KC Global Media Welcomes TPBL Star Kenny Chien as First Active Player to Commentate League Finals
SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia and TAIPEI, June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- KC Global Media is proud to announce that Kenny Chien, guard, Taipei Taishin Mars, will join TPBL's English-language commentary team for game 2 and 3 of the 2025 TPBL Finals, airing on 18 June, Wednesday and 21 June, Saturday on AXN Asia.
This marks a groundbreaking moment in Taiwanese professional basketball, as Chien becomes the first active player in TPBL history to step into a live broadcast role during the league finals. Known for his high basketball IQ and deep commitment to the game, Chien brings a fresh and authentic voice to this season's biggest stage.
"We're incredibly thrilled to have Kenny join our English commentary team," said George Chien, Co-founder, President & CEO at KC Global Media. "As an active player, his insight is unmatched — he's lived the pressure, knows the locker room energy, and understands the game's rhythm from the inside out. He's had a strong season on the court, and now fans will get to experience his passion and perspective from the commentary booth. It's a refreshing and exciting twist that will bring our regional audience even closer to the action."
Born in the U.S. to Taiwanese heritage, Chien's basketball journey has become one of Taiwan's most inspiring sports stories. From playing at Broward College to making an impact in the ASEAN Basketball League and P. LEAGUE+ with Formosa Dreamers, and now the TPBL, Kenny has earned accolades like:
First Team All Defense (P. LEAGUE+, 2022)
All PLG Second Team (P. LEAGUE+, 2022)
Most Improved Player (P. LEAGUE+, 2022)
ABL Top 30 Players (2019)
This past season, Chien played a crucial role for the Taipei Taishin Mars, averaging nearly 10 points per game and logging major minutes in the playoffs. His signature hustle, defensive mindset, and leadership continue to shape Taiwan's emerging basketball identity.
As a commentator, fans can expect Chien to provide real-time tactical breakdowns, player insights, and a behind-the-scenes look only an active pro can offer. Game 2 and 3 of the TPBL Finals will stream live on AXN YouTube on 18 June and 21 June respectively, followed by a full broadcast on AXN Asia. Tune in to experience the finals from a whole new angle, with one of the league's very own on the mic.
For more information about TPBL, and broadcast details, please visit AXN Facebook or Instagram page.
About AXN Asia
AXN features exclusive top-rated drama series, blockbuster features, reality programs and ground-breaking original productions. The channel appeals to a discerning audience seeking content that is smart, intriguing and unexpected, and all delivered close to U.S telecasts. From CSI: Vegas, FBI franchise, The Rookie, NCIS: Hawai'i and The Amazing Race, AXN is defined not by a genre, but by an attitude that truly redefines action. In Asia, AXN reaches more than 18.6 million households in 18 territories.
Website: AXN-Asia.com | Facebook: @AXNAsia | Instagram: @AXNAsia | YouTube: AXN Asia |TikTok: @AXNAsia | X (Twitter): @AXNAsia
About Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL)
The Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) is Taiwan's premier professional basketball league, bringing elite players, passionate fans, and world-class entertainment to create an electrifying basketball experience. Featuring seven dynamic teams—Taipei Mars, New Taipei Kings, New Taipei CTBC DEA, Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards, Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers, Formosa Dreamers, and Kaohsiung Aquas—TPBL showcases high-intensity competition and unforgettable moments on the court. With a commitment to excellence, innovation, and fan engagement, TPBL is shaping the future of professional basketball in Asia and inspiring the next generation of athletes.
