Australia head coach Brian Warwick Goorjian watches his players during their Basketball World Cup group E match against and Germany in Okinawa, southern Japan, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Coach Brian Goorjian admitted being stunned by the demise of the Bay Area Dragons before the start of their supposed campaigns in the East Asia Super League (EASL) and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
“It was a shock because I was ready to jump to that,” Goorjian said after concluding Australia’s campaign in the Fiba World Cup with a 100-84 victory over Georgia on Sunday in Okinawa, Japan.
Goorjian was asked days after reports came out that the Dragons were folded despite having committed to play in the two leagues in October.
In fact, Bay Area had tapped Hong Kong as its home turf for the EASL and signed some returnees from the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner’s Cup team that finished runner-up to Barangay Ginebra and a few other newcomers.
“I’m taking a high road on that,” Goorjian said. “But disappointed about the Bay Area Dragons because it was a special group of guys, a really exciting young team.”
The PBA is said to have been informed of Bay Area’s decision, with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial saying that the issue will be tackled once league officials convene for a board meeting.
Bay Area provided a different flavor to the PBA in last season’s midseason tourney with a roster led by imports Myles Powell and Andrew Nicholson along with locals in Glen Yang, Kobey Lam and Hayden Blankley.
The Dragons would later finish third in the EASL Champions Week in Japan.