Taipei, Oct. 5 (CNA) Former P.LEAGUE+ (PLG) CEO Charles “Blackie” Chen (???) officially stepped down from his posts as the six-team basketball league announced Chen’s successor on Thursday.
In a statement issued that day, the PLG said President of the Pauian Archiland Group Thomas Lee (???), owner of the league’s Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, was elected by the league’s board of directors as the new chairman of the board and CEO at a meeting held that day.
Meanwhile, Chen has resigned as PLG chairman, CEO and president, according to the league.
The PLG thanked Chen for his contributions to pro basketball in Taiwan and said it looked forward to working with him in the future despite his departure.
It took the league much longer to make the announcement after two prospective CEOs were mired in scandal in late June and early July over #metoo claims.
Four days after Chen decided to take a tentative leave from his position as PLG CEO in late June, following accusations made by several female entertainers, the league announced its Marketing Director Chou Chung-wei (???) would serve as acting CEO.
However, Chou was forced to step down from the league’s leadership after less than a week in the post due to a leaked video in which he was seen attempting to hug a cheerleader from the New Taipei Kings at an unidentified karaoke on an unspecified date.
Chou was also suspended from his original role as marketing director for an unspecified period of time, the PLG stated, adding that its board of directors would likely elect a new CEO in early August.
However, the PLG did not announce a new CEO.
Instead, a rumor suggesting some teams from the PLG and the T1 LEAGUE were planning to form a third league started to do the rounds in early September. As a result, Lee Yun-hsiang (???), secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association, which supervises basketball in Taiwan, told members of the press on Sept. 12 that the association would not allow three pro leagues to exist in Taiwan at the same time.
About one week after Lee’s response, the Dreamers announced it would hold the Interleague Basketball Games on Oct. 21-22 on its home court in Taichung, in which the PLG’s Pilots, Taipei Fubon Braves and the T1 LEAGUE’S New Taipei CTBC DEA and Kaohsiung Aquas would play.
As these five teams were the core members involved in the rumored third-league, there was further speculation as to the evolving situation, including from Hu Chun-chi (???), a PLG commentator.
During a live YouTube stream, Hu pointed out that unlike the two Interleague Play competitions held by Taiwan’s basketball association in 2022 and 2023, the fact that the cross-league competition announced by the Dreamers was organized by the clubs themselves could herald changes to professional basketball in Taiwan.
The rumor was further discussed on the YouTube channel “Ball Up” (???) on Sept. 25, referring to tip-offs from sources familiar with the business.
That video detailed how the Taichung Suns were excluded from the T1 LEAGUE’s upcoming season and also revealed that the so-called third league had also invited New Taipei Kings, Jeremy Lin’s new team, and the Hsinchu Jko Lioneers after discussions lasting two months.
Apparently the plan had been to launch the league in the upcoming season, but a decision was delayed after one of the seven teams thought it would have been too much of a rush should it launch this year.
However, the Interleague Basketball Games will still serve as an opportunity for the teams involved to assess the prospects of collaboration, the channel said.
The Dreamers made public the schedule for the event on Sept. 26. Tickets can be purchased via the ibon ticketing system from Oct. 6.
Sept. 19: Jeremy Lin eyes EASL, P.LEAGUE+ titles with New Taipei Kings
