BASKETBALL/Jeremy Lin wins first TPBL monthly MVP; Lioneers to have new head coach

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) New Taipei Kings guard Jeremy Lin (林書豪) has become the first domestic player to win the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) Player of the Month award, while the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers are set to welcome their third head coach in less than a year.

Lin averaged 22 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists over five games in October and November, helping the Kings secure second place in the standings with a 4-2 record as of Friday, when the league made the announcement.

The 36-year-old veteran played a pivotal role in the Kings' challenging start to the season, during which the team was plagued by injuries and often had fewer than 10 players available per game, the TPBL said in a statement.

According to the TPBL, Lin was the favorite among both the media and fans, receiving 19 out of 22 first-place votes from the media and 1,545 first-place votes from fans. He earned a 49.6 percent weighted support rate, surpassing Taipei Taishin Mars guard Ting Sheng-ju (丁聖儒).

Ting made TPBL history as the first player to record a triple-double, with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in the Mars' 94-84 win over the Lioneers on Nov. 10, which snapped the team's four-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Kaohsiung Aquas' Kaleb Wesson was named Import of the Month.

In addition to an all-around stat of 21.4 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2 steals, and 1.6 blocks over five games, the 25-year-old also shot 44.8 percent from beyond the arc and contributed 2.6 three-pointers per game.

Wesson topped the weighted support rate at 38.1 percent, edging out Formosa Dreamers' Aric Holman (31.6 percent) and Lin's teammate Jason Washburn (21 percent).

Also on Friday, the Lioneers announced that they have parted ways with head coach Milan Mitrovic, and that assistant coach Sheng Hsin-han (沈欣漢) will serve as interim head coach.

In a statement, Lioneers general manager Chang Shu-jen (張樹人) said the team has already secured Mitrovic's replacement, a foreign coach expected to arrive in Taiwan in mid-December.

Chang told CNA that the new head coach aims to debut on Dec. 21 during the Lioneers' away game against the New Taipei CTBC DEA.

Chang explained that the decision to replace Mitrovic was made due to the team's league-worst 2-5 record, which fell short of expectations following offseason roster upgrades. However, he praised Mitrovic for boosting player morale and guiding the team through challenging times.

The Serbian had served as an assistant before succeeding Greg Lin (林冠綸) in mid-February, with the team winning 14-10 in the rest of the regular season under his leadership and returning to the playoffs after missing out in the 2022-23 season.

The team was eliminated by the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in the semifinals, 4-2.