CHINESE BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION COULD BRING BACK PROMOTION, RELEGATION IN EXPANSION PLANS

Governing body also plans to expand midseason CBA Cup, and NBL champions Hong Kong Bulls could be among the first teams to benefit

The return of promotion and relegation in the top-tier Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league competition could be on the cards, amid reported plans by the sport's governing body in China to expand the midseason CBA Cup tournament to include teams from the lower division.

And the Hong Kong Bulls, reigning champions in the National Basketball League (NBL), which is China's second-tier basketball league, could be among the first teams to benefit if they reach the playoffs this season.

Doing so would allow them to join the CBA Cup tournament later this year.

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Leo Sun Xinwei, general manager of the Bulls, said it was likely the top four teams in the NBL would join the 20-team CBA Cup in two phases, in December and next February.

"I believe we could have the opportunity to participate in this competition. Playing in it would mean we can gauge the situation of operating a team at the top level, and understand the gap with the CBA teams.

"We could be of similar standard, but these are opportunities to learn more as a team, and it will allow the Bulls to develop and grow further."

Sun also said the potential change was "very important" to the Bulls and other NBL teams.

"There has been no relationship between the two leagues for more than 10 years, so this change gives NBL clubs a lot of hope."

In the CBA league, the reintroduction of the promotion and relegation system - which was cancelled in 2005 - could take place in the 2027-28 season, after the expiration of the 10-year operating deal for the CBA in the summer of 2027.

The CBA cancelled promotion and relegation and switched to admitting teams only when the league expanded. There have been no new expansions since 2014, when the league reached 20 teams. And when CBA League was awarded a 10-year deal to operate the league in 2017, the company said there would be no expansions "in principle" for five years.

In March, CBA president Guo Zhenming said in Jilin at the CBA league seminar that it was necessary to "make good plans for the reform and development" of professional leagues.

With the CBA League's operation rights set to expire 70 days after the conclusion of the 2026-27 season, the governing body was said to be ready to bring back promotion and relegation between the two leagues, a move welcomed by Sun.

"I think this change could stimulate the investment of each club in Chinese basketball," he said. "It could give us more fierce competition and close games, and in turn cultivate more outstanding players.

"So I think this is a very good thing for Chinese basketball, going forward; I think leagues with promotion and relegation can bring excitement back and improve the quality of the games. Then the basketball level of the leagues and the country will improve."

Sun added that the league changes should happen in 2027 at "the latest", but they could also be brought forward by a year if NBL teams do well in the proposed cup tournament.

In recent years, CBA runs from October to May in general while the much shorter NBL season runs for only a couple of months in summer.

Separately, Hong Kong internationals Oliver Xu and Ma Kong-san have put their names forward for the coming CBA Draft, which will be held in Qingdao on July 26.

Xu, 29, joined Japanese B.League 3 side Iwate Big Bulls at the start of the year, averaging 10.6 minutes, 4.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 26 matches.

The 24-year-old Ma had played professionally in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan previously, but spent the past two seasons with local A1 Division side Shung Tak Eagles.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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2025-07-05T02:23:21Z