By Kelvin Lim
Major Basketball League is back for its second straight season. This is a positive sign for Malaysian basketball as the journey for consistency in organizing a top tier club competition has always been a struggle.
Prior to Major Basketball League, the original Malaysian Basketball League (MBL) ran from 1995 to 1999, followed by National Basketball League (NBL) (2002-2011), Malaysia National Basketball League (MNBL) (2012-2013) and finally Malaysia Pro League (2017 and 2019).
Another jarring fact is the struggle for Malaysian basketball clubs in committing to participating in top tier club competitions, thus making it difficult to build a loyal fan base. From 1995 to 2019, there have been more than 30 clubs participating in the MBL, NBL, MNBL and MPL.
For the 2023/2024 season, five of the six inaugural 2022 season teams will return with the only change seeing Pegasus Brunei replaced by UCSI Rising Star.
What’s different this season?
1. The one World Import and two South East Asian Imports quota has been changed to two World Imports per team with a maximum combined monthly salary of 12K US Dollars.
2. Each team will take charge on the organization of their respective ‘home circuit’ in an effort to encourage teams to take ownership on the administration of the league and to also allow teams to earn 100% of the ticket sales revenue
3. There will be mid season All Star 3×3 Challenge held during Christmas weekend.
4. Invited foreign guest referees will play a role this season in an effort to boost further development of Malaysian referees.
Now let’s take a closer look at the teams and our predictions on how they’ll perform.
As of now, Singapore Adroit has yet to release their roster details, hence we’ll give them a skip for now.
You can check out the full team rosters and statistics at this link
(These predictions are the personal opinion of the writer)
NS Matrix Deers
Last season’s champions enter the season led by their new American Head Coach in Felton Sealey, who coached the Malaysian National Team from 1998-2004.
With their stacked line up of top Malaysian talents including Ting Chun Hong and Wong Yi Hou, it will be hard not to predict NS Matrix to get the two-peat since the bulk of the roster has been playing together for several years, winning a mountain load of domestic honors along the way.
Their paint general Amir Williams returns to the team after leading them to the championship last year and helping the team to a semi finals appearance at this year’s ASEAN Basketball League season.
His import partner will be Dequan Abrom, an American guard who most recently played for the Mandurah Magic in NBL 1 Australia, averaging 24.2 PPG and 5.5 APG
An interesting roster decision was made to allow three key veterans, big men Kuek Tian Yuan and Mak Lok Seng along with point guard Teo Kok Hou to play for Sunrise Youngsters this season.
This should allow NS Matrix to further test the mettle of their young twin tower duo of Sharwin Siva Ragu (210 cm) and Dhayalan Vadivelan (203 cm) along with their up and coming guard prodigies, Eman Ajmal and Michael Munnesvicky.
With Sharwin and Dhayalan on the team, it’s no surprise that NS Matrix has the tallest roster this season, averaging a height of 191 cm.
Prediction: Two-peat champions and top of the regular season standings.
Key Local Player To Watch:
None other than the undisputed best player in Malaysian basketball, ‘Mei Mei’ Ting Chun Hong. The do it all athletic scorer and defender led all locals in scoring last season, averaging 21.9 PPG
Local Young Prospect To Watch:
Hiew Jia Hao. The 22 year old exciting guard and Finals MVP of the 2022 Malaysia D-League is poised for a breakout season after averaging 8.1 PPG en route to the championship last year.
Notable Player Movements
Incoming: Dequan Abrom (Mandurah Magic), Tan Wei Long (KL Aseel), Sharwin Siva Ragu (NS Matrix U23), Dhayalan Vadivelan (NS Matrix U23)
Outgoing: Kuek Tian Yuan, Mak Lok Seng, Teo Kok Hou (Sunrise Youngsters)
Johor Southern Tigers
Last year’s runners up blazed the competition in the regular season, finishing as the No.1 seed with a 9-1 record but ultimately couldn’t handle the Amir Williams powered NS Matrix, getting swept in the finals.
Featuring a talented local roster of 11 Johoreans, the organization has rejuvenated the Johor basketball scene with the Southerners reaching their first Agong Cup Final in 12 years earlier this month.
On the import front, the Southern Tigers have replaced last season’s MVP, Tevin Glass with 26 year old American stretch center, 2.06 m Arinze Chidom who most recently averaged 14.9 PPG and 7.8 RPG with Polish team, Gorni Walbrzych, helping them to a runners up finish.
