Firelight Chats Ep047 | Breathtaking B-ball Broadcasting w/Ryan Chen

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Ryan Chen commentated his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha by the fireside about basketball, baseball, broadcasting, and the sports marketing & business world. Ryan shares stories about growing up in Taiwan as an American kid, going to TAS, getting his first taste of Moneyball sabermetrics at Santa Clara University, his CPBL demo reel and return to Taiwan, how he transitioned into the PLG, learning about Chick Hearn, his broadcasting preparation and process, high school vs college vs pro basketball economics, and the anxieties, challenges & promises of the sports league startup life.

As the opening day of the 2023-2024 P. League+ season nears, Ryan also gives a rundown of the team stadiums, the importance of fans (including his famous fan captain father), his sister who broadcasts for the rival league, cheerleaders, officiating, import player rules, broadcasting rights, his dreams for Taipei's Big Egg, the power of marketing and storytelling, creating a memorable entertainment experience, his anticipations for each team, coaches and players to look out for, as well as his thoughts about the upcoming EASL season & other qualifying tournaments for the Chinese Taipei National team.

Ryan Chen is the English-language broadcaster and International Affairs Manager for the P.League+, also known as the PLG, one of Taiwan's professional basketball leagues. Born in Northern California, Ryan grew up in Taiwan, graduated from Santa Clara University, and is now back living, working, & broadcasting in Taiwan.