The FIBA Regional Office-Asia has officially announced the groupings for the upcoming Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) 2025, following a draw conducted on Saturday, May 31, at the UG Palace in Mongolia. This prestigious tournament will see nine top club teams from across the continent vying for the championship title and a coveted spot in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

Leading the charge is Al Riyadi from Lebanon, the reigning BCL Asia champions, who are also fresh off a successful title defense in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL). They are joined by the 2024 BCL Asia runners-up, Shabab Al Ahli of the UAE, who will also serve as hosts for the tournament for the second consecutive year. The lineup further includes the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots and the Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos, both of whom secured their places by reaching the BCL Asia-East 2025 Final 4. Other formidable contenders include FIBA WASL runners-up Tabiat Basketball, Chinese Basketball Association champions Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, and Korean Basketball League titlists Changwon LG Sakers. Completing the field are the newly crowned Japan B.League champions Utsunomiya Brex and the Meralco Bolts, the defending Philippine Cup champions of the Philippine Basketball Association.

The nine participating teams have been divided into three groups for the initial phase of the competition. Group A features Tabiat Basketball, the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, and the Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos. Group B will see intense clashes between the Meralco Bolts, Japan's Utsunomiya Brex, and hosts Shabab Al Ahli. Group C comprises the Changwon LG Sakers, featuring Filipino import Carl Tamayo, who will face a strong challenge from Middle Eastern powerhouse Al Riyadi and the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots.

The tournament format will see the teams compete in their respective groups, with the top eight teams overall advancing to the Quarter-Finals. This means only one team, the worst-performing among those finishing last in their respective groups, will be eliminated after the group stages. Following the Group Phase, a draw will be held to determine the Quarter-Final pairings. The cumulative ranking of teams across the three groups, established according to the FIBA Official Basketball Rules (Chapter D - Classification of Teams), will be used to seed the teams into four pots for this draw. The top two teams will be in Pot D, the 3rd and 4th placed teams in Pot E, the 5th and 6th in Pot F, and the 7th and 8th in Pot G. The draw will pit teams from Pot D against those from Pot G, and teams from Pot E against those from Pot F. A crucial rule is that teams from the same group in the Group Phase cannot be drawn against each other in the Quarter-Finals.

The four winners of the Quarter-Final matches will proceed to the Semi-Finals. The victors of the Semi-Finals will then battle for the championship in a one-game Final, while the losing semi-finalists will compete for the Third-Place Game. The ultimate champion of the BCL Asia 2025, crowned at the end of the week-long event, will earn the prestigious right to represent Asia in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025, set to be held in Singapore.

The Basketball Champions League Asia 2025 is scheduled to take place from June 7 to June 13 in Dubai. The Group Phase matches will be hosted at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall, while the climactic Final Phase, including the Semi-Finals and Final, will unfold at the Coca-Cola Arena.