Their second import is a player all too familiar with the regional basketball scene, the deadly sharpshooting Thai American Moses Morgan who returns for his second Major Basketball League stint after averaging 27.6 PPG and 9.2 RPG for Singapore Adroit last year, leading the league in scoring and made three pointers.
With the impressive additions of Chidom and Morgan and a bulk of last year’s team returning, including their deadly guard triple threat combo of Heng Yee Tong, Lim Chee Wei and Lee Joon Kang, the chemistry of Johor Southern Tigers’s players will certainly put them in title contention once again.
Prediction: A finals showdown repeat against NS Matrix is likely but a slight lack of local experience compared might see them falling slightly short again.
Key Local Player To Watch:
A quietly underrated versatile point forward, John Wong Khai Chiek is a player that might not be the flashiest but brings a sense of calmness that is often a winning factor in any team he plays on. At the recent Agong Cup, he was the only player to average double digits in scoring and rebounds and finished the tournament with an impressive statline of 14.8 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 5.2 APG and 4.3 SPG, including a memorable semi final triple double performance of 30 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and 6 steals
Local Young Prospect To Watch:
22 year Sarawakian John Tang Jun Kai has long been touted as a future Malaysian star since he impressed for the National U16 team at the SEABA U16 Championship in 2017. His most recent standout performance was averaging 14.5 PPG for the Southern Tigers on their run to a runners up finish at the recent U23 Malaysia D-League season.
Notable Player Movements
Incoming: Arinze Chidom (Gorni Walbrzych) Moses Morgan (Singapore Adroit) John Tang Jun Kai (Pegasus Brunei) Damian Ghai Chong Kee (Sunrise Youngsters)
Outgoing: Tevin Glass (Changhua BLL)
KL Aseel
The popular KL Aseel bursted into the Malaysian Basketball scene after the pandemic and was quick in establishing their ambitions in dethroning NS Matrix with several high profile signings like Maegen Mahadevan, Tem Zhen Jie, Wee Yong Gan and Joshua Gan.
After a promising start to their 2022 season with an impressive defeat of NS Matrix, the team slumped to a five game losing streak and barely made it to the playoffs before succumbing to a tame sweep by Johor Southern Tigers.
Since then, KL Aseel has seen improved fortunes, capturing the 2023 AsiaBasket International Championship with impressive victories over top Filipino collegiate teams along the way.
The lack of high level imports last season proved to be a big factor to their underwhelming season and the team has spared no punches this year, bringing in an impressive duo of powerhouse 207 cm Guyana National Team Center Anthony Moe and 28 year old guard Anton Gill, who was once a four star rated NCAA recruit in 2013.
Retaining their core local lineup from last season with the addition of the experienced former National Team center Kwan Yoong Jing, KL Aseel look poised to improve on their 2022 performance.
Predictions: A strong challenger to Johor Southern Tigers for the No.2 seed and if things go their way with team chemistry, a finals date with NS Matrix is very much a possibility.
Key Local Player To Watch:
Despite being only 25 years old, volume scorer Tem Zhen Jie has been around the Malaysian basketball scene for a while now and was a part of the back to back Malaysia Pro League championship Farmcochem team and has also featured for the National Team. A memorable performance by Zhen Jie, etched in Malaysian basketball folklore was 33 points in only 19 minutes of play at the 2018 SUKMA Championship.
Local Young Prospect To Watch:
Standing at 1.95m, 22 year old Lee Jing Hung has been labeled as a key pillar of the future of Malaysian Basketball and was a member of the SEA Games team this year. Jing Hung’s heroics for KL Aseel led the organization to two consecutive U23 Malaysia D League finishes and the expectations for him to perform this coming season will be high.
Notable Player Movements
Incoming: Anthony Moe (Brujos), Anton Gill (Al-Hashd), Kwan Yoong Jing (FA)
Outgoing: Tan Wei Long (NS Matrix), Lim Wan Seong, Chua Wai Kin (UCSI Rising Star)
Penang Sunrise Youngsters
The kings of Penang basketball with history dating back to 1934 are back with renewed vigor after barely missing out on playoffs qualification last season with a heartbreaking final day overtime loss to Singapore Adroit.
