Saigon Heat

The Saigon Heat is a Vietnamese professional basketball team based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 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]

Saigon Heat
2023 Saigon Heat season
LeaguesASEAN Basketball League
Founded2011 (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 VBA

The Heat also operates a developmental team that plays in the Vietnam Basketball Association, 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.

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

Season-by-season record
SeasonCoachRegular SeasonPost Season
WonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
2012Robert Newson07.000  
Jason Rabedeaux86.571  
Combined813.5816thDid not qualify
2013Jason Rabedeaux418.1826thDid not qualify
2014Jason Rabedeaux67.462  
Tony Garbelotto34.42902.000Semifinalists
Combined911.4504th
2015–16Tony Garbelotto911.4504th02.000Semifinalists
2016–17Tony Garbelotto812.4004th02.000Semifinalists
2017–18Kyle Julius1010.5006th02.000Quarterfinalists
2018–19Kyle Julius1412.5385th12.333Quarterfinalists
2019–20Kevin Yurkus311.21410th00–Season cut short due to COVID-19
2023Matthew Van Pelt113.7691st33.500Runner-up
Totals6598.399-413.235Best Results: Runner-up

Home arenas

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 Jeremy Combs (WI) 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 28 – (1995-11-24)24 November 1995
G 1 Evan Gilyard (WI) 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 25 – (1998-08-04)4 August 1998
G 3 Khoa Tran 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 75 kg (165 lb) 27 – (1997-01-21)21 January 1997
F 6 Nguyễn Phúc Vinh 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 21 – (2002-09-11)11 September 2002
G 7 Dư Minh An 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 30 – (1993-08-11)11 August 1993
F 10 Hassan Thomas 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 98 kg (216 lb) 29 – (1995-01-01)1 January 1995
G 11 Võ Kim Bản 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 24 – (2000-03-24)24 March 2000
C 12 Nguyễn Huỳnh Phú Vinh 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 26 – (1998-05-07)7 May 1998
G 13 Nguyễn Anh Kiệt 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 22 – (2002-02-24)24 February 2002
F 15 Jarius Holder (WI) 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 29 – (1994-08-24)24 August 1994
F/C 30 Tim Waale (C) 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 25 – (1998-07-30)30 July 1998
G 47 Huỳnh Trực Nhân 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) 82 kg (181 lb) 21 – (2002-08-24)24 August 2002
Head coach
  • Matthew Van Pelt
Assistant coach(es)
  • David Grice
  • Vũ Thế Cang
Athletic trainer(s)
    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (WI) World import
    • (AI) ASEAN heritage import
    • Injured

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

    Head coaches
    • Robert Newson (2012)
    • Jason Rabedeaux † (2012–2014)
    • Anthony Garbelotto (2014–2017)
    • Kyle Julius (2017–2019)
    • Kevin Yurkus (2019–2022)
    • Matthew Van Pelt (2022–Present)

    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. 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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