East Asia Super League (EASL) announced the award winners for the 2025-26 season. This season expanded its awards to the largest scale in history by adding an all-defensive team, defensive player of the year and sixth man awards in addition to the existing finals MVP and all-EASL team.
■ EASL Spalding Finals MVP: Hiejima Makoto (Utsunomiya Brex)
Utsunomiya Brex's Hiejima Makoto won the EASL Spalding Finals MVP.
Hiejima led his team to the title at EASL Finals 2026, averaging 13.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4 rebounds, and showed decisive presence with a 3-point shooting percentage of 60%.
He also showed steady scoring in the group stage, averaging 14.7 points and making a total of 15 three-pointers.
■ 2025-26 season all-EASL team
D.J. Newbill (Utsunomiya Brex) / Lu Chunxiang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots) / Hiejima Makoto (Utsunomiya Brex) / Jack Cooley (Ryukyu Golden Kings) / Will Artino (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Newbill, among players who appeared in at least two EASL Finals 2026 games, led with averages of 23.2 points and 7.7 assists, showing improved overall metrics compared with the group stage.
Lu Chunxiang is the only player selected to the all-EASL team for two consecutive years and is the only local player among all 12 teams to rank first in team scoring. He also became the second player in EASL history to surpass 300 career points, the first for a local player. The first such record is held by Jamil Wonnie of Seoul SK Knights.
Cooley is the EASL career leader in rebounds and became the first player to surpass 200 career rebounds this season. At EASL Finals 2026 he averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds, ranking first on his team in both scoring and rebounds.
Artino led his team in the regular season in rebounds with an average of 10.2 rebounds in his first EASL season with Taoyuan, and at EASL Finals 2026 he scored a total of 54 points, ranking second on his team in scoring.
Selection for the all-EASL team was based on first-half regular-season performance, taking into account games played, role and impact within the team, and contribution to team results.
■ defensive player of the year (Defensive Player of the Year): Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Alec Brown was named EASL's first defensive player of the year.
Brown holds the EASL career record for blocks and led the group stage with 2.2 blocks per game. At EASL Finals 2026 he averaged 1.3 blocks per game, ranking first among players who appeared in multiple games and maintaining steady defensive performance.
He is credited with playing a key role in Taoyuan's consecutive second appearance in the championship final. He is also a recipient of the P. LEAGUE+ foreign player MVP award.
■ 2025-26 season all-defensive team
D.J. Newbill (Utsunomiya Brex) / Takashima Shinji (Utsunomiya Brex) / Ronde Hollis-Jefferson (Meralco Bolts) / Jamil Wonnie (Seoul SK Knights) / Alec Brown (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Utsunomiya's Newbill and Takashima were the core backcourt defensive duo of the champion team; Newbill recorded the team-high average steals (2) in nine games, and Takashima averaged 1.2 steals in eight games, defending opposing aces.
Hollis-Jefferson, despite a season shortened by injury, was the only player to record at least 1 steal and 2 blocks per game simultaneously. He also averaged 2.2 blocks in five games, tying Brown for the league lead.
Wonnie ranked in the top 10 in blocks during the regular season and was one of four players who, among those who appeared in multiple games, averaged at least 1 block and 1 steal per game during the season.
Brown cemented his status as the league's top defender by winning defensive player of the year.
■ sixth man of the year (Sixth Man of the Year): Li Chia-kang (Taoyuan Pauian Pilots)
Li Chia-kang won EASL's first sixth man award.
He appeared in all nine games and served as a key rotation resource for the team, ranking fourth on the team in three-point makes and fifth in total scoring in the group stage.
He showed steady production with more than 20 minutes per game on average and scored in double figures in the championship final, helping the team reach the championship final for the second consecutive year.
Li Chia-kang is also a P. LEAGUE+ sixth man award winner.<
[Photo] Provided by EASL.
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