HONG KONG - As soon as the clock struck midnight in Hong Kong, the 2016-2017 ASEAN Basketball League champions announced three new player signings via their social media accounts: Trey Gilder, Yik Lun Chan, and Man Chun Lam.
33-year-old American Trey Gilder will be joining Hong Kong Eastern Basketball team for this upcoming ABL 2018-2019 as their import, boasting an impressive resume.
Most recently, Gilder was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the 2017-2018 Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (LPB) season in Venezuela. The 6’9″ forward averaged 26.5 points (led league), 6.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in his third season with Panteras.
Gilder also has experience playing in the NBA with a two-game appearance for the Memphis Grizzles back in 2009 and then bounced on and off the roster with the Utah Jazz. He then spent time playing in NBA Summer Leagues with the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat.
His first taste of professional basketball came in the NBA G-League with the Colorado 14ers in 2008-2009 season. The 14ers won the NBA G-League championship that season with Gilder averaging 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.
The Texas native starred in his last two years of college eligibility with Northwestern State and made the All-Southland Conference First team after averaging 16.4 points and 6.2 rebounds in his senior year.
The other two new signings of Eastern, Yik Lun Chan and Man Chun Lam, are Hong Kong locals and present outstanding careers themselves.
Yik Lun Chan (or also known as James Chan) is considered a sharpshooter and stands among the best in Hong Kong. In the past years, Chan has spent most of his time playing for South China Athletic Association (SCAA) and helped the team win the local A1 Championship league three times in 2012, 2013, and 2017. The 6’2″ wing was also a part of the Hong Kong National Team in the FIBA Asia Cup 2013 where he averaged 3.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
Man Chun Lam (or M.C. Lam) was also a part of the National Team squad and averaged 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. Though Lam is considered to also have a decent three-point stroke, he prides himself more on his lockdown defense. Before his move to Eastern, Lam was a key player for Winling and won two A1 Championships with the team in 2007 and 2014.
The two players are good friends and school mates with Eastern’s star local player, Lee Ki.
