Taipei Fubon Braves

(Redirected from Videoland Hunters)

The Taipei Fubon Braves (Chinese: 臺北富邦勇士) are a professional basketball team that is owned by Fubon Sports & Entertainment, LLC., one of the subsidiaries under Fubon Financial Holding Co., Ltd. and currently plays in the Taiwanese P. League+. From 2014 to 2019, they played in the semi-pro Super Basketball League (SBL). They have also been part of the professional ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) since the 2019–20 ABL season. In the summer of 2020, when P. League+ was founded, they joined the league as one of the four founding teams and secured a three-peat from the 2020-21 season to the 2022-23 season.

Taipei Fubon Braves
2024–25 Taipei Fubon Braves season
Taipei Fubon Braves logo
LeaguesP. League+
Founded1982 (1982)
History
List
    • Chien-hung Men's Basketball Team (建弘男子籃球隊) (1982–1986)
    • Tsu-chiang Basketball Team (自強籃球隊) (1986–1987)
    • Tera Electronics Basketball Team (新銳/泰瑞電子籃球隊) (1987–1994)
    • Tera Mars (泰瑞戰神) (1994–1997)
    • Kaohsiung Mars (高雄戰神) (1997–1999)
    • Mars Professional Basketball Team (戰神職業籃球隊) (1997–2000)
    • BCC Mars (中廣戰神) (2000–2004)
    • Videoland Hunters (緯來獵人) (2004–2007)
    • Taiwan Mobile Leopards (台灣大雲豹) (2007–2011)
    • Taiwan Mobile Basketball Team (台灣大籃球隊) (2012–2013)
    • Fubon Braves (富邦勇士籃球隊) (2014–2019)
    • Taipei Fubon Braves (臺北富邦勇士籃球隊) (2019–)
ArenaTaipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium
Capacity7,000
LocationTaipei, Taiwan
Team colorsNavy Blue, Aqua, White
     
PresidentTsai Cherng-Ru
General managerTsai Cherng-Ru
Head coachHsu Chin-Che
Team captainTsai Wen-Cheng
OwnershipFubon Group
Championships4
SBL: 1 (2019)
PLG: 3 (2021, 2022, 2023)
Websitehttps://www.fubonbraves.com/

History

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1982: Established Chien-Hong Men's Basketball Team.

1983: Won the B Division Championship of the Taiwan Provincial Chairman Cup.

1983 December: Registered as an A Division team by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association.

1987: Owned subsequently by Tera Electronics and won the team’s first Championship in A Division.

1994: The Chinese Basketball Alliance (CBA) was founded, the team was re-branded as Tera Mars (泰瑞戰神) to start their first season in the CBA .

1996 and 1997: Retained team ownership but dropped "Tera" from the name and renamed simply to "Mars" to compete in the third season of the CBA.

1997: Sold to Guoyang Group in, attempted to re-brand as "Kaohsiung Mars" in late February.

mid-1998: Faced naming disputes and financial challenges, settling on "Mars" again

2000: Sponsored by Broadcasting Corporation of China, thus renamed as " BCC Mars".

2003: Joined semi-pro league Super Basketball League (SBL).

2004: Taken over by Videoland Television Network in June. Thus, re-branded as "Videoland Hunters".

2007: Sold to Taiwan Mobile, a major mobile communication provider in Taiwan, and named as "Taiwan Mobile Leopards".

2011: Rebranded as "Taiwan Mobile Basketball Team"

2014: Ownership shipped to Fubon Financial Holding Venture Capital Co., Ltd, and renamed as “Fubon Braves”.

2019: Left SBL to join the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), a professional league, and started the professional basketball era of Fubon Braves.  

2019: Signed a partnership contract with Taipei City Government, became "Taipei Fubon Braves” and started hosting games at Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium as their home court in Taipei City.

2020-present: Joined P. League+, the first ever professional basketball league in Taiwan in the past 20 years as one of the four co-founding teams. Achieved significant success by completing a three-peat (21-23).

