CBA hopes to set up a rebound

China’s professional basketball league is entering a pivotal season following the national men’s team’s disappointing Asian Games campaign, with a series of reforms set to reshape both the competition and China’s player development.

The 2026-27 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season tips off on Friday, when defending champions Shanghai Sharks face Shenzhen Leopards in the opening game.

The new season brings back promotion and relegation, tightens limits on foreign players, expands the development league for young players and adds more regular-season games.

China finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, its worst result at the continental event since 2014. At a news conference on Monday, CBA chairman Guo Zhenming said Chinese basketball was at a critical juncture, with national-team results still falling short of public expectations. He described the professional league as the foundation of the national team’s talent development.

The question now is whether the reforms can create a more competitive domestic environment and give Chinese players greater responsibility on the court.

One of the most significant changes is the return of promotion and relegation, which will link CBA survival more directly to on-court performance.

In April 2027, the CBA’s 19th-placed team will face the National Basketball League (NBL) runner-up, while the CBA’s 20th-placed team will take on the NBL champion. Each matchup will be played over two legs, with the NBL team hosting the first game and the CBA team hosting the second.

The winner will be determined by aggregate points across the two games, with extra time played in the second game if the aggregate scores are level.

The winners must also pass the required admission assessments to qualify for the 2027-28 CBA season.

The system marks a departure from the admission-based model used since promotion and relegation was abolished in the 2004-05 season. Under the new arrangement, teams near the bottom of the standings will face greater pressure, while NBL clubs will have a clearer route into the top tier.

Basketball commentator Su Qun has backed the reform, arguing that meaningful competition at both ends of the table is important to the league’s long-term health.

“When a league loses its vitality, its market weakens, and revenue distribution will gradually shrink as well,” he said.

The system’s effectiveness, however, will depend on more than the rules themselves. The NBL must offer a sufficiently competitive environment, while the league needs consistent standards for club admission and financial compliance.

For clubs aspiring to reach the top tier, promotion and relegation give long-term ambitions a more concrete target. The Hong Kong Bulls, three-time defending NBL champions, have strengthened their roster by signing players including Wang Junjie and Shi Kui as they pursue a place in the CBA.

“From the first day we built the team, our goal has been the CBA,” said the club’s general manager, Sun Xinwei.

“I’m proud to see the three NBL championship trophies in my office every day, but whenever I talk about the CBA or watch a CBA game in person, the longing for it is difficult to put into words.”

For the Bulls and other NBL contenders, the new arrangement creates a more direct link between results on the court and access to the country’s top professional competition.

Meanwhile, in the CBA, the regular season expands to 46 rounds and 460 games, up by four rounds and 40 games from last season. The 20 teams will be divided into four groups. Teams will meet four times within their groups and twice against teams from other groups.

The playoffs will feature a best-of-three opening-round series, best-of-five quarterfinals and semifinals, and a best-of-seven championship series.

Two breaks will accommodate national team preparations for FIBA World Cup qualifiers, the CBA Club Cup and the Spring Festival holiday, adding to the challenge of managing player workloads across competitions.

The league is also tightening its limits on foreign players. Each club may register up to three foreign players at a time, with a maximum of six registrations during the season, down from four and eight, respectively. A tiered salary cap will also apply according to team standings and competition stages.

Shanghai Sharks coach Lu Wei said the reduction would affect team rotation. Last season, four foreign players covered all five positions; this year, two new imports arrived late and had limited time to train with the squad.

“There are still many details we need to work on and fine-tune in the first few games of the season,” Lu said.

A commentary in Workers’ Daily argued that China’s men’s team lacked a player capable of taking over a game during the Asian Games knockout stage. It attributed this in part to the prominent roles foreign players have long played in the domestic league, which it said had left Chinese players with limited experience in handling pressure.

This season, the focus will be on whether domestic guards take charge of crucial possessions and whether young players earn meaningful minutes in close games.

The Chinese Basketball Development League (CBDL) is also expanding, with all 20 CBA clubs set to participate. Designed primarily for players aged 18 to 24, the league will stage 292 games, including 280 preliminary-round games and 12 finals.

A total of 337 domestic players have been registered for the new CBA season, including 67 first-time CBA registrants. Of those, 18 entered through the draft and 49 were developed by their clubs.

The expanded schedule gives young players more opportunities to gain competitive experience and allows clubs to assess talent more effectively. However, the league’s success will ultimately depend on whether promising performances translate into opportunities at the CBA level.

Clubs will need to create clear pathways to their senior teams and give young players meaningful minutes, particularly in close games, if the CBDL is to become an effective pipeline for professional basketball and the national teams.

Beyond competition formats and player development, the CBA will continue to strengthen anti-doping measures and enforce standards of professional conduct. The league will also continue initiatives aimed at improving the matchday experience and engaging younger fans.

The 2027 CBA All-Star Weekend will be held in Xi’an for the first time, while the CBA Club Cup will expand to 24 teams, bringing games to more cities.

Ultimately, the reforms will be judged not by the number of new rules or games on the schedule, but by whether they translate into stronger performances by the national team.