The China men's national basketball team (nickname ''Team Dragon'') represents the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in international

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

tournaments. The national team is governed by the

Chinese Basketball Association The Chinese Basketball Association (), often abbreviated as the CBA, is the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The league is commonly known by fans as the CBA, and this acronym is even used in Chinese on a regular basis ...

(CBA). Based on the number of tournament titles, China is considered a major basketball powerhouse in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and has by far the most successful basketball program on the continent.

History

China has traditionally been the basketball powerhouse in

and won the FIBA Asia Cup 14 out of 16 times between 1975 and 2005. At the 1984 Summer Olympics basketball tournament, the Chinese made their debut, starting a streak of nine qualifications in a row. At the

2000 Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

, Li Nan had a noteworthy performance as he scored 25 points on 6 three-pointers in a win against

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

.Yao, Hamed, and Patty shined as stars from Asia & Oceania at the Olympics

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its nam ...

, 21 July 2021. Accessed 6 August 2021. The Chinese failed to defend its championship at the 2007 FIBA Asia Cup. This was due to the automatic berth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the host nation, thus, China sent its "U23"Team to the 2007 tournament and finished 10th while its primary "A" team participated at the 2007 Stanković Cup which took place around the same time as the 2007 FIBA Asia Cup. The team often struggled against top flight non-Asian competitors. However, in some cases, China refuted their critics and beat some the top

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

an teams. In the

2004 Athens Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

, China, coached by

Del Harris Delmer William Harris (born June 18, 1937) is an American basketball coach who is currently the vice president of the Texas Legends, the NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks. He served as a head coach for the NBA's Houston Rockets, Mil ...

, advanced to the final eight after a 67–66 win over defending world champion Serbia and Montenegro. At the 2006 FIBA World Cup, China, coached by Lithuanian

Jonas Kazlauskas Jonas Kazlauskas (born 21 November 1954) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Playing career Kazlauskas ...

also advanced to the second round from Group D, earning two victories against

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

and

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

in five group play matches before falling in the round of sixteen to the eventual silver medalists

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

, 95–64; the team's overall placing by the end of the tournament from amongst the twenty-four competing sides was fifteenth. In 2008, some questions surrounded whether the recently injured Yao Ming would still captain the squad. In mid-July, it was confirmed that he would still continue to be the captain. At the 2008 Olympics in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, Yao ended up as the third leading scorer of the competition with 20.7 points per game while also leading in rebounds with 9.3 per game. The game where Yao really made his mark was against

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

where he scored a tournament-high 39 points while also grabbing 13 rebounds, second most in a single game that year. In the following years, the Chinese faced major struggles with injuries. In 2008, a then NBA prospect Xu Yong was forced to end his career at the age of 19 after being diagnosed with

osteosarcoma An osteosarcoma (OS) or osteogenic sarcoma (OGS) (or simply bone cancer) is a cancerous tumor in a bone. Specifically, it is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that arises from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin (and thus a sarcoma ...

. In December 2010, Yao was diagnosed with a stress fracture on his left ankle – the injury was related to the ankle sprain that he suffered earlier that year. Speculations arose whether China's basketball icon would ever be able to play again. When Yao's retirement was finally announced in July 2011 it was considered a big blow to the national team, whose success had largely depended on him for many years. Yet, critics were optimistic that China would continue to improve on its international performances. In 2016, a new era of Chinese stars would begin to form, as NBA draftees in

Zhou Qi Zhou Qi ( ; born 16 January 1996) is a Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He has been a regular member of the China men's national basketball tea ...

and

Wang Zhelin Wang Zhelin (, pronounced ; born January 20, 1994) is a Chinese basketball player for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association. He was drafted in Round 2 (Number 57 overall) in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Pro ...

would gain considerable amounts of attention for their successes in China. At the 2012 Olympics, it was

Yi Jianlian Yi Jianlian ( ; born October 27, 1987) is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He has also played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwauk ...

who stepped up by averaging 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, highlighted by a 30-point, 12-rebound game against

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

to start the tournament. In 2018, the team was invited to play at the 2018 NBA Summer League. They played a total of 5 games and won 1. China hosted the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup which automatically qualified the team.

