Due to unfortunate circumstances, we have missed the last three iterations of the Asian Champions Cup due to Covid-19 related concerns. Meaning the last run of the cup was back in 2019 when Alvark Tokyo from Japan came out winners in Nonthaburi, Thailand. They beat Al-Riyadi Beirut in the final 98-74 to lift the trophy. Al-Riyadi Beirut beat Alvark Tokyo in the group stage prior to the final round. However when it really mattered most they couldn't quite get to the same level.
Though there hasn't been any concrete news surrounding the 2023 iteration of the Asian Champions Cup, everyone in the Asian Basketball scene is hoping we can get back to business this year and, with the Chinese Basketball league in its final game weeks, the Korean Basketball and Philippines leagues both in the closing stages and the Japanese League well underway with around 15 or so games remaining, the players will be looking forward to hopefully getting back underway in the Asian Champions Cup.
Today, we will be looking at something a little bit different. We're going to be taking a look at the top 5 American players that have moved across to Asia to ply their trade in the region. These players could have been born, raised or even trained in the US before they decided to make the switch and transfer across to a team based in Asia. So without further hesitation, this is our list of the top 5 American players currently playing in Asia.
First up there's Dominique Jones, the Florida born Point Guard has been plying his trade in Asia for a while now and has represented the Jilin Northeast Tigers for 4-5 seasons. Jones spent time in the NBA with the Mavericks where he won an NBA Championship, but he was originally drafted by the Grizzlies in 2010, 25th Overall. He currently has the highest Efficiency Rating in the entire CBA for the 22-23 season. Then there's Antonio Blakeney. The 26-year-old Shooting Guard was born in New York and spent 2 years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. Unlike Jones, Blakeney never won an NBA Championship, however he was voted NBA G League Rookie of the Year. He currently has the highest points per game in the CBA with 32.58 across 24 games.
Switching over to the B League in Japan, we have Perrin Buford, the 29-year-old Guard Forward who was born in Decatur Alabama. Buford never made it to the NBA, unfortunately but has spent his professional basketball career across many nations, including Italy, Australia, Turkey and is currently playing in Japan for Shimane Susanoo Magic. Right now he tops the charts with the most points per game with 22.2 in 46 games, with 35.4 MPG.
Another switch sees us moving to the Lebanese league this time, specifically Kevin Murphy, who plays for Al Riyadi Club Beirut. The 33-year-old Shooting Guard was born in Atlanta, Georgia and has represented the Utah Jazz in the NBA. Murphy has been named in the Asia Champions Cup all-star and first teams, as well as winning the award for being the top scorer, all in 2019. He is currently in his first season with Al Riyadi and has played really well when called upon, averaging 33 points per game in his 2 appearances.
Finally, I want to focus on a player in the Philippine Cup, Mike Williams who plays for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters. Try saying that name 5 times fast. Williams is a 31-year-old Guard who was born and raised in Van Nuys, California. He was undrafted in the 2014 Draft but is currently the glue that holds the Tropang Texters together. He tops the team in minutes, assists and is second in points with 18.8 helping his team to a record of 8-3 for the season so far. The question remains now, how many of these players will be in the 2023 Asian Champions Cup, should normal service resume.
Now that we've taken a look at our list of the best American players it's time to take a look at some of the upcoming fixtures in the Asian scene, as we mentioned earlier, all of the key leagues are still ongoing, starting with the CBA. League Leaders, Zhejiang Golden Bulls, take on the Shanghai Sharks who are still fighting for a top 4 spot, hoping to claim one of the guaranteed Quarter Final spots in the playoffs!
Many regulated online sportsbooks will have odds for these leagues, and we've scoured them to find the best odds for the games we're talking about today. So, the Golden Bulls are understandably favorites here with -425, returning $6.17 from a stake of $5. The Sharks on the other hand are +265 underdogs, returning $18.25 from that same stake of $5. Next up in the Korean league, we have the team who knocked out Anyang KGC, the Orions, as they have started their quarter-finals series against Mobis Phoebus on the wrong foot, losing game 1 of the best of 3 with a 86-71 loss.
For the next game, Orions are the underdogs, coming in at +265 which returns $18.25 from a stake of $5. Mobis Phoebus however, come in at -330 to take the series in 2, returning $6.51 from a stake of $5! Finally, the FLB as Al-Riyadi take on Beirut Club, Although Beirut Club are ahead of Al-Riyadi in the League, they actually come in as underdogs here with odds of +265 returning $18.25 from a stake of $5. Al-Riyadi are at -375 favorites, returning $6.33 from the same stake as above. Will we be seeing any of these teams playing in the Asian Champions Cup this season?
That's going to do it for this one. What do you folks think of our list? Are there any players missing from the list that you would put up here? If we change things up and switch the subject over to an all-time list, do any of these players that we listed make that list? If not, how close do we think they get or what do they need to do to push into that elite list? Finally, are there any Americans currently playing in the NBA or the EuroLeague right now that you folks would love to see make the move over to Asia? Excluding the obvious ones like LeBron James and Steph Curry etc. of course!
Now some questions for Asian fans in general! Firstly, how have you guys been enjoying the basketball this season? How have your teams been performing? Have you had the luxury of watching your team storm ahead in their respective league or is it a 'rebuild' season? We all tell ourselves that when our team struggles, it's okay. As for the Asian Champions Cup, is 2023 the year we finally bring it back or does Asia need more time to adjust to the new ways of life that were brought along with Covid-19? The rest of the world seems to have gotten things back to normal quite quickly with the EuroLeague underway again. One thing is for sure, we'll be excited by any news regarding the Asian Champions Cup and I'm sure you all will be too!
