National Basketball League (China)

The National Basketball League (simplified Chinese: 全国男子篮球联赛; traditional Chinese: 全國男子籃球聯賽; pinyin: Quánguó Nánzǐ Lánqiú Liánsài) is a professional basketball minor league in China, called Chinese Basketball League (CBL) before 2006. It is commonly known as the NBL, and this name (spelled out in letters) is often used even in Chinese.

NBL is the second-tier league to the professional Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

Inaugural season

The first regular season of the CBL began in April 2004. Eight teams advanced to the playoffs:

• Yunnan Honghe Running Bulls (云南红河奔牛)
• Yingkou Donghua Shenyang Army (营口东华沈部)
• Hebei Jidong Cement (河北冀东水泥)
• Sichuan Shidai Glacier (四川时代冰川)
• Shanxi Yujin (山西宇晋)
• Heilongjiang Daqing (黑龙江大庆)
• Guandong Dongguan New Century (广东东莞新世纪)
• Team Tianjin (天津男子篮球队) - no nickname or sponsor

On 4 August 2004, Yunnan Honghe Running Bulls defeated Guandong Dongguan New Century to win the first ever CBL championship and were promoted to the CBA for the 2004–2005 season.

2009 NBL ladder (championship round)

Current clubs

There are currently 16 clubs in the league. From the 2013 season onwards, the league will be competing under two divisions. After an assessment by the CBA, mainly based on results from the 2012 NBL season, ten clubs have been assigned to Division A and six clubs to Division B. After the regular season, teams finishing in the top four in Division A will advance to the Championship playoffs while the bottom two teams and the top two teams in Division B will form another playoff group, teams finishing in the top two in this group will qualify for Division A next season.^[1]

Division A

• Guangzhou Freemen (广州自由人) --> Chongqing Black Valley Flying Dragons (重庆黑山谷翱龙)
• Guangzhou Whampoa Chateau Xingbao Liusui (广州黃埔星堡酒庄六穗)
• Hebei Springs Benma (河北清泉奔马)
• Heilongjiang Zhaozhou Fengshen Sky Lions (黑龙江肇州丰绅天狮)
• Hong Kong Xinlibao Bulls (香港新丽宝公牛) --> Shaanxi Xingda Northwest Wolves (陕西信达西北狼)
• Hunan Changsha Bank Park Lane Snow Wolves (湖南长沙银行柏宁雪狼)
• Jiangsu Tongxi Monkey King (江苏同曦大圣)
• Jiangxi Xingye Fire Horses (江西鑫业烈焰马)
• Nanjing Military Region Yueda Great Wall (南京军区悦达长城)
• Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales (四川金强蓝鲸)

Division B

• Guangxi Weizhuang Rhinos （广西威壮犀牛）
• Guizhou Shenghang Snow Leopards (贵州森航雪豹)
• Henan Jiyuan Coal Mine Jinxiang (河南济源煤业金象) --> Henan Shedian Laojiu Jinxiang (河南赊店老酒金象)
• Jiangsu Guoli Brave Lions (江苏国立雄狮)
• Shandong Weihai Xinli (山东威海新力)
• Hubei Marco Polo (湖北马可波罗)
• Anhui Wenyi (安徽文一)

See also

• Sport in China
• China men's national basketball team
• China women's national basketball team
• Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)
• Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA)
• Chinese University Basketball Association (CUBA)

References

International men's basketball FIBA National teams Olympics World Cup Universiade U21 World Championship U19 World Championship U17 World Championship World Rankings Africa FIBA Africa – FIBA Africa Championship U-18 U-16 Americas FIBA Americas – FIBA Americas Championship U-18 U-16 Asia FIBA Asia – FIBA Asia Championship U-18 U-16 Europe FIBA Europe – FIBA EuroBasket U-20 U-18 U-16 Oceania FIBA Oceania – FIBA Oceania Championship U-18 U-16 Other tournaments Acropolis Tournament Adecco Cup Albert Schweitzer Tournament All-Africa Games Asian Games Commonwealth Games Diamond Ball FIBA Asia Cup FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament Lusophony Games Marchand Cup Mediterranean Games Stanković Cup Pan American Games Pan Arab Games TBF International Under-16 Tournament William Jones Cup World Cup (Turkey) Note: The Under-21 Championship is no longer held.