EASL Announces 2025-26 Season Award Winners
EASL announces 2025-26 season award winners, including Finals MVP Makoto Hiejima, with a record five categories.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: March 31, 2026 at 22:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 13:39 (15h 39m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 6, 2026 at 21:31 (127h 52m after Collected)
The East Asia Super League (EASL) has announced the winners of the 2025-26 EASL Awards. This season, three new categories have been added: "All EASL Defensive Team," "Defensive Player of the Year," and "Sixth Man of the Year." These, along with the "EASL FINALS 2026 MVP presented by Spalding" and "All EASL Team," bring the total to a record five award categories.
■ EASL FINALS 2026 MVP presented by Spalding
#6 Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex)
Hiejima recorded an average of 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4 rebounds in the Finals, leading his team to their first EASL championship with an impressive 60% three-point shooting percentage. In the Group Stage, he also averaged 14.7 points and made 15 three-pointers.
■ 2025-26 All EASL Team
#25 D.J. Newbill (Utsunomiya Brex)
#69 Lu Chun-hsiang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
#6 Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex)
#45 Jack Cooley (Ryukyu Golden Kings)
#31 William Artino (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Utsunomiya Brex's Newbill and Hiejima were both selected. Among players who participated in multiple Finals games, they recorded the top scores in both points (average 23.2) and assists (average 7.7). They also improved all their key stats from the Group Stage.
Lu Chun-hsiang is the only player to be selected for the All EASL Team for two consecutive years this season. He was the only local player among all 12 clubs to lead his team in scoring and became only the second player in EASL history to reach a total of 300 points. This is the first time a local player has achieved this record.
In the frontcourt, Jack Cooley and William Artino were selected. Cooley is the EASL's all-time leading rebounder and achieved a total of 200 rebounds this season, a first in league history. In the Finals, he averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds, contributing to the Ryukyu Golden Kings' third-place finish. Artino, in his first season with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, averaged 10.2 rebounds in the regular season and scored a team-second-best total of 54 points in the Finals.
* The All EASL Team is selected based on player performance during the regular season. The number of games played is an important evaluation criterion, with players who have played more games being highly regarded. The value of their role and their overall impact on the team's advancement are also considered.
■ 2025-26 EASL Defensive Player of the Year
#21 Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Alec Brown, in his second season with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, received the Defensive Player of the Year award. He set the EASL's all-time record for blocks, demonstrating an overwhelming defensive presence.
Brown averaged 2.2 blocks in the Group Stage, the top performance among all players. This momentum continued into the Finals, where he recorded a league-leading average of 1.3 blocks among players who participated in multiple games. He played a crucial role in Taoyuan's second consecutive Finals appearance. Brown is also a current recipient of the P.LEAGUE+ Import Player of the Year award.
■ 2025-26 EASL All-Defensive Team
#25 D.J. Newbill (Utsunomiya Brex)
#12 Shinji Takashima (Utsunomiya Brex)
#24 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Meralco Bolts)
#34 Jameel Warney (Seoul SK Knights)
#21 Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
In the inaugural EASL All-Defensive Team, two players from the championship-winning Utsunomiya Brex were selected: Newbill and Takashima. Newbill recorded a team-high average of 2 steals over 9 games. Takashima, meanwhile, primarily guarded opposing teams' ace players and contributed significantly on defense, averaging 1.2 steals in 8 games.
Hollis-Jefferson, despite being sidelined mid-season due to injury, was the only player to record an average of 1+ steal and 2+ blocks, achieving a league-leading tie of 2.2 blocks in just 5 games.
Warney ranked in the top 10 for blocks in the regular season and was one of only four players to record an average of 1+ steal and 1+ block among those who played multiple games. Brown was selected as the final member of the team.
* The EASL All-Defensive Team recognizes players who have demonstrated the most outstanding defensive abilities throughout the season. In addition to key stats such as steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds, factors such as the quality of matchups, primary defensive assignments, and overall defensive contribution to the team are comprehensively evaluated.
■ 2025-26 EASL Sixth Man of the Year
#12 Lee Chia-kang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Lee Chia-kang, in his second season with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, received the inaugural Sixth Man of the Year award. He played in all 9 games and played a crucial role in the team's rotation.
In the Group Stage, he ranked 4th in three-pointers made and 5th in total points within the team, delivering consistent performance in an average of just over 20 minutes of playing time. In the Finals Championship Game, he scored double-digit points, contributing to Taoyuan's second consecutive Finals appearance. Lee is also a current recipient of the P.LEAGUE+ Sixth Man of the Year award.
* The Sixth Man of the Year award is given to the player who demonstrates the most outstanding performance primarily coming off the bench. The condition is that the player starts more games as a substitute than as a starter. Evaluation criteria include playing time off the bench, individual statistics, importance to the team, and contribution to the team's advancement.
* "Finals" in this release refers to "EASL FINALS MACAU 2026."
◾️About East Asia Super League (EASL)
The East Asia Super League (EASL) is an international professional basketball league where top clubs from the East Asia region compete. EASL's vision is to "become one of the world's premier professional basketball leagues" and "contribute to the development of basketball throughout the East Asia region." The league operates under a 10-year partnership agreement with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and is approved by FIBA Asia. It also collaborates with major leagues in participating countries and regions to enable representative club teams to compete.
Participating countries and regions for the 2025-26 season are Japan (B.LEAGUE), South Korea (KBL), the Philippines (PBA), Chinese Taipei (P.LEAGUE+), Mongolia (The League), Hong Kong, and Macau.
For more details on EASL, please visit https://www.easl.basketball/ja.
