Lyon Chiang, New York
In a career spanning several years and countries, Palestinian basketball legend Sani Sakakini (桑尼), known as a national treasure in his homeland, has once again found himself on Taiwanese soil.
Sakakini, who first joined Taiwan’s SBL league six years ago with the Yulon Luxgen team, has been closely linked with Taiwan’s basketball scene ever since.
In 2021, Sakakini joined the Taichung Suns in the T1 League, and the following year, he played for the Taoyuan Pilots in the P. League+. This year, at 36 years old, Sakakini signed with the New Taipei Kings (新北國王), marking his return as an Asian import player for the newly established Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) and the East Asia Super League (EASL).
Sakakini’s decision to return to Taiwan this time, however, was influenced by much more than basketball. He had been playing in the Lebanese league, but the outbreak of war between Israel and Lebanon forced him to flee to Jordan for safety. During this time of uncertainty, he received a message from Kings’ general manager, Mao Chia-en (毛加恩), offering him a chance to return to Taiwan.
“War brought me back to Taiwan,” Sakakini reflected, emphasizing how much safer Taiwan felt in comparison to the conflict zones he had experienced. He also expressed his excitement about joining the New Taipei Kings (新北國王), praising the team’s positive environment. As someone who has played in almost every major basketball league in Taiwan in recent years, Sakakini expressed his pride in being part of Taiwan’s basketball evolution. “I’ve participated in every league here. It’s an honor.”
Now in his fourth stint in Taiwan, Sakakini has set his sights on winning a championship for the Kings in the upcoming EASL season. Despite only having had one practice session with his new teammates, he is already familiar with the team’s recent performance and has studied last season’s top four teams in the EASL. He also spoke highly of his new backcourt partners, including Jeremy Lin (林書豪) and Li Kai-yen (李愷諺), two of Taiwan’s most prominent players.
Sakakini believes this season will be exciting and looks forward to working with his talented teammates to achieve success in both the TPBL and EASL, adding yet another chapter to his illustrious career in Taiwanese basketball.
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