The Ryukyu Golden Kings have become the first team this season to secure a postseason spot in the 2024-25 East Asia Super League (EASL) Final Four, following an impressive 4-0 run in Group B. The Golden Kings sealed their place in the tournament with a decisive victory over the New Taipei Kings, clinching a playoff berth with two games to spare.
The EASL Final Four will be held from March 7-9, 2025, with the champion set to take home a $1 million prize, the runner-up receiving $500,000, and the third-place finisher earning $250,000. For Ryukyu, this marks their first appearance in the prestigious event, and they will be looking to build on their strong regular-season performance.
Ryukyu opened their 2024-25 campaign with a thrilling 77-74 win over the Meralco Bolts on October 16 at Okinawa Arena. They followed that up with a narrow 96-93 victory over the Macau Black Bears on October 30 and a dominant 91-82 win against the Busan KCC Egis on December 4. Their triumph over New Taipei confirmed their place at the top of Group B.
A standout performer for Ryukyu has been offseason acquisition Keve Aluma, who is averaging 27.5 points per game, leading the team in scoring. Jack Cooley has been dominant in the paint, contributing 14.7 rebounds per game, while point guard Ryuichi Kishimoto has been dishing out 6.7 assists per game. In Ryukyu’s victory over New Taipei, Kishimoto earned EASL Player of the Game honors, scoring 20 points, including six three-pointers.
This marks the second consecutive season that a B.LEAGUE team has reached the EASL Final Four, following the Chiba Jets’ championship victory in the 2023-24 season. Ryukyu’s qualifications also reflect the growing strength of Japanese basketball on the East Asian stage.
Before adopting a home-and-away format in 2023-24, EASL hosted the Super 8 and Terrific 12 tournaments, where Ryukyu made their mark by winning the inaugural Terrific 12, defeating the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Having competed in the league’s inaugural season last year, where they finished third in Group B with a 3-3 record, the Golden Kings will now aim to surpass their previous performance in the EASL Final Four. Ryukyu will conclude their regular-season campaign with two away games—against New Taipei on January 8, 2025, and against Meralco on January 22, 2025.
