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Shanghai Sharks

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Shanghai Sharks
Shanghai Sharks logo
Nickname上海久事大鲨鱼
LeaguesCBA
Founded1996; 30 years ago (1996)
HistoryShanghai Sharks
(1996–present)
ArenaShanghai Indoor Stadium[1]
Capacity13,000
LocationShanghai, China
Team colorsOrange, blue, white
     
Head coachLu Wei
OwnershipShanghai Jiushi Group[2]
Championships2 (2002, 2026)
Retired numbers2 (8, 15)
Shanghai Sharks
Traditional Chinese上海大鯊魚
Simplified Chinese上海大鲨鱼
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinShànghǎi dàshāyú
Wade–GilesShanghai tashayü
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationSeung hoi2 daai6 sa1 yu2
JyutpingSeong hoi2 daai6 saa1 jyu4

The Shanghai Sharks (simplified Chinese: 上海久事大鲨鱼; traditional Chinese: 上海久事大鯊魚; pinyin: Shànghǎi Jǐushì Dàshāyú), officially named Shanghai Juss Basketball Club Co., Ltd,[3] are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Shanghai.[4] The team competes in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the highest tier. The team is perhaps best known for, and tied in many ways to, Yao Ming, who helped the team achieve their greatest successes first a player, and later as an owner.

In August 1979, the Sharks played the Washington Bullets, the first NBA team to travel to China,[5]: 156  with Yao Zhiyuan—father of Yao Ming—as their center.[5]: 156  Decades later, having developed Yao Ming before he entered the National Basketball Association (NBA), Yao was the driving force behind their three consecutive appearances in the CBA finals (1999–2000, 2000–01, and 2001–02), facing the Bayi Rockets each time. The Sharks were runners-up the first two years, but won their first CBA title on their third attempt, breaking the Rockets' streak of six consecutive championships.

The team faced serious financial issues in the 2008–09 season, and were in danger of not being able to compete in the following season. On July 16, 2009, Chinese media reported that Yao Ming had stepped in to purchase the team.[6] In the 2021–22 season, under Li Chunjiang, the Sharks experienced a high bested only by the Yao era, reinvigorating their place among China's best basketball teams.[7][8]

More recently the Sharks became an Internet meme as a future landing spot for high-profile NBA stars who underperform in a game or series, particularly in the playoffs. Kyle Kuzma, Ben Simmons, Dillon Brooks, and Russell Westbrook were prominent victims of such jokes.[9][10][11][12]

Honours

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CBA
Champions (2): 2001–02, 2025–26
Runners-up (2): 1999–2000, 2000–01
CBA Club Cup
Champions (2): 2024–25, 2025–26
Merlion Cup
Winners (1): 2016

Players

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Roster

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Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.

Shanghai Sharks roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.
G 0 United States Brandon Goodwin 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) 81 kg (179 lb)
G 1 China Li Tianrong 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 86 kg (190 lb)
PG 3 China Yuan Tangwen 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) 82 kg (181 lb)
G/F 5 Chinese Taipei Liu Cheng 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 87 kg (192 lb)
G 7 China Ding Jiaru 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 73 kg (161 lb)
F/C 9 China Yan Pengfei 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 120 kg (265 lb)
G 10 China Xie Liyongwei 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 88 kg (194 lb)
C 11 United States JaVale McGee 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) 122 kg (269 lb)
PF 12 China Ma Diancheng 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 95 kg (209 lb)
F 13 China Li Xiangyu 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) 87 kg (192 lb)
F 14 China Li Hongquan 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 102 kg (225 lb)
F/C 17 China Guo Fengwei 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) 100 kg (220 lb)
F 18 China Wang Qingshan 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 98 kg (216 lb)
PG 23 United States D'Angelo Russell 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 88 kg (194 lb)
G 25 China Cui Xiaolong 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 87 kg (192 lb)
PF 32 China Liu Lijia 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 102 kg (225 lb)
F 77 China Kevin Zhang 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 103 kg (227 lb)
C 94 China Wang Zhelin 2.14 m (7 ft 0 in) 120 kg (265 lb)
Head coach
  • China Lu Wei
Assistant coach(es)
  • China Wang Yong
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: September 30, 2026

Sponsorship

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As of 2025, the team's jersey sponsor has been the Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning.[13]

Notable players

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Players included in this section are considered notable for having achieved at least one of the following:

  • Set a club record while playing for the Sharks
  • Won an individual award as a professional player
  • Played at least one official international match for their senior national team
  • Been ranked higher than Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James at any point in their careers (e.g., Lenny Cooke in 2001)

The following players meet at least one of the above criteria:

References

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  1. ↑ "新年新面貌！徐家汇体育公园升级焕新颜_上观新闻".
  2. ↑ Huang, Andrea (29 April 2019). "Shanghai Sharks Basketball Club fully acquired by Shanghai Jiushi". Yutang Sports. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  3. ↑ "Company Overview-SHANGHAI JUSS SPORTS DEVELOPMENT(GROUP)CO.,LTD". www.jusssports.com. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  4. ↑ 上海哔哩哔哩篮球俱乐部官方网站. Shanghai Sharks. Archived from the original on 2015-05-04. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  5. 1 2 Minami, Kazushi (2024). People's Diplomacy: How Americans and Chinese Transformed US-China Relations during the Cold War. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9781501774157.
  6. ↑ "Yao buys Shanghai Sharks". ESPN.com. Reuters. 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  7. 1 2 3 CBA Roundup: Liaoning, Shanghai earn eight straight wins Xinhua (China Internet Information Center), 11 November 2021. Accessed 11 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "Hu's career-high sees Guangdong win streak reach 5". China.org.cn. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  9. ↑ Recks, Johnny (17 July 2021). "Trolls Who Want Kyle Kuzma to Suit up for Shanghai Sharks Receive Some Bad News". ClutchPoints. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Abele, Natalie (21 June 2021). "Someone put Ben Simmons on the Shanghai Sharks' roster on Wikipedia after Game 7 loss". Fansided. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Silva, Orlando (3 September 2021). "Shanghai Sharks Incredibly Listed as a Possible Destination for Ben Simmons". Fadeaway World. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  12. ↑ Kulkarni, Divij (29 April 2023). "Lakers Fan Ruthlessly Trolled Dillon Brooks Before Lakers vs. Grizzlies Game: "Shanghai Sharks Brooks"". Fadeaway World. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  13. 1 2 Ein Veteran für die Towers Ralf Schmitt (Bild), 25 October 2021. Accessed 26 October 2021.(in German)
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