The 2023 VBA season (Vietnamese: VBA mùa giải 2023) was the seventh season of the Vietnam Basketball Association. The regular season began on 10 June and ended on 3 September.[1] The playoffs then began on 7 September, and ended on 28 September with the Saigon Heat clinching their 4th straight title after defeating the Nha Trang Dolphins in 4 games in the Finals.[2]
| Vietnam Basketball Association | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 2023 | |||||||||
| Duration | 10 June – 28 September | |||||||||
| Number of games | 18 | |||||||||
| Number of teams | 7 | |||||||||
| TV partner(s) | Vietnam: Online: | |||||||||
| Regular season | ||||||||||
| Top seed | Saigon Heat | |||||||||
| Finals | ||||||||||
| Champions | Saigon Heat | |||||||||
| Runners-up | Nha Trang Dolphins | |||||||||
| Finals MVP | Kentrell Barkley (Saigon) | |||||||||
| Statistical leaders | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
← 2022 2024 → | ||||||||||
The regular season started with all seven teams playing a round-robin tournament at a centralized venue in Hanoi. The remainder of the regular season was played in the traditional home and away format.[1]
Teams edit
All seven teams from the 2022 season continued on in 2023. The season started with the first quarter of the schedule played at a central hub in Hanoi. The remainder of the schedule was played in the traditional home-and-away format.
Venues and locations edit
Personnel and sponsorship edit
Coaching Transactions edit
| Team | 2022 season | 2023 season |
|---|---|---|
| Off-season | ||
| Cantho Catfish | Leonardo Pérez | Jordan Collins |
| Hanoi Buffaloes | Eric Weissling | Erik Rashad |
| Thang Long Warriors | Predrag Lukic | Chris Daleo |
| Nha Trang Dolphins | Todd Purves | Predrag Lukic |
| Danang Dragons | Phan Thanh Canh | Alberto Antuña Leal |
| Danang Dragons | Alberto Antuña Leal | Todd Purves |
Foreign players edit
Teams are allowed to register two foreign players and one heritage player. Heritage players are designated players who have Vietnamese heritage or have been naturalized. They do not count against the teams allotted foreign player slots.
Regular season edit
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saigon Heat | 18 | 14 | 4 | 1578 | 1462 | +116 | Qualification to playoffs |
| 2 | Hanoi Buffaloes | 18 | 13 | 5 | 1545 | 1448 | +97 | |
| 3 | Nha Trang Dolphins | 18 | 12 | 6 | 1571 | 1473 | +98 | |
| 4 | Thang Long Warriors | 18 | 11 | 7 | 1567 | 1534 | +33 | |
| 5 | Cantho Catfish | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1484 | 1548 | −64 | |
| 6 | Ho Chi Minh City Wings | 18 | 6 | 12 | 1483 | 1555 | −72 | |
| 7 | Danang Dragons | 18 | 1 | 17 | 1489 | 1697 | −208 |
Results edit
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Playoffs edit
The playoffs began on 7 September.[3]
Bracket edit
| Semifinals | Finals | |||||
| 1 Saigon Heat | 2 | |||||
| 4 Thang Long Warriors | 0 | |||||
| 1 Saigon Heat | 3 | |||||
| 3 Nha Trang Dolphins | 1 | |||||
| 2 Hanoi Buffaloes | 0 | |||||
| 3 Nha Trang Dolphins | 2 | |||||
Semifinals edit
| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Saigon Heat | 2–0 | (4) Thang Long Warriors | 89–79 | 97–76 | – |
| (2) Hanoi Buffaloes | 0–2 | (3) Nha Trang Dolphins | 61–85 | 67–82 | – |
Finals edit
| Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Saigon Heat | 3–1 | (3) Nha Trang Dolphins | 98–95 (OT) | 77–72 | 74–95 | 81–76 (OT) | – |
Statistics edit
Individual statistic leaders edit
| Category | Player | Team | Statistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Kentrell Barkley | Saigon Heat | 30.2 |
| Assists per game | Madarious Gibbs | Nha Trang Dolphins | 8.5 |
| Rebounds per game | John Fields | Thang Long Warriors | 17.7 |
| Steals per game | Tam Dinh | Hanoi Buffaloes | 2.8 |
| Blocks per game | DeAngelo Hamilton | Cantho Catfish | 2.8 |
| Field goal percentage | John Fields | Thang Long Warriors | 70.5% |
| Three point FG percentage | Vo Kim Ban | Saigon Heat | 42.2% |
Team statistic leaders edit
| Category | Team | Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Saigon Heat | 87.7 |
| Rebounds per game | Saigon Heat | 39.2 |
| Assists per game | Saigon Heat | 20.6 |
| Steals per game | Hanoi Buffaloes | 13.3 |
| Blocks per game | Nha Trang Dolphins | 4.0 |
| Turnovers per game | Ho Chi Minh City Wings | 17.8 |
| Fouls per game | Thang Long Warriors | 22.0 |
| FG% | Ho Chi Minh City Wings | 45.7% |
| 3P% | Saigon Heat | 34.5% |
| FT% | Hanoi Buffaloes | 69.5% |
Awards edit
Yearly awards edit
| Award | Recipient | Team | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Kentrell Barkley | Saigon Heat | [4] |
| Most Valuable Local Player | Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh | Saigon Heat | |
| Most Valuable Heritage Player | Dominique Tham | Nha Trang Dolphins | |
| Most Popular Player of the Year | Vo Kim Ban | Saigon Heat | |
| Defensive Player of the Year | John Fields | Thang Long Warriors | |
| Rookie of the Year | Nguyen Hoang Phuc | Nha Trang Dolphins | |
| Sixth Man of the Year | Son Minh Tam | Nha Trang Dolphins | |
| Most Improved Player | Tran Van Trung | Ho Chi Minh City Wings | |
| Coach of the Year | Matt Van Pelt | Saigon Heat |
References edit
- ^ a b "VBA returns under new format, players have more games to play". vietnamnews.vn. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
- ^ "Saigon win fourth consecutive basketball title in overtime". vnexpress.vn. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Saigon Heat to play Thanglong Warriors in Playoffs". vietnamnews.vn. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Lễ Trao Giải VBA Awards 2023". vba.vn. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.