The next step is the Asian University Basketball League. Based in Hangzhou and in its second year of existence, it brings in 12 teams from around the region to compete in an NCAA-style tournament. “What we saw last year was that, as a first-year event, the potential was very, very real, and the reception was incredibly positive,” Li, the AUBL’s co-founder and CEO, said. “My experience working in basketball in the US and China for 15 years helped me see the opportunity for college basketball in Asia, where it has the biggest fan base in the world. Almost a billion people are avidly following the NBA, and basketball is the most [popular participation] sport in China.