The team has also been hard at work in developing their brand with a series of entertaining Hokkien videos aimed at promoting the opening circuit in Penang
On the court, the mainly Penangite local roster has been enhanced with help from a trio of National Team veterans in stretch big Kuek Tian Yuan, strong center Mak Lok Seng and the crafty point guard, Teo Kok Hou.
Similar to KL Aseel, the lack of a high level American import was a factor in Sunrise Youngster’s dismal 2022 season and the team has certainly upgraded in the import department with the signings of Jordan Tolbert and Cameron Satterwhite.
Tolbert is a 2.01 meter strong veteran center, well familiar with the Asian basketball scene, having played for a variety of Taiwanese teams in the past few years while Satterwhite is an explosive athletic 26 year old guard with playing experience in the Netherlands and Albania.
Despite the additions of their American imports and the veteran trio, only Jayson Lee and 2023 Agong Cup MVP, Goh Yan Qing has substantial playing experience at pro league level and it might still be a tall order for Sunrise Youngsters to qualify for the playoffs.
Predictions: An improved performance but the team might miss out on the playoffs again due to a lack of depth, experience and chemistry on the locals front.
Key Local Player To Watch:
24-year-old speedy Penang local shooting guard Jayson Lee has been flamethrowing since 2017, when he bursted onto the scene, averaging 16.6 PPG as an 18 year old at the Malaysia Pro League. He was also a key member of the team last season, averaging 16.4 PPG.
Local Young Prospect To Watch:
A new addition to the team, 20 year old Sarawakian guard Kiu Guang Yang was an integral part of MBC Rising Stars’s U23 Malaysia D League championship team where Kiu’s calm collected display saw him pick up the Finals MVP award.
Notable Player Movements
Incoming: Jordan Tolbert (Taichung Suns), Cameron Satterwhite (LWD Basket), Kuek Tian Yuan, Mak Lok Seng, Teo Kok Hou (NS Matrix), Phang Yoon Khong, Chan Yip Hoong, Kiu Guang Yang (MBC)
Outgoing: Tan Chi Sheng (UCI Rising Star), Damian Ghai Chong Kee (Johor Southern Tigers)
UCSI Rising Star
Formed as a partnership between Rising Star; Malaysia’s first professional 3×3 basketball club and UCSI, a multiple championship winning university basketball team,, the only new team this season are swinging in with high ambitions, declaring their goal was to get the championship in their maiden season.
Rising Star has seen success in their collaboration with other local organizations, most recently collaborating with MBC to capture the 2023 U23 Malaysia D League championship.
The team boasts a talented roster of some of the best youth players in the country including 2022 U23 Malaysia D League MVP and top scorer, Lai Kok Weng and National Team experienced players, Lee Jia Jun and Lim Wan Seong.
On the imports front, the team will be utilizing their resident 3×3 import player, 22 year old Thailand raised Congolese guard Tychique Bosango and veteran big man Steven Toyloy, best known to Malaysian fans for breaking the rim twice at MABA Stadium.Aside from his powerful dunks, Toyloy is a force to be reckoned with in the paint and was key in leading Farmcochem to the 2019 Malaysia Pro League championship.
While the local roster looks like a youth superteam combination of players from Rising Star, MBC and UCSI, the challenge of getting a superteam to click on such short notice will be a tough one for the newcomers.
There are also question marks on the imports front with Bosango’s 5v5 experience limited to South East Asia while Toylo will be having his first taste of action since 2020 where he played in Chile.
Predictions: A lack of time in developing chemistry between a group of all star locals with their imports will likely lead to newcomers missing out from the playoffs.
Key Local Player To Watch:
Widely known as ‘Xiao Jian,’ 25 year old Taiwanese University Basketball experienced Chua Wai Kin has the distinction of being the most followed current active Malaysian basketball player on Instagram with 44.6K followers. With his high level ball handling skills, Wai Kin has developed his niche as a 3×3 specialist but will be hungry to prove his capability as a 5v5 player in Malaysia as well. Though only 25, Wai Kin is the eldest local player on the team and will be expected to lead the youthful newcomers.
Local Young Prospect To Watch:
Still only 21 years old, Lai Kok Weng is fast developing a reputation as an elite scorer with his diverse offensive skill set and played a vital role in MBC Rising Star’s 2023 U23 Malaysia D League championship team, averaging 14.9 PPG
