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Mike Chan

A city in China will be announced as one of seven host cities for a global basketball season over the course of the next few weeks, the South China Morning Post has learned.
League executives confirmed that the “vast majority of events” of Project B, the new women’s and men’s basketball league that will begin in November and run until April next year, will take place in Asia and Europe during its debut season.
Tokyo, the fourth stop on the circuit, was first announced in January. Valencia, the stop before Japan, was revealed earlier this month, with games to be played at the new Roig Arena from March 12 to 21.
Each city will host a 10-day event that crowns a local champion and feeds into a season-long championship race.
Both men’s and women’s tournaments will have 66 players divided into six teams.
Several top women players have been announced, including Alyssa Thomas, Nneka Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones, Juste Jocyte Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Mitchell, Chinese star Li Meng and Japan’s Mai Yamamoto.
The men’s players will be announced later this year.












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A post shared by Project B (@projectb_global)



“We will announce four more cities in the next few weeks … [Asia] is an important region for us, and one that we think has massive fandom, but has been underserved by the stars of the game, by the platforms of today,” said Grady Burnett, co-founder and chief operating officer of Project B.
“Australia, Africa and the Middle East would also like us to go there.”
While the Chinese city has not yet been named, Burnett – who played professional tennis for three years after college – hailed the country’s importance to the new league in an exclusive interview with the SCMP, comparing it to the Formula 1 Grand Prix and a grand slam tennis tournament.
“There are hundreds of millions of basketball fans in China. It’s the No 1 sport in the country,” Burnett said. “We will absolutely be focused on that market, engaging with the fans and, ideally, playing there in time as well.”
Burnett added that he held “significant expectations” of the Asian market, not only because of its huge and enthusiastic fan base.
“Throughout Asia, you look at the premium luxury market and how well a bunch of international events have done,” the 53-year-old said, “whether it’s been the multiple Olympics in China or Japan or other places throughout the region, or the events that Singapore and other places have hosted.
“This is a region that cares about culture and luxury, and that supports massive global events in a way that very few other regions could.”












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Project B (@projectb_global)



Matt Wilson, who leads VIP relationships for the league, provided some insight into the criteria they were looking for in a host city.
“We want modern global cities with an existing fan base and a love of sport, events, concerts and music” the Englishman said. “We also want it to be a place that the athletes will like.
“We are going where the fans are. There are so many places in the world that we can choose from. I think in years two and three, it’s highly likely that we will expand to eight cities. It’s about looking at how this sport is consumed globally and where the fans are.”
Positioned as a premium, experience-led platform integrating sport, hospitality, dining, fashion, culture and lifestyle, Project B will offer an experience far beyond the court, Wilson said.
The new league will partner with wineries such as Chateau Haut-Brion and Vega Sicilia, and with Four Hundred, a global group that provides luxury travel and concierge services.
It is also in advanced discussions with Björn Frantzén, a former Allsvenskan (Swedish Premier League) player turned chef, and the only person with three three-star Michelin restaurants in the world.


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WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association)

From left, Mai Yamamoto, Li Meng, Alyssa Thomas, Nneka Ogwumike and Juste Jocyte are among the women’s basketball stars who had signed up for the upcoming Project B league. Photo: Handout

Playing basketball in mainland China allowed Candace Parker to ‘look after my family’. Photo: Karma Lo

As a female analyst, Candace Parker receives ‘vicious, narrow-minded and unfair’ online abuse. Photo: Karma Lo

Candace Parker is a high-profile figure with 1.1 million Instagram followers. Photo: Karma Lo

Third title has Hong Kong Eastern eyeing greater basketball test in regional competition

Hong Kong Eastern captain Adam Xu is looking forward to the challenge that awaits. Photo: Hong Kong Eastern

Rookie forward Ivan Yang chats to local media after his side’s A1 Division triumph. Photo: Hong Kong Eastern

Sport

Basketball

China

Co-founder of women’s and men’s event that begins in November says the identities of four more cities will be unveiled in the next few weeks


Co-founder of women’s and men’s event that begins in November says the identities of four more cities will be unveiled in the next few weeks.


Chinese city to be named among 7 host cities for new basketball league Project B

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Co-founder of women’s and men’s event that begins in November says the identities of four more cities will be unveiled in the next few weeks

Co-founder of women’s and men’s event that begins in November says the identities of four more cities will be unveiled in the next few weeks