IT seems financial troubles are not the only reason for the Bay Area Dragons’ disbandment.
SPIN.ph learned that the Dragons stopped basketball operations as team owner Matt Beyer faced scrutiny from Chinese basketball officials, who looked at the possibility of a conflict of interest involving him as the concurrent East Asia Super League (EASL) CEO and co-founder.
Conflict of interest for Bay Area Dragons owner?
“More than the money …I think that’s secondary,” said a source privy to the situation.
“You have a league, yet you have your own team? For sure, there is going to be bias,” added the source, who requested not to be named.
The source said the EASL is apparently under the jurisdiction of Chinese basketball officials, as well as the Dragons, a team based in Hong Kong, which is a special administrative region of China.
Bay Area finished third in the EASL Champions Week a few months ago.
The Dragons were set to return to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup with the same core of locals, led by Hayden Blankley, Zhu Songwei, Kobey Lam, Glen Yang, and Duncan Reid, that helped the guest team give Barangay Ginebra a scare before wounding up as the runner-up in the last edition.
There were even plans for the Dragons, coached by Australia national mentor Brian Goorjian, to host home games in Hong Kong, while also joining the league in some Commissioner’s Cup games in Macau.
But just two weeks after Bay Area announced its retooled roster, the news about the Dragons’ disbandment broke out, with players’ contracts terminated during an online meeting.
Without a team, Beyer is expected to continue managing the EASL, which is set to open its inaugural home-and-away season on October 11, with Meralco replacing Ginebra as the Philippine representative.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
