Longtime Hong Kong national player Duncan Reid banners the initial roster of the Bay Area Dragons set to compete in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and the coming East Asia Super League in October.
The club announced the lineup on Thursday as it starts preparations for its two major campaigns under multi-titled head coach Brian Goorjian.
The 6’9” Reid is widely regarded as the best player in Hong Kong SAR, a five-time Hong Kong A1 Division champion and played in the country when it hosted the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championship.
Reid will be joined by 7’5” China national team center Liu Chuanxing, along with China national team youth and 3×3 player Zhang Zhiyuan, guard Kobey Lam of NCAA Division 1 school University of Charleston, former Hong Kong scoring champion Scotty Ewing, Song Jianhua, Zheng Qilong, among others.
“We’re building this team to be competitive right off the bat. Ultimately our goal is to win games and establish a strong culture that will allow the players to excel and sharpen their skills against the best competition the region has to offer,” said Goorjian, the six-time Australian NBL champion who led the Boomers to their first ever Olympic medal in last year’s Tokyo Games.
Goorjian and Bay Area Dragons general manager Liu Quansheng have also established a coaching staff made up of world-class individuals with extensive experience and robust networks, such as former NBA executive, Bryan Colangelo.
In addition to top Chinese talent, the club will also employ two top foreign imports with former NBA or top European league experience as well as one Asian import.
“Adding Coach Goorjian was the first step in building a team that competes with the best. Now we’re working with top players from Greater China to deliver a product that Chinese fans everywhere can be proud of and continue to elevate the level of Chinese basketball,” said Quansheng.
In March this year, the Bay Area Dragons and the PBA announced the newly established club will join the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup as a guest team due to COVID-induced travel-related obstacles in the Dragons’ home city of Hong Kong SAR, making the Dragons the first guest ball club in the PBA in nearly two decades.
Created to represent Greater China in East Asia Super League games as well as travel to play top teams across the region and world, the Dragons franchise is dedicated to be the top professional basketball team in the Greater China region with a combination of top free agents from Greater China.