Saigon Heat

Saigon Heat
2024 Saigon Heat season
Saigon Heat logo
Founded2011; 13 years ago (2011)
ArenaCIS Arena
Capacity1,300
LocationHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Team coloursRed, Yellow, Black
     
PresidentConnor Nguyen
Head coachMatthew Van Pelt
Websitesaigonheat.com
Active teams of Saigon Heat
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]

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

History

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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

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  • 2011–12 Original logo
    2011–12 Original logo
  • 2013 season logo
    2013 season logo
  • 2014–present logo
    2014–present logo

Season-by-season record

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Season Coach Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
2012 Robert Newson 0 7 .000    
Jason Rabedeaux 8 6 .571    
Combined 8 13 .581 6th Did not qualify
2013 Jason Rabedeaux 4 18 .182 6th Did not qualify
2014 Jason Rabedeaux 6 7 .462    
Tony Garbelotto 3 4 .429 0 2 .000 Semifinalists
Combined 9 11 .450 4th
2015–16 Tony Garbelotto 9 11 .450 4th 0 2 .000 Semifinalists
2016–17 Tony Garbelotto 8 12 .400 4th 0 2 .000 Semifinalists
2017–18 Kyle Julius 10 10 .500 6th 0 2 .000 Quarterfinalists
2018–19 Kyle Julius 14 12 .538 5th 1 2 .333 Quarterfinalists
2019–20 Kevin Yurkus 3 11 .214 10th 0 0 – Season cut short due to COVID-19
2023 Matthew Van Pelt 11 3 .769 1st 3 3 .500 Runner-up
Totals 65 98 .399 - 4 13 .235 Best Results: Runner-up

Home arenas

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2023 roster

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

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

Depth chart

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

Head coaches

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  • England Robert Newson (2012)
  • United States Jason Rabedeaux † (2012–2014)
  • England Anthony Garbelotto (2014–2017)
  • Canada Kyle Julius (2017–2019)
  • United States Kevin Yurkus (2019–2022)
  • United States Matthew Van Pelt (2022–present)

References

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  1. ^ "SSA Saigon Heat Joins the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League". ABL News. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b 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.
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