2023 World Cup qualification

In November 2021, China announced its 16-player squad for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification. The

Guangdong Southern Tigers Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or Guangdong Southern Tigers, also known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one o ...

and the

Liaoning Flying Leopards The Liaoning Flying Leopards (), also known as the Liaoning Shenyang Sansheng Flying Leopard Club or Liaoning Bengang ( simplified Chinese: 辽宁本钢), are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Hunnan District, Shenyang, Liaoning ...

, the finalists of the

2020–21 Chinese Basketball Association season The 2020–21 CBA season was the 26th season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). All games were played in Zhuji, Zhejiang. The regular season was divided into four stages. The first stage began on 17 October 2020 and ended on 14 November ...

, contributed most as each team had four players called up.

Results

Olympic Games

FIBA World Cup

FIBA Asia Cup

FIBA Asia Challenge

* 2012 FIBA Asia Cup – 4th * 2014 FIBA Asia Cup – 5th *

2016 FIBA Asia Challenge The 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge was the 6th FIBA Asia Challenge, an international basketball tournament of FIBA Asia which was hosted by Iran from 9–18 September 2016. This tournament served as the first step in determining the process of the quali ...

– 5th

Asian Games

* 1974 Asian Games – Bronze medal with cup

3rd *

1978 Asian Games The 8th Asian Games () were held from 9 to 20 December 1978, in Bangkok, Thailand. Originally, the host city was Singapore but Singapore dropped its plan to host the Games due to financial problems. Then Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, was de ...

–

1st *

1982 Asian Games The 9th Asian Games ( hi, 1982 एशियाई खेल) were held from 19 November to 4 December 1982, in Delhi, India. 74 Asian and Asian Games records were broken at the event. This was also the first Asiad to be held under the aegis of t ...

–

2nd *

1986 Asian Games The 1986 Asian Games ( ko, 1986년 아시아 경기대회/1986년 아시안 게임, Cheon gubaek palsip-yuk nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Cheon gubaek palsip-yuk nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 10th Asian Games and the X Asiad ( ko, 제10� ...

–

1st *

1990 Asian Games ) , Nations participating = 36 , Athletes participating = 6,122 , Events = 308 in 27 sports , Opening ceremony = 22 September 1990 , Closing ceremony = 7 October 1990 , Officially opened by = Yang Shangkun , O ...

–

1st *

1994 Asian Games The 1994 Asian Games ( ja, 1994年アジア競技大会, ''Senkyūhyakukyūjūyon-nen Ajia kyōgi taikai''), also known as the XII Asiad and the 12th Asian Games ( ja, 第12回アジア競技大会, Daijūni-kai Ajia kyōgi taikai), were held from ...

–

1st *

1998 Asian Games The 1998 Asian Games (), officially known as the 13th Asian Games and the XIII Asiad, was an Asian multi-sport event celebrated in Bangkok, Thailand from December 6 to 20, 1998, with 377 events in 36 sports and disciplines participated by 6,554 ...

–

1st * 2002 Asian Games – Silver medal with cup

2nd *

2006 Asian Games 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

–

1st * 2010 Asian Games – Gold medal with cup

1st * 2014 Asian Games – 5th *

2018 Asian Games The 2018 Asian Games ( id, Pesta Olahraga Asia 2018 or ''Asian Games 2018''), officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 or Indonesia 2018, was a continental multi-sport event that was held from 18 Augus ...