Website: https://tpbl.basketball/ | Facebook: @TPBL.basketball | Instagram: @tpbl.tw (ZH) and @tpbl.basketball (EN) | YouTube: tpbl.basketball |TikTok: @tpbl.basketball
About KC Global Media
KC Global Media Entertainment LLC is a global multi-media company based in the United States. The brainchild of former Sony executives Andy Kaplan and George Chien, KC Global Media Asia (KCGM Asia) is Asia's leading entertainment hub through the production, distribution and programming of quality, ground-breaking content. Backed by more than two decades of industry experience, KCGM Asia boasts an impressive portfolio of premium pay-TV channels in Asia, including English-language general entertainment network AXN, Japanese anime content channel Animax, South Korea's ONE, Japanese entertainment channel, GEM, our first English language general entertainment FAST (Fast Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channel, KCM, and AXN Sports block which features LIVE broadcast of LIV Golf and TPBL. By combining award-winning and well-loved entertainment formats with extensive knowledge and insight of the Asia Pacific market, KCGM Asia is paving the way for a new standard of entertainment in Asia and beyond.
Website: www.KCGlobalMedia.com | Facebook: @KCGlobalMedia | Instagram: @KCGlobalMediaAsia | LinkedIn: @KCGlobalMediaAsia
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/kc-global-media-welcomes-tpbl-star-kenny-chien-as-first-active-player-to-commentate-league-finals-302484958.html
SOURCE KC Global Media Asia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michael Jordan said he promised Adidas he'd sign if they matched or exceeded Nike's offer: "They couldn't even come close"
Michael Jordan said he promised Adidas he'd sign if they matched or exceeded Nike's offer: "They couldn't even come close" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Michael Jordan is currently a global marketing powerhouse and has changed the face of basketball footwear as the face of Nike. But his heart was initially set on a different brand. Not Nike, but Adidas. Advertisement That may come as a surprise now, considering how the Air Jordan line has generated more than $6.6 billion for Nike to date, with the six-time NBA champion personally earning over $350 million alone from the deal. But during those pivotal early moments of his transition from college standout to NBA rookie, Jordan wasn't dreaming of swooshes or flight logos, he was waiting on Adidas. Adidas couldn't match the offer Jordan already had a strong emotional connection to Adidas. He wore it during his early college years and admired its aesthetic and presence on the court. So when the numbers started coming in, his mind wasn't on which company would cut the biggest check. It was about where he truly felt at home. "I really liked Adidas," Jordan once said. "So I went back to Adidas hearing what Nike had proposed to me and said, 'If you match it, I'll go with Adidas.' And they actually never matched the deal. They couldn't even come close." Coming off a legendary run at the University of North Carolina that included a national championship in 1982 and being named the NCAA Player of the Year in 1984, Jordan's stock was sky-high. He had just been drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls and shoe companies were circling like sharks. Advertisement Converse was still dominant, repped by the likes of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Adidas was considered the cool, European-flavored alternative, already worn by a significant portion of NBA players. And Nike, relatively new to basketball, was fighting to find its footing. It wasn't just a case of a lowball offer. Adidas, at the time, was undergoing internal restructuring following the death of founder Adi Dassler. With no clear direction from the U.S. operations and fractured leadership in Europe, they simply weren't in a position to prioritize the NBA's newest attraction. The offer they put on the table lacked the scope and vision that Nike brought, not just in money, but in commitment. Nike saw something larger. The apparel giant had already launched the Air technology and was looking for someone to anchor their basketball identity. The company didn't just offer Jordan a deal, it gave him a blueprint for something far more enduring. A five-year contract worth $2.5 million, a signature shoe line and creative control that would shape not just sneakers but an entire era of athlete branding. Advertisement Related: "I can't get so close to it, too, because of my competitive nature" - Michael Jordan on why he can't get himself to be a fan of any one player in the NBA Becoming the brand Jordan decided to sign with Nike and it marked the beginning of athlete-as-brand. At a time when signature shoes weren't standard for rookies, Nike rolled the dice and won big. From the very beginning, it handed Jordan the kind of creative influence that was unheard of at the time. "I went with Nike and they centered everything