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Mike Chan

Ex-NBA star Yao Ming has taken his first foray into basketball investment in almost a decade, joining a host of global heavyweights in backing a fledgling regional college competition.
The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) concluded its Series A funding round, typically used to generate cash for development and expansion, on Thursday.
Blue Pool Capital, the family office of Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, led the round, which built on the Alibaba co-founder’s seed investment last May. Alibaba also owns the South China Morning Post.
Other new backers included the likes of Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Bolt Ventures, the family office of Philadelphia 76ers co-owner David Blitzer. Along with Tsai, the league is now supported by three current or former NBA team owners.
Hong Kong-based conglomerate Nan Fung Group and venture capital firm HongShan Capital Group (HSG) were also among the new investors, although no figures were made available with a spokesman saying the league was “not revealing numbers”.

“Attending last year’s AUBL Finals in person and witnessing first-hand the energy in the arena, the passion of the fans, and the level of play on the court further reinforced my belief that the league is headed in the right direction,” Tsai said.
“This exceptional group of investors proves the potential is real and will help fuel AUBL’s next phase of growth as a pan-regional basketball platform.”
Lasry, the chairman, CEO and co-founder of Avenue Capital Group who co-owned the Bucks with Wes Edens from 2014 to 2023, believed fans in Asia were ready to embrace college sports with the same energy that defines its success in the United States.
Jay Li Jintian, the league’s co-founder and CEO, said the response to its debut season last August proved there was a “real appetite” for college sport across the region.
“We’re focusing on three priorities right now: world-class event management for home-and-away operations, community engagement centred around students and alumni and authentic touchpoints to inspire youth through our Hoop Scholars initiative,” Li said. “Our ambition is not just to run a league; it’s to spark a movement that turns Asian university sports into a cultural force.”
In December, the league also launched Hoop Scholars, its youth development initiative, in Hong Kong.
“As the league is headquartered in Hong Kong, we are excited to contribute to the city’s basketball ecosystem in every possible way and elevate its level of competitiveness,” Li added. “Hong Kong has some of Asia’s best universities. We’re ready to help them build better basketball programmes and also recruit graduates who aspire to a career in the sports industry to join our office.”
As for Yao, the former Houston Rockets star’s involvement marked his first investment in the game since selling all his shares in the Shanghai Sharks, which he bought in 2009 before becoming the president of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2017. The 45-year-old left that role in October, 2024.
“Getting rejected by an NCAA college remains one of the regrets of my playing career,” global basketball icon Yao said. “With AUBL, I’m proud to be able to support the right platform for student athletes in Asia and also to be a diehard fan cheering for my alma mater [Shanghai Jiao Tong University].”
Last August, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, one of the top 12 Asian university teams at the debut tournament, were knocked out by the eventual champions, National Chengchi University, in the quarter-finals. The Taiwanese college went on to beat Tsinghua University in the final.

The University of Hong Kong also took part in the seven-day tournament last year, but left Binjiang Gymnasium without winning a game.
Sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation, the AUBL is slated to return to Hangzhou again this year for a second stand-alone tournament, which is expected to run from August 2 to 9.
A dozen teams from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, and for the first time, the Philippines and Australia, will compete for the second AUBL title. Participating teams will be announced next month.
The league’s inaugural 16-team home-and-away season, with games staged across Asia’s most iconic cities, is expected to begin in late November and run through to early April 2027.


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CBA (Chinese Basketball Association)

Ex-NBA star Yao Ming ‘proud to support’ Asian University Basketball League with investment

Yao Ming, here at the final of the AUBL, has made his first investment in the game since selling all his shares in the Shanghai Sharks. Photo: Getty Images

The University of Hong Kong took part in the AUBL, but left without winning a game. Photo: AUBL

Taiwan’s National Chengchi University team were crowned the first AUBL winners last August. Photo: handout

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Sport

Basketball

Other notable investors include Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, plus owner of Philadelphia 76ers and former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks


Other notable investors include Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, plus owner of Philadelphia 76ers and former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.


Joe Tsai

Asian University Basketball League

Nan Fung

Ex-NBA star Yao Ming ‘proud to support’ Asian University Basketball League with investment

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Other notable investors include Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, plus owner of Philadelphia 76ers and former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks

Other notable investors include Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, plus owner of Philadelphia 76ers and former co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks