right away as soon as I got here to play pick-up the first day. But they held me back a little bit. I listened to them and it’s been going perfect, ready for training camp and ready to go.”

EuroHoops.net

Nick DePaula: The first ANTA sneaker that @KyrieIrving will headline this upcoming NBA season — the Shock Wave 5 Pro — is launching today in a black “Debut” colorway across Asia. pic.twitter.com/lbNRxqzOhp

Twitter

The Philippines continues to be one of the biggest markets of the NBA outside of the US, as data showed that more than half of the country follows the league. According to newly minted NBA Asia Managing Director Ramez Sheikh, their data shows that there are more Filipino NBA fans than there are non-NBA fans — giving due to the country's reputation as basketball-crazed.

philstar.com

Keep an eye on Taiwan as an emerging option for NBA players looking to continue (or revive) their careers in Asia. Dwight Howard stunningly signed earlier this month for a reported seven figures with the Taoyuan Leopards and, with two relatively new leagues in Taiwan, other teams there will inevitably try to counter with their own marquee signings as an alternative for players who don't want to play in China. Enes Freedom and Isaiah Thomas, I'm told, are targets for Taiwanese clubs. Ditto for 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony ... though it's widely presumed that Anthony, at 38, is holding out for another NBA opportunity after appearing in 69 games for the Lakers last season.

marcstein.substack.com

East Asia Super League: Andrew Nicholson (@nicholaf44) and Myles Powell (@YDWILU) are joining the Bay Area Dragons. These ex-NBA Players are ready to embark a new journey in Asian basketball as they join the Dragons to compete in the East Asia Super League tipping off this October 2022.

Twitter