August 24 — J.P. Morgan Private Bank, one of the largest and most respected investment managers and private banks in the world, turned their attention to AUBL 2025, joining as an event partner to host an exclusive luncheon in Hangzhou on Sunday, August 24th. The event featured a fireside chat with Joe Tsai and Yao Ming. Attendees had the privilege of hearing two legends reflect on defining chapters of their professional journeys: their experiences as athletes, as team owners, and as chairmen.

Harshika Patel - CEO of JP Morgan Private Bank for Asia Pacific gave a warm opening address. “At J.P. Morgan, our philosophy is simple. We want to make people's dreams come true. Whether it's our clients, our employees, or the communities we actually live in. So when we heard about the vision for AUBL, we felt we needed to get involved.”

From a business aspect, Joe believes investing in top sports assets was an investment in infrastructure because watching and enjoying sports is something that will always be meaningful. He stated: “When investing in new leagues like the AUBL, I think the most important thing is the people: having a good team, good people to support the business. That way, their product and business philosophy can be integrated into the company. I think that's the most critical, so I bet on people.”

When asked about what he is most proud of, Yao said: “Taking that first step to play abroad. There were many barriers. These barriers were not necessarily man-made, but there were many unknowns we faced. Not just for me, but for players of our generation. However, we all took that step. We all went out. Now I'm also very happy that among the younger generation of athletes, they can go further. I think that is also something our generation of athletes should be very proud of. Regardless of what their final achievements are, I think taking that step already broke through many barriers.”

We were delighted to host over 120 industry leaders at this special event in Hangzhou. Our sincere thanks to JPM for their pivotal role.