–

1st

East Asian Basketball Championship

* 2009 East Asian Basketball Championship – Bronze medal with cup

3rd * 2011 East Asian Basketball Championship – Bronze medal with cup

3rd * 2013 East Asian Basketball Championship – Silver medal with cup

2nd * 2017 East Asian Basketball Championship – 4th

East Asian Games

1993 East Asian Games The 1st East Asian Games were held in Shanghai, People's Republic of China from May 9 to May 18, 1993. The main stadium for the inaugural edition of the games was the Hongkou Football Stadium. Shanghai also hosted a number of sports-themed exhibit ...

–

1st *

1997 East Asian Games The 2nd East Asian Games were held in Busan, South Korea from May 10 to May 19, 1997. Originally, the second edition of the East Asian Games was to be held in Pyongyang, North Korea, in September 1995. However, North Korea dropped the games due ...

–

3rd *

2001 East Asian Games The 3rd East Asian Games were held in Osaka, Japan from May 19, 2001, to May 27, 2001. Sports The 2001 East Asian Games featured events in 15 sports, which was a new high for the competition. * Aquatics () ** Swimming ** Synchronized swimmin ...

–

1st *

2005 East Asian Games The 4th East Asian Games was an international multi-sport event for countries in East Asia which was held in Macau from October 29 to November 6, 2005. Host city At the 11th EAGA Council Meeting held in Guam in March 1996, Macau, then a Portugues ...

–

3rd *

2009 East Asian Games ) , Host city = Hong Kong , Teams participating = 9 , Athletes participating = 2,377 , Events = 262 events in 22 sports , Opening ceremony = December 5, 2009 , Closing ceremony = December 13, 2009 , Officially opened by = State Councilor ...

– 4th *

2013 East Asian Games The 2013 East Asian Games, officially known as the VI East Asian Games, was an international multi-sport event that took place in Tianjin, China, between 6 October and 15 October 2013. 2,422 Athletes from nine East Asian nations competed in 254 ev ...

–

2nd

Team

Current roster

Roster for the

2020 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments The 2020 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments were the four basketball tournaments that were contested by 23 national teams, where the top teams earned a place in the 2020 Summer Olympics basketball tournament. They were originally scheduled ...

Depth chart

Past rosters

1936 Summer Olympics: 15th among 21 teams Shen Yi-Tung, Tsai Yen-Hung, Wang Hung-Pin, Wang Shi-Hsuan, Wang Yu-Tseng, Wong Nan-Chen, Liu Bao-Cheng, Liu Yun-Chang, Mou Tso-Yun, Li Shao-Tang, Yu Sai-Chang

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

: 18th among 23 teams Edward Lee, Lee Tsun-Tung, Woo Cheng-Chang, Wee Tian-Siak, Pao Sung-Yuan, Chia Chung-Chang, Chua Bon-Hua, Kya Is-Kyun, Yu Sai-Chang, Jose Yee 1978 FIBA World Championship: 11th among 14 teams Wang Zongxing, Chen Kai, Kuang Lubin, Xing Weining, Wang Deli, Huang Pinjie, Mu Tiezhu, Ji Zhaoguang, Zhang Weiping, Liu Jizeng, Zhang Mingwei, He Juhua (Coach: Qian Chenghai) 1982 FIBA World Championship: 12th among 13 teams Wang Zongxing, Ji Zhaoguang, Xu Xiaoliang, Kuang Lubin, Sun Fengwu, Wang Libin, Huang Yunlong, Feng Wei, Li Qiuping, Li Yaguang, Han Pengshan, Lu Jinqing (Coach: Qian Chenghai)

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

: 10th among 12 teams Kuang Lubin, Ji Zhaoguang, Wang Libin, Liu Jianli, Hu Zhangbao, Lu Jinqing, Sun Fengwu, Zhang Bin, Huang Yunlong, Guo Yonglin, Wang Haibo, Li Yaguang (Coach: Qian Chenghai) 1986 FIBA World Championship: 9th among 24 teams Wang Libin, Zhang Yongjun, Li Yaguang, Wang Fei, Huang Yunlong, Xu Xiaoliang, Zhang Bin, Li Feng, Sun Fengwu, Sha Guoli, Song Tao, Gong Luming (Coach: Qian Chenghai)

