A display of past champions’ jerseys and the VBA trophy at the Vietnam Basketball Association 2026 season launch event, highlighting a decade of achievements and ambitions for the future. — Photo courtesy of VBA

HCM CITY — The Vietnam Basketball Association (VBA) officially launched its 2026 season – VBA 11 – on March 31, marking a new chapter in the development of professional basketball in Việt Nam.

Entering its 11th season, the league not only reflected on a decade of steady progress in building a professional basketball foundation, but also reaffirmed a renewed mission to elevate Vietnamese basketball regionally, inspire younger generations and create a sustainable development platform for the sport.

The 2026 season will continue with the traditional home-and-away 5x5 format, featuring six teams: Hanoi Buffaloes, Danang Dragons, Nha Trang Dolphins, Ho Chi Minh City Wings, Saigon Heat and Cantho Catfish.

Alongside the season launch, VBA introduced the Draft Combine Series 2026 – the largest talent selection programme in the league’s history.

The series will be held in four phases, beginning with a scouting tour at universities in Hà Nội and HCM City from March 29 to April 3, followed by a Rising Camp training programme (April 6–8), Combine Challenges including individual contests and a 3x3 tournament (April 9–11), and culminating in the VBA Rookie Draft on April 14.

The Rookie Draft will see each of the six clubs use one pick to select promising young players. Undrafted athletes will become free agents, allowing them to negotiate and sign contracts independently with clubs.

A key focus of the new season is restructuring team roster to increase playing time for local players. Each team will include 10–13 local players – including one rookie from the draft combine and two home-grown players – alongside one Local-3 player (Vietnamese-origin players with at least five years of VBA experience), two Asian-origin players and two international import players.

To ensure greater opportunities for local players, teams must have at least two Vietnamese players on the court at all times. Additionally, only one international import will be allowed on the court during the first and third quarters, while two imports can be fielded in the second and fourth quarters.

VBA chief executive Trần Chu Sa said the changes were based on international league models and aimed at creating more opportunities for local players to gain match experience while maintaining the quality and rhythm of games.

"The selection of the first and third quarters has been carefully calculated by the organisers to ensure the pace and overall quality of the games,” Sa added.

Due to the reduction to six teams from seven last season, the total number of regular-season games has also been adjusted. A total of 60 games will be played from May 21 to August 31, with each team competing in 10 games to determine the top four advancing to the playoffs.

The playoffs will follow a best-of-three format, with the top seed facing the fourth-placed team and the second seed meeting the third. The two winners will advance to the finals, played in a best-of-five series.

The league also announced a switch to Molten basketballs after a decade using Spalding products. In addition, FPT Playhas been named the official broadcast partner for the next five seasons from 2026 to 2030.

Representatives from FPT Corporation said basketball is a strategic focus as the platform aims to diversify and rejuvenate its sports content, bringing fans a wider range of competitions from grassroots to professional levels, both domestically and internationally. — VNS