Instagram: @easl_jp / X (formerly Twitter): @EASLofficial_jp
For more information and interview requests regarding this release, please contact:
ryu@easl.basketball
■ EASL FINALS 2026 MVP presented by Spalding
#6 Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex)
Hiejima recorded an average of 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4 rebounds in the Finals, leading his team to their first EASL championship with an impressive 60% three-point shooting percentage. In the Group Stage, he also averaged 14.7 points and made 15 three-pointers.
■ 2025-26 All EASL Team
#25 D.J. Newbill (Utsunomiya Brex)
#69 Lu Chun-hsiang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
#6 Makoto Hiejima (Utsunomiya Brex)
#45 Jack Cooley (Ryukyu Golden Kings)
#31 William Artino (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Utsunomiya Brex's Newbill and Hiejima were both selected. Among players who participated in multiple Finals games, they recorded the top scores in both points (average 23.2) and assists (average 7.7). They also improved all their key stats from the Group Stage.
Lu Chun-hsiang is the only player to be selected for the All EASL Team for two consecutive years this season. He was the only local player among all 12 clubs to lead his team in scoring and became only the second player in EASL history to reach a total of 300 points. This is the first time a local player has achieved this record.
In the frontcourt, Jack Cooley and William Artino were selected. Cooley is the EASL's all-time leading rebounder and achieved a total of 200 rebounds this season, a first in league history. In the Finals, he averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds, contributing to the Ryukyu Golden Kings' third-place finish. Artino, in his first season with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, averaged 10.2 rebounds in the regular season and scored a team-second-best total of 54 points in the Finals.
* The All EASL Team is selected based on player performance during the regular season. The number of games played is an important evaluation criterion, with players who have played more games being highly regarded. The value of their role and their overall impact on the team's advancement are also considered.
■ 2025-26 EASL Defensive Player of the Year
#21 Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Alec Brown, in his second season with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, received the Defensive Player of the Year award. He set the EASL's all-time record for blocks, demonstrating an overwhelming defensive presence.
Brown averaged 2.2 blocks in the Group Stage, the top performance among all players. This momentum continued into the Finals, where he recorded a league-leading average of 1.3 blocks among players who participated in multiple games. He played a crucial role in Taoyuan's second consecutive Finals appearance. Brown is also a current recipient of the P.LEAGUE+ Import Player of the Year award.
■ 2025-26 EASL All-Defensive Team
#25 D.J. Newbill (Utsunomiya Brex)
#12 Shinji Takashima (Utsunomiya Brex)
#24 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Meralco Bolts)
#34 Jameel Warney (Seoul SK Knights)
#21 Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
In the inaugural EASL All-Defensive Team, two players from the championship-winning Utsunomiya Brex were selected: Newbill and Takashima. Newbill recorded a team-high average of 2 steals over 9 games. Takashima, meanwhile, primarily guarded opposing teams' ace players and contributed significantly on defense, averaging 1.2 steals in 8 games.
Hollis-Jefferson, despite being sidelined mid-season due to injury, was the only player to record an average of 1+ steal and 2+ blocks, achieving a league-leading tie of 2.2 blocks in just 5 games.
Warney ranked in the top 10 for blocks in the regular season and was one of only four players to record an average of 1+ steal and 1+ block among those who played multiple games. Brown was selected as the final member of the team.
* The EASL All-Defensive Team recognizes players who have demonstrated the most outstanding defensive abilities throughout the season. In addition to key stats such as steals, blocks, and defensive rebounds, factors such as the quality of matchups, primary defensive assignments, and overall defensive contribution to the team are comprehensively evaluated.
■ 2025-26 EASL Sixth Man of the Year
#12 Lee Chia-kang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Lee Chia-kang, in his second season with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, received the inaugural Sixth Man of the Year award. He played in all 9 games and played a crucial role in the team's rotation.
In the Group Stage, he ranked 4th in three-pointers made and 5th in total points within the team, delivering consistent performance in an average of just over 20 minutes of playing time. In the Finals Championship Game, he scored double-digit points, contributing to Taoyuan's second consecutive Finals appearance. Lee is also a current recipient of the P.LEAGUE+ Sixth Man of the Year award.
* The Sixth Man of the Year award is given to the player who demonstrates the most outstanding performance primarily coming off the bench. The condition is that the player starts more games as a substitute than as a starter. Evaluation criteria include playing time off the bench, individual statistics, importance to the team, and contribution to the team's advancement.
* "Finals" in this release refers to "EASL FINALS MACAU 2026."
◾️About East Asia Super League (EASL)
The East Asia Super League (EASL) is an international professional basketball league where top clubs from the East Asia region compete. EASL's vision is to "become one of the world's premier professional basketball leagues" and "contribute to the development of basketball throughout the East Asia region." The league operates under a 10-year partnership agreement with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and is approved by FIBA Asia. It also collaborates with major leagues in participating countries and regions to enable representative club teams to compete.
Participating countries and regions for the 2025-26 season are Japan (B.LEAGUE), South Korea (KBL), the Philippines (PBA), Chinese Taipei (P.LEAGUE+), Mongolia (The League), Hong Kong, and Macau.
For more details on EASL, please visit https://www.easl.basketball/ja.
Instagram: @easl_jp / X (formerly Twitter): @EASLofficial_jp
For more information and interview requests regarding this release, please contact:
ryu@easl.basketball
FAQ
What new categories were introduced in the EASL Awards 2025-26?
Three new categories were added: "All EASL Defensive Team," "Defensive Player of the Year," and "Sixth Man of the Year."
Who won the EASL FINALS 2026 MVP award?
Makoto Hiejima of Utsunomiya Brex received the award, recording an average of 13.3 points and 5.3 assists in the Finals.
What kind of league is EASL?
EASL is an international professional basketball league where top clubs from East Asia compete, aiming to develop regional basketball in partnership with FIBA.