Alab Pilipinas is expected to get stiff competition in its quest to win the ASEAN Basketball League crown for the first time after the league announced the addition of four teams for the new season set to start Nov. 17.
Among those joining are China’s Nanhai Long Lions, Indonesia’s CLS Knights Surabaya, Thailand’s Mono Vampire and a squad known as the Dreamers, bringing the number of teams to nine – the most since the ABL opened shop in 2009.
Defending champion Hong Kong Long Lions, runner-up Singapore Slingers, Westports Malaysia Dragons, Saigon Heat and Alab are holdovers from last season.
