Saigon Heat

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Saigon Heat
Basketball current event.svg 2024 Saigon Heat season
Saigon Heat logo 2014.png
Founded2011;13 years ago (2011)
ArenaCIS Arena
Capacity1,300
Location Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Team coloursRed, Yellow, Black
   
PresidentConnor Nguyen
Head coachMatthew Van Pelt
Website saigonheat.com
Active teams of Saigon Heat
Basketball pictogram.svg Basketball pictogram.svg
ABL (formerly) VBA

The Saigon Heat is a Vietnamese professional basketball team based in Ho Chi Minh City. Since the 2014 season, the Heat's home games are played at the CIS Arena on the campus of the Canadian International School in District 7. This is the first professional basketball team based in Vietnam. [1]

Contents

The Heat currently plays in the VBA, Vietnam's first professional basketball league. [2]

History

The Saigon Heat are the first professional basketball team in Vietnam based in Ho Chi Minh City. They were officially announced as a member of the ASEAN Basketball League in October 2011. The team was formed by the Saigon Sports Academy, a multi-sports training academy launched in January 2009 and located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. [3]

In their inaugural season, the Heat finished sixth in the ABL with a regular season record of 8–13. The Heat did not qualify in for the 2012 ABL playoffs. The Heat followed up their inaugural season with another disappointing sixth-place finish in an injury plagued 2013 season, highlighted by a twelve-game losing streak. [4] [5]

Thirteen games into the 2014 season, head coach Jason Rabedeaux suddenly died, the main cause of death was traumatic brain injury. [6] Coach Rabedeaux's assistant Anthony Garbelotto was named the new head coach. [7] The Heat finished the season in fourth place, clinching their first ever playoff berth. [8] The Heat were swept 0–2 by the Westports Malaysia Dragons in the 2014 ABL playoffs.

Following the completion of the 2015–16 season, the Heat announced the formation of Vietnam's first professional basketball league, the Vietnam Basketball Association, where they would field a developmental team. [2] The Heat VBA team consists of local players, with several of the ABL side's players being distributed among the other VBA teams for league parity purposes.[ citation needed ]

Logos

Season-by-season record

SeasonCoachRegular SeasonPost Season
WonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
2012 Robert Newson 07.000  
Jason Rabedeaux 86.571  
Combined813.5816thDid not qualify
2013 Jason Rabedeaux418.1826thDid not qualify
2014 Jason Rabedeaux67.462  
Tony Garbelotto 34.42902.000Semifinalists
Combined911.4504th
2015–16 Tony Garbelotto911.4504th02.000Semifinalists
2016–17 Tony Garbelotto812.4004th02.000Semifinalists
2017–18 Kyle Julius 1010.5006th02.000Quarterfinalists
2018–19 Kyle Julius 1412.5385th12.333Quarterfinalists
2019–20 Kevin Yurkus 311.21410th00Season cut short due to COVID-19
2023 Matthew Van Pelt113.7691st33.500Runner-up
Totals6598.399-413.235Best Results: Runner-up

Home arenas

2023 roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Saigon Heat roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
F 0 Flag of the United States.svg Jeremy Combs  (WI)2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)82 kg (181 lb)28 – (1995-11-24)24 November 1995
G 1 Flag of the United States.svg Evan Gilyard  (WI)1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)77 kg (170 lb)26 – (1998-08-04)4 August 1998
G 3 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Khoa Tran 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)75 kg (165 lb)27 – (1997-01-21)21 January 1997
F 6 Flag of Vietnam.svg Nguyễn Phúc Vinh 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)82 kg (181 lb)22 – (2002-09-11)11 September 2002
G 7 Flag of Vietnam.svg Dư Minh An 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)80 kg (176 lb)31 – (1993-08-11)11 August 1993
F 10 Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Hassan Thomas 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)98 kg (216 lb)29 – (1995-01-01)1 January 1995
G 11 Flag of Vietnam.svg Võ Kim Bản 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)80 kg (176 lb)24 – (2000-03-24)24 March 2000
C 12 Flag of Vietnam.svg Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)90 kg (198 lb)26 – (1998-05-07)7 May 1998
G 13 Flag of Vietnam.svg Nguyễn Anh Kiệt 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)82 kg (181 lb)22 – (2002-02-24)24 February 2002
F 15 Flag of the United States.svg Jarius Holder  (WI)2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)82 kg (181 lb)30 – (1994-08-24)24 August 1994
F/C 30 Flag of Denmark.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Tim Waale  (C)1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)100 kg (220 lb)26 – (1998-07-30)30 July 1998
G 47 Flag of Vietnam.svg Huỳnh Trực Nhân 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)82 kg (181 lb)22 – (2002-08-24)24 August 2002
Head coach
  • Flag of the United States.svg Matthew Van Pelt
Assistant coach(es)
  • Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Grice
  • Flag of Vietnam.svg Vũ Thế Cang
Athletic trainer(s)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (WI) World import
    • (AI) ASEAN heritage import
    • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Depth chart

Pos.Starting 5Bench 1Bench 2
C Flag of the United States.svg Jeremy Combs Flag of Vietnam.svg Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh
PF Flag of the United States.svg Jarius Holder Flag of Denmark.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Tim Waale Flag of Vietnam.svg Nguyễn Phúc Vinh
SF Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Hassan Thomas Flag of Vietnam.svg Võ Kim Bản Flag of Vietnam.svg Nguyễn Anh Kiệt
SG Flag of the United States.svg Flag of Vietnam.svg Khoa Tran Flag of Vietnam.svg Huỳnh Trực Nhân
PG Flag of the United States.svg Evan Gilyard Flag of Vietnam.svg Dư Minh An

Head coaches

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References

  1. "SSA Saigon Heat Joins the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League". ABL News. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011.
  2. 1 2 Hodge, Harry (4 March 2016). "Vietnam is getting a pro basketball league". saigoneer.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  3. "Home". FIBA Asia. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  4. "Saigon Heat disqualified from 2013 ABL Champs". vietnamnet.vn. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  5. "Saigon Heat defeated in 12 consecutive games". vietnamnet.vn. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  6. "American coach of Vietnam's Saigon Heat dies of accident, aged 49". tuoitrenews.vn. 22 September 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  7. "Coach Tony: "Coach Rab would have been very proud at what the club has achieved"". xle.vn. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  8. "Vietnam's Saigon Heat reach first ASEAN Basketball League semi in history". tuoitrenews.vn. 25 October 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2016.