The Super Basketball League, commonly referred to by its acronym SBL is a semi-professional basketball league in Taiwan. Presently, there is a Super Basketball League for men and women.
Founded in 2003, the SBL is widely perceived as a successor to the Chinese Basketball Alliance, a professional men’s basketball league that was formed in Taiwan in 1994 but disbanded five years later in 1999. The Super basketball League plays under the rules prescribed by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
This article briefly discusses the Super Basketball League and its current status.
Super Basketball League History
In 1994, the Chinese Basketball Alliance was formed and immediately took basketball by storm in Asia. Many tend to confuse it with the Chinese Basketball Association, which has recruited popular former players from the NBA.
The CBA League in Taiwan was quickly recognised as one of the top leagues in the continent and contributed to boosting the development of professional basketball in East Asian countries, including South Korea and China.
However, after five years of its establishment, the CBA collapsed due to financial problems. Hence an exciting but short-lived era of professional basketball came to an end in Taiwan. Following the CBA’s collapse, there was a four-year hiatus until the Super Basketball League was formed in 2003.
Sadly, the Super Basketball League enjoyed only a few years of popularity. It reigned over the professional basketball landscape in the country, and that time is remembered as the Golden era of Taiwan’s basketball history.
Soon enough, there was a power struggle within the league, and local basketball authorities received negative exposure driving basketball spectators away and causing professional’s basketball dwindling popularity in the country. Top Taiwanese players were lured by higher leagues and better remuneration within Asia, such as the PRC’s CBA. This led to a further decline in the popularity of the Super Basketball League. The league games managed to attract only a few hundred in the crowds as the matches had lost their appeal.
At the same time, basketball happens to be one of the most popular sports among the locals, particularly in the younger generation. Young children from middle and elementary schools are huge fans and have NBA players as their idols. If you happen to be in Taiwan, you will see youngsters from schools and colleges playing on local courts.
However, more attention is paid to domestic basketball than professional basketball. As a spectator sport, local leagues like the Super Basketball league seem to be struggling to attract the crowds on the courts and the TV. NBA matches are closely followed throughout the country, however.
In 2020, Taiwan’s professional league, the P League was formed, which is considered to be the first professional league after the CBA. Meanwhile, the Super Basketball League continues to make efforts to make its mark in professional basketball.
Super Basketball League’s current status
Besides the men’s SBL, Taiwan also has a women’s SBL, which was formed in 2004 and currently has four teams. Since its inaugural season, one of its founding teams, Cathay Life, has been the reigning champion.
Currently, the Super Basketball League for men has four teams as well, including the Bank of Taiwan, Changhua BLL, Taiwan Beer, and Yulon Luxgen Dinos. The former clubs include the Dacin Tigers, which now plays in the A-League, the Fubin Braves, which is now part of the P. League, Kaohsiung Jeoutai Technology which dissolved in May 2022, and the Taoyuan Pauian Archiland, which has lent its spot to Changhua BLL.
How long is the SBL season?
A regular SBL season usually runs from late October to early May. One season comprises two preseason games, regular season games that vary according to the number of teams participating, and playoff rounds after. Bank of Taiwan was the champion in the SBL 2021-22 season.
The games are usually scheduled on Thursdays to Sundays. Most teams do not have an arena, so the games are usually played on one court one after the other. Moreover, most of the games are held in Taipei.
However, the SBL has also strived to organise a few weeks of the season in other cities in the southern and central parts of the country to increase SBL’s visibility among the locals and encourage people to take an interest and participate. While the regular season games are not much of a crowd puller, the playoffs do much better.
How is the SBL format different from NBA?
Since the SBL plays under FIBA rules, the game duration is shorter than NBA, the three-point line is also shorter, and players have fewer fouls, whereby they are disqualified on the fifth foul made personally.
Does the SBL have foreign players?
SBL teams have local and foreign players, both of which have different procedures for being inducted into the team. A team can have one imported player, while imported players were not allowed in the early years.
Which are the best super basketball league teams?
In the context of Taiwan basketball, specifically the SBL (Super Basketball League) Taiwan, the best teams are distinguished by their achievements and historical performance. The Yulon Luxgen Dinos and Taiwan Beer are prominent in this regard. The Yulon Luxgen Dinos, as of the 2022-2023 season, were the reigning champions, marking their 6th title. They have a history of strong performances, including winning three consecutive league titles from 2003 to 2006. Taiwan Beer, on the other hand, shares the record for the most titles with the Dinos, having also won six championships. Their consistency is noteworthy, with four consecutive finals appearances from 2005 to 2009.
Currently, the SBL comprises four teams: Bank of Taiwan, Changhua BLL, Taiwan Beer, and Yulon Luxgen Dinos. This small number of teams makes the league highly competitive, with each team having a significant impact on the league’s dynamics. The successes of Yulon Luxgen Dinos and Taiwan Beer in the league underscore their status as two of the best teams in Taiwan’s top basketball league, SBL Taiwan.