around myself," Jordan said. "And they gave me to create with the basketball shoe, put my input, give me my input on the basketball shoe in terms of the way I like it and from that point on, it just kind of rolled." Advertisement That kind of autonomy helped create not only iconic shoes like the Air Jordan 1, which dropped in 1985 and sold $126 million in its first year, but also the cultural mythology around them. The black-and-red colorway, famously "banned" by the NBA, only added fuel to the growing legend. Nike leaned into the controversy, spinning it into a campaign that turned Jordan into a symbol. Adidas, by contrast, remained stuck. The company continued to struggle with internal management well into the late '80s and early '90s, missing opportunities to sign not just Jordan but several other high-profile athletes. It wasn't until much later, after seeing Jordan's meteoric rise, that Adidas tried to reenter the U.S. basketball space more aggressively, but by then, the gap was already too wide. Jordan, meanwhile, kept building. The Air Jordan brand evolved from performance gear to streetwear iconography. His shoes weren't just seen on the hardwood but in skate parks and corner store stoops. Advertisement Each release became an event, each silhouette a time capsule. Even after his final NBA game in 2003, his brand only grew stronger, becoming a fashion and cultural statement beyond sports. In missing the chance to sign Jordan, Adidas didn't just lose a sponsorship deal but missed the opportunity to define an entire generation. Nike didn't just pay Jordan. It listened, adapted and built with him. That's what sealed the deal. And decades later, the decision remains one of the most consequential endorsements in sports history. Related: "It was a ballet move where I jumped up and spread my legs" - Michael Jordan reveals the real story behind the Jumpman logo This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
Wait a minute. Why is the NBA holding its draft so soon after the Finals?
Wait, the NBA is holding its draft already? Weren't the Finals happening just a few days ago? Yes and yes — and no, the NBA does not have any plans to change its calendar. The question was posed this week to a top NBA official about just why the league gives its fans barely any time to digest its biggest event before another one of massive significance comes along. To Byron Spruell, the NBA's president of league operations, the biggest factor was simply a lack of impetus to fix what ain't broke.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Khaman Maluach, Carter Bryant and other players Raptors should target at NBA Draft
TORONTO — As you might have guessed based on my last column, I believe the Toronto Raptors should use their pick to select a rookie for next year's roster in Wednesday's first round of the NBA Draft, barring a star who fits better than Kevin Durant would have coming along. Actually, let's amend that a little bit — I believe they should use a pick to select someone for next year's roster in the first round. Making a trade is always more complicated in practice than in theory. With that said, finding a way to move down and gain a little something extra while still grabbing a player they like later in the first round could be a nice lane for the Raptors. Advertisement 'It doesn't seem like there's many options out there, at least to move up,' Raptors assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said Monday at a news conference. The Raptors have the ninth pick on Wednesday. They also have the 39th pick, or ninth in the second round, which is Thursday night. 'I think there's a lot of people that have the same feeling as we do — that the top 10, the lottery, whatever, is a pretty good place to be. 'There's definitely interest in people trying to get our pick, I think for the same reason. It's an interesting group of players around there. I wouldn't say (there's an) any-percentage chance that we do one or the other, but there (are) definitely conversations being had of teams trying to get into the top 10 for the same reason as why we like being here right now.' Tolzman was very clear that the Raptors' top eight players, or whatever the number might be, are surely different from other teams' lists. The notion of 'picking a player too high' is easy to say in the immediate aftermath of a draft, but not often simple to capitalize on as the draft unfolds. Still, when I look at the draft, there are two players I really like for the Raptors who might be there at nine. After that, the guys who make sense to me — not a draft expert! — might be available lower down. If the Raptors are confident in that and spot some urgency on the other end of a phone call, maybe they can make some magic happen. More likely: They'll take a player they like with the ninth pick. It's possible that draft experts will bemoan the value of the pick. Then everyone will go about living their lives. If you'd like to read up on the draft, Sam Vecenie's behemoth draft guide is a good starting point. Maybe you can get through his top 20 prospects between now and the time the draft starts. (His latest mock draft is here.) After having done my share of reading and talking to people I trust, I have formed some strong opinions, loosely held. These are my top five prospects for the Raptors at the ninth pick. I am assuming Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel and Tre Johnson will be off the board. Anybody else is fair game. 1. Khaman Maluach, centre, Duke 7-foot-1 | 253 pounds | 18 years old I've gone back and forth between my first and second choices, both of whom are unlikely to be available much further down than ninth (and might not make it here at all). If the Raptors end up with either, fans should be happy. I think there is a drop-off in the intersection of talent and Raptors fit after that. Advertisement Ultimately, I have Maluach a bit higher than the player below him because I think he has a clearer path to becoming a difference-maker. The Raptors may sign Jakob Poeltl to an extension this offseason, but he won't be in Toronto forever, and Maluach has the size and bravado to become an All-Defence centre. He's far from a sure thing, and he might top out at an effective rim-runner on offence, but Maluach makes sense. 2. Carter Bryant, wing, Arizona 6-7 | 215 lbs | 19 It's harder to project Bryant as a very good starter on a good team than Maluach, but it is easy to envision him contributing to a good team as a low-usage starter. He's got the size and shooting to do it, even if he was a reserve in his only college year. If you're married to the idea of the Raptors going high upside with this pick, Bryant won't be for you. He has shown very little as a scorer or playmaker off the bounce. I'm comfortable knowing he will be able to fit in, however the Raptors evolve. With so many guys who are used to having the ball, and Ochai Agbaji a candidate to be traded due to the Raptors' cap situation, give me a player who will fit in next to Scottie Barnes, if nothing else. 3. Thomas Sorber, centre, Georgetown 6-9 | 263 lbs. | 19 Thus ends my list of players whose fit and talent I would love for the Raptors, at least at nine. Sorber has some similarities to Poeltl. He catches the ball well on the move, is a good passer and shouldn't struggle much with the physicality of the NBA. Compared to Maluach and even Poeltl, he lacks the height to bring a lineup together defensively, although his 7-6 wingspan will give him a chance. He blocked two shots per game at Georgetown, so it is not as if he is a non-factor. Tolzman spent some time on Monday mentioning how having a centre that can function similarly to Poeltl would be useful. He then said there is also a benefit to having a stylistic difference behind the veteran. Never show your hand! Advertisement Sorber has enough skills to make sense playing in coach Darko Rajaković's system. He is smart on both ends. If the Raptors think they can turn him into a shooter — and they always think that — he would be a fun fit. 4. Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma 6-3 | 180 lbs | 18 Fears would be a long-term pick for the Raptors, and might have to spend most of the year with Raptors 905, assuming both Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead are healthy. That's fine. Fears gets into the paint with a blend of speed and shiftiness that nobody on the Raptors roster has. That is Quickley's biggest limitation, and Fears represents a massive swing behind him at guard. His shooting and passing vision are nowhere close to NBA-ready, and it would take some work for him to be an OK defender. Fears has a skill the Raptors haven't had forever, though, and the Raptors have enough depth to wait for him. If you believe in your developmental framework, he'd be a sensible gamble. For what it's worth, my sense is he would be a hard player to get in a trade-down scenario. 5. Kasparas Jakucionis, guard, Illinois 6-5 | 205 lbs. | 19 I believe in the player, but not the fit. (See also: Collin Murray-Boyles, the defensive-minded, non-shooting forward from South Carolina.) So long as Barnes is here, I don't love the idea of another player who wants the ball in his hands in pick-and-roll scenarios with a work-in-progress shot. People smarter than me say that his outsized role and a forearm injury accounted for his 31.8 percent shooting from 3 at Illinois, and that he is a better shooter than that. Then again, you are not drafting him for him to hang out off the ball. The Jakucionis-Barnes pick-and-roll combo would be comically pass-first. But he has great vision and would make a ton of sense in a post-Barnes world. If the Raptors were in a pure rebuild, he'd probably be third for me. But they are not. My next five: 6. Cedric Coward, wing, Washington State; 7. Murray-Boyles; 8. Noa Essengue, big, France; 9. Joan Beringer, big, France; 10. Derik Queen, big, Maryland (Top photo of Khaman Maluach: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
