The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) is going to revolutionize the college basketball scene in Asia. So prepare for its thrilling maiden voyage in the summer of 2025! Jay Li, the CEO of the AUBL, has an ambitious plan for the league. From there, he hopes to get the best colleges from Japan, China, Korea and more involved, all while developing basketball’s next up-and-coming stars.
The AUBL has impressive backing from deep-pocketed investors including Joe Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. Armed with this support, the AUBL is poised to transform the Asian talent scouting procedure for NBA hopefuls. Inaugurated in August 2025 by a 12-team, single-elimination tournament of the top Asian collegiate basketball programs, the league’s inaugural season will precede that tournament. Significant participation includes University of Hong Kong and Peking University from China.
The month-long tournament will conclude with a “Final Four” style championship tournament, with the overall champion being crowned. Following this debut event, the AUBL will grow its schedule in 2026. To help ensure wider participation and visibility, this expansion will feature home games and road games.
Jay Li wants to pave the way for the NBA’s next Asian superstar via this cutting-edge league. He went on to explain how valuable the AUBL is to developing talent throughout Asia.
“It’s good for the development of the talent,” – Jay Li
Li was especially passionate about his vision for the AUBL. He sees it as a key hub for NBA scouts to find up-and-coming talent.
“So what I see with the AUBL is in the future, I think this is the platform where the NBA scouts will not want to miss out on our games because the next generation of NBA stars will be coming and playing at this platform because we’re basically a champion of the best Asian colleges,” – Jay Li
The new AUBL is laser-focused on making college basketball the main event in Asia. These changes should allow scouts to more readily identify players with potential. With more than a billion basketball fans in Asia, the opportunities for career advancement as well as organizational growth are limitless.
At its launch, Joe Tsai iterated the significance of the AUBL. He thinks it could be a major cornerstone for building youth talent across the globe.
“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,” – Jay Li
Tsai shared a passion for the power of college sports to connect and inspire their communities.
“As a former student-athlete, I appreciate the value of college sports for both participants and their communities,” – Joe Tsai
The league’s structure capitalizes on the deep-rooted competition among top-tier universities in Asian society, where these institutions are highly regarded. In short, this fierce competitive spirit should lead to a highly spirited and competitive environment to play basketball.
The AUBL has generated enthusiastic interest from universities all over Asia. It has further piqued the interest of schools in Australia and beyond, demonstrating its capacity to grow into a genuinely international league.
This new endeavor certainly has a great deal of excitement. We have to acknowledge that, historically, very few Asian players have played in the NBA. Cui Yongxi made recent headlines as the seventh Chinese-born player to join the league. His achievement makes clear the urgent need for more pathways for Asian athletes.
The AUBL aspires to change that narrative by providing a structured environment where young athletes can develop their skills and gain exposure on a larger stage.
Leave a Reply