Facilities

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Home game of the Braves in 2021

Home arenas

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Arena Location Duration
Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium[1] Taipei City 2019–present

Training facilities

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The Braves' training facility is located at the National Taiwan University of Arts Gymnasium, which is opened on 9 December 2020.[2]

The Braves previously practiced at the Banqiao Civil Sports Center and Shulin Civil Sports Center.[2]

Community and culture

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Besides what is on the court, the Taipei Fubon Braves also host theme nights regularly, such as BT21, Lang Live, Korean Pop Culture, and Momo in the 2023-24 season to celebrate diverse cultures and create a vibrant atmosphere for fans. These events, along with initiatives to invite students and young athletes to the stadium to watch games, highlight the Braves' dedication to fostering a deep connection with their supporters and promoting the sport of basketball among the youth. This inclusive approach not only enhances the game-day experience but also solidifies the Braves' role as a crucial community figure.

Roster

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The Braves won the 2020–21 P.League+ championship

Current roster

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Taipei Fubon Braves roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age From
G 0   Lai Ting-En 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) 70 kg (154 lb) 28 – (1996-07-22)22 July 1996 Fu Jen
C 1   Brandon Walters (I) 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 113 kg (249 lb) 29 – (1995-01-19)19 January 1995 Middle Tennessee
G 4   Chen Yu-Wei 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 24 – (1999-12-29)29 December 1999 NTNU
F 5   Jordan Hamilton (I) 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 33 – (1990-10-06)6 October 1990 Texas
G 6   Wu Yung-Sheng 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 27 – (1996-10-19)19 October 1996 Sacramento State
F 7   Nick King (I) 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 102 kg (225 lb) 29 – (1995-08-05)5 August 1995 Middle Tennessee
F 8   Chou Kuei-Yu 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 26 – (1998-07-19)19 July 1998 NTNU
G 11   Hung Kai-Chieh 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 85 kg (187 lb) 25 – (1998-10-07)7 October 1998 NCCU
F 12   Lin Chih-Chieh 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 92 kg (203 lb) 42 – (1982-06-11)11 June 1982 Chinese Culture
F 14   Tsai Wen-Cheng (C) 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 96 kg (212 lb) 39 – (1985-05-31)31 May 1985 NCUE
C 18   Lin Chih-Wei 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 32 – (1992-07-10)10 July 1992 Chinese Culture
F 23   Brendon Smart (FS) 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 28 – (1995-10-05)5 October 1995 Chien Hsin Tech
G 24   Jian Ting-Jhao 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 80.2 kg (177 lb) 26 – (1998-01-16)16 January 1998 Chien Hsin Tech
F 27   Chang Chen-Ya 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 86 kg (190 lb) 24 – (1999-10-13)13 October 1999 NCCU
F 33   Tsai Zhen-Yueh 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 93 kg (205 lb) 24 – (2000-01-26)26 January 2000 NKNU
C 55   Jeff Withey (I) 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) 104 kg (229 lb) 34 – (1990-03-07)7 March 1990 Kansas
F 00   Mouhamed Mbaye (FS) 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 105 kg (231 lb) 23 – (2001-01-01)1 January 2001 NCCU
Head coach
  •   Hsu Chin-Che
Assistant coach(es)
  •   Wu Yung-Jen
  •   Liang Chao-Hsuan
  •   Lin Wei-Hao
  •   Wei Wei
Strength & conditioning coach(es)
  •   Jheng Wei-Syuan
Athletic trainer(s)
  •   Lin Wu-Chang
  •   Peng Yu-Ming (assistant)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import player
  • (FS) Foreign student player
  • (HP) Heritage player
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (AI) EASL Asian import
  • (S) Suspended
  •   Injured

Updated: September 1, 2024

Notable members

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Season-by-season record

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Chinese Basketball Alliance
Season Coach Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
1994–95 Alex Tan 13 23 .361 3rd Not held
1995–96 Lee Chih-Chiang 24 26 .480 4th 0 3 .000 Lost First Round to Yulon Dinos, 0–3
1996–97 Lee Chih-Chiang 31 29 .517 3rd 0 3 .000 Lost First Round to Hung Kuo Elephants, 0–3
1997–98 Chung Chih-Meng 30 20 .600 2nd 3 4 .429 Lost Finals to Hung Kuo Elephants, 3–4
1998–99 Chung Chih-Meng 15 7 .682 1st Season unfinished due to the CBA lockout
Totals 113 105 .518 - 3 10 .231 3 Playoff Appearances
Super Basketball League
Season Coach Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2003–04 Chung Chih-Meng 12 12 .500 4th 1 2 .333 Lost Semifinals to Yulon Dinos, 1–2
2004–05 Chung Chih-Meng 18 12 .600 2nd 1 2 .333 Lost Semifinals to Dacin Tigers, 1–2
2005–06 Chou Hai-Jung 13 17 .433 5th Did not qualify
2006–07 Liu Chih-Wei 21 9 .700 2nd 4 4 .500 Lost Semifinals to Taiwan Beer, 1–3
Won Third Place vs Yulon Dinos, 3–1
2007–08 Cheng Chih-Lung 9 21 .300 6th Did not qualify
2009 Cheng Chih-Lung 9 21 .300 6th Did not qualify
2010 Cheng Chih-Lung 15 15 .500 5th Did not qualify
2010–11 Cheng Chih-Lung 11 19 .367 6th Did not qualify
2011–12 Chia Fan 13 17 .433 6th Did not qualify
2012–13 Chia Fan 18 12 .600 3rd 3 4 .429 Lost Semifinals to Taipei Dacin Tigers, 3–4
2013–14 Cheng Chih-Lung 21 9 .700 2nd 5 7 .417 Won Semifinals vs Taiwan Beer, 4–3
Lost Finals to Taichung Pauian Archiland, 1–4
2014–15 Otis Hughley Jr. 19 11 .633 2nd 1 4 .200 Lost Semifinals to Taiwan Beer, 1–4
2015–16 Yen Hsing-Shu 13 17 .433 5th 5 5 .500 Won First Round vs Yulon Luxgen Dinos, 3-1
Lost Semifinals to Pauian Archiland, 2–4
2016–17 Yen Hsing-Shu 17 13 .567 4th 1 3 .250 Lost First Round to Taoyuan Pauian Archiland, 1–3
2017–18 Hsu Chin-Che 15 15 .500 5th 9 6 .600 Won First Round vs Taipei Dacin Tigers, 3–2
Won Semifinals vs Yulon Luxgen Dinos, 4–0
Lost Finals to Taoyuan Pauian Archiland, 2–4
2018–19 Hsu Chin-Che 24 12 .667 1st 8 2 .800 Won Semifinals vs Yulon Luxgen Dinos, 4–2
Won Finals vs Taiwan Beer, 4–0
Totals 248 232 .517 - 38 39 .494 10 Playoff Appearances
ASEAN Basketball League
Season Coach Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2019–20 Hsu Chin-Che 9 8 .529 5th Season suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic
Totals 9 8 .529 - 0 0 0 Playoff Appearances
P. LEAGUE+
Season Coach Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2020–21 Hsu Chin-Che 19 5 .792 1st 3 1 .750 Won Finals vs Formosa Taishin Dreamers, 3–1
2021–22 Hsu Chin-Che 18 12 .600 3rd 7 2 .778 Won Playoffs vs Formosa Taishin Dreamers, 3–1
Won Finals vs Hsinchu JKO Lioneers, 4–1
2022–23 Hsu Chin-Che 25 15 .625 2nd 7 2 .778 Won Playoffs vs Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, 3–0
Won Finals vs New Taipei Kings, 4–2
2023–24 Hsu Chin-Che 18 22 .450 5th Did not qualify
2024–25 Hsu Chin-Che
Totals 80 54 .597 - 17 5 .773 3 Playoff Appearances

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "籃球》臺北市政府冠名相挺 「臺北富邦勇士」全新出發征戰ABL". The Storm Media. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "台藝大新場館落成 富邦勇士有意進駐練球". Central News Agency. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
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