Taiwan High School Basketball League (2019)

My first time traveling to Taiwan did not disappoint. The High School Basketball league (abbreviated HBL) was a spectators experience and felt very much like a NCAA Women’s Final 4 game. It was hosted at Taipei Heping Basketball Stadium which seats 7,000 spectators and Taipei Basketball Center. Despite there not being a full house, fans from each school (parents, students and teachers) came out in numbers to support their respective teams.

As mentioned in a previous article (FIBA U18 Asia Championships)  there wasn’t much size on the court but a handful of guards from each team that could shoot the ball from deep and play fast. The average Taiwanese guard in my opinion was far more skilled overall than the average guard you may find elsewhere. They are very much system players, focused on getting shots within the team offense or out in transition.

Basketball is general in Taiwan is funded well from the High School level through to the University level. All of the HS teams in attendance (girls included) were sponsored by Nike and even had their own Nike fan merchandise counters at the entrance. Media outlets such as FOX Sports covered many if not all of the games (yes even the women too).

When I asked whether any players would consider taking a leap from the well supported and funded sport to the USA I was told “I’m sure there are players that have those aspirations and would love to experience that if given the opportunity, but it is hard. No one has done it yet (from this generation anyway) for it to be seen as possible yet.” I have heard this a lot over my 2 years plus living in Asia but focussed on the word that ended the sentence (YET!).

Looking at the support and media attention surrounding the sport on girls and boys side you could see why players wouldn’t need to consider or explore playing options too far from Asia. Teams find competition internationally and have great support from fans bases. There is one player trying to take that leap and be the first. Check out her highlights below. Her team (Taipei First Girls School) was in attendance playing for a spot in the Final but came up short.