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

: 11th among 12 teams Li Yaguang, Wang Fei, Wang Libin, Zhang Yongjun, Xu Xiaoliang, Zhang Bin, Huang Yunlong, Sun Fengwu, Zhang Xuelei, Chen Chijef, Song Ligang, Gong Luming, Sha Guoli (Coach: Qian Chenghai) 1990 FIBA World Championship: 14th among 16 teams Li Chunjiang, Wang Fei, Sun Fengwu, Zhang Yongjun, Zhang Bin, Shan Tao, Song Ligang, Ma Jian, Gong Xiaobin, Zhang Degui, Wang Zhidan, Gong Luming (Coach: Wang Zhangyou)

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

: 12th among 12 teams Hu Weidong, Li Chunjiang, Zhang Yongjun, Sun Fengwu, Ma Jian, Shan Tao, Wang Zhidan, Wu Qinglong, Gong Xiaobin, Sun Jun, Song Ligang, Adiljan (Coach: Jiang Xingquan) 1994 FIBA World Championship: 8th among 16 teams Hu Weidong, Sun Jun, Shan Tao, Gong Xiaobin, Liu Yudong, Zhang Jinsong, Liu Daqing, Adiljan, Zheng Wu, Ji Minshang, Wu Naiqun, Wu Qinglong (Coach: Jiang Xingquan)

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

: 8th among 12 teams Mengke Bateer, Wang Zhizhi, Hu Weidong, Liu Yudong, Li Nan, Shan Tao, Sun Jun, Gong Xiaobin, Wu Qinglong, Li Xiaoyong, Zheng Wu, Wu Naiqun (Coach: Gong Luming)

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

: 10th among 12 teams Yao Ming, Mengke Bateer, Wang Zhizhi, Hu Weidong, Sun Jun, Li Nan, Guo Shiqiang, Liu Yudong, Zheng Wu, Zhang Jinsong, Li Qun, Li Xiaoyong (Coach: Jiang Xingquan)

2002 FIBA World Championship The 2002 FIBA World Championship was the 14th edition of the competition now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the international world championship for men's basketball teams. The tournament held by the International Basketball Federation i ...

: 12th among 16 teams Yao Ming, Mengke Bateer, Liu Wei, Li Nan, Hu Weidong, Guo Shiqiang, Zhang Cheng, Chen Ke, Gong Xiaobin, Liu Yudong, Du Feng, Zhu Fangyu (Coach: Wang Fei) 2004 Summer Olympics: 8th among 12 teams Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, Liu Wei, Mengke Bateer, Li Nan, Guo Shiqiang, Du Feng, Chen Ke, Zhang Yunsong, Zhu Fangyu, Zhang Jinsong, Mo Ke (Coach: Del Harris)

2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised by ...

: 15th among 24 teams Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian, Liu Wei, Du Feng, Wang Shipeng, Mo Ke, Zhang Songtao, Chen Jianghua, Zhang Qingpeng, Zhu Fangyu, Sun Yue (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas) 2008 Summer Olympics: 8th among 12 teams Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian, Liu Wei, Du Feng, Wang Shipeng, Wang Lei, Li Nan, Chen Jianghua, Zhang Qingpeng, Zhu Fangyu, Sun Yue (Coach: Jonas Kazlauskas) 2014 Asian Games: 5th among 16 teams 2016 Summer Olympics: 12th among 12 teams

: 5th among 12 teams

List of head coaches

Kit

Manufacturer

2010–15:

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

2015 FIBA Asia Championship – China
, FIBA.com. Retrieved 27 September 2015. - present

Sponsor

2010:

China Mobile China Mobile is the trade name of both China Mobile Limited () and its ultimate controlling shareholder, China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. (, formerly known as