Shanghai Sharks End 24-Year CBA Title Drought
SHANGHAI — The Shanghai Sharks are champions of the Chinese Basketball Association for the first time in 24 years, defeating the defending champion Zhejiang Guangsha Lions 103-82 in Game 5 of the CBA Finals on Friday night at Shanghai Indoor Stadium. The victory sealed the series 4-1 and marked the franchise’s second championship, its first since Yao Ming led the team to glory in the 2001-2002 season.
Yao Ming, the Chinese basketball legend who was the hero of that 2002 title run and later owned the team from 2009 to 2017, watched from the stands as the current generation of Sharks etched their names into history. NIO chairman William Li was also in attendance.
A Historic Return to Glory
The 24-year gap between championships is the longest for any team in CBA history. The Sharks’ first title in 2002 came when Yao Ming’s overwhelming dominance broke the Bayi Rockets’ monopoly on the league championship. This time, according to People’s Daily, the triumph was built on “a strong, united roster and flexible, adaptable tactics” — a testament to team basketball rather than individual brilliance.
The championship is a fitting gift for the Shanghai Sharks Basketball Club, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in January 2026. Founded in 1996, the club has deep roots in a city with a basketball heritage stretching back over a century, including Shanghai players being part of China’s first Olympic basketball team in 1936.
The Remarkable Turnaround
What makes this championship particularly remarkable is the journey the team took to reach it. Just one year ago, the Sharks started the 2024-2025 season with a dismal 1-10 record, finishing 10th in the regular season and exiting in the first playoff round. The low point came in 2023 when the club was embroiled in a match-fixing scandal that resulted in a five-year ban for head coach Li Chunjiang and a 5 million RMB fine.
The turning point came in November 2024, when Lu Wei was appointed as head coach with the team at 1-10. He immediately led a 10-game winning streak. By the 2025-2026 season, the transformation was complete. As China News Service reported, the Sharks dominated the regular season with a 38-4 record (90.5% win rate), going undefeated at home (21-0) and tying the franchise record with a 23-game winning streak set by Yao Ming’s 2002 team.
In the playoffs, Shanghai swept Shandong 2-0, defeated three-time champion Beijing 3-1 in the semifinals — overcoming a 16-point halftime deficit in a pivotal game — and then dispatched defending champion Guangsha 4-1 in the Finals.
Depth and Team Basketball
The Sharks’ success was built on exceptional roster depth. The team featured four foreign imports, though center Hassan Whiteside missed the Finals due to injury and Kenneth Lofton Jr. played through injury. American guard Brandon Goodwin carried the offensive load, hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater three-pointer in a key game. Kyle Fogg also contributed significantly, especially when Goodwin was injured during Game 5.
Domestic talent played an equally crucial role. New acquisition Zhang Zhenlin excelled on both ends of the floor, while veteran center Wang Zhelin performed strongly despite foul trouble. Forward Li Hongquan, who hit a crucial three-pointer in the Finals, captured the team’s spirit: “Without the foreign players, the whole team was exhausted to the point of collapse, but everyone helped each other carry the load.”
Coach Lu Wei’s tactical flexibility was another decisive factor. According to Sina Finance, his halftime adjustments in the semifinal against Beijing — tightening the defense in the paint and accelerating the transition game — turned a 16-point deficit into a series-clinching victory.
A Shifting CBA Landscape
The Sharks’ championship is emblematic of broader changes in the CBA. Traditional powerhouses are in decline: Liaoning, a four-time champion, finished ninth in the regular season — its worst in 14 years — and was eliminated in the first playoff round. Guangdong, the 11-time champion, finished fifth and lost in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, new contenders are emerging. Ningbo made the playoffs for the first time, Shenzhen tied its best regular-season ranking (third) and reached the semifinals, and Guangsha won its first championship in 2025 before falling to Shanghai this year.
Shanghai has also been investing in youth development, pioneering the Yangtze River Delta Youth Basketball League and promoting integrated youth sports programs — a long-term strategy that paid dividends with this championship.
What’s Next
The question now is whether the Sharks can sustain this success and build a dynasty. The team’s deep roster, strong coaching, and commitment to youth development provide a solid foundation. However, the departure or retention of foreign players will be a critical factor, as will the ability of rival clubs to adapt to the new competitive landscape.
For a franchise that waited 24 years to taste championship glory again, the future has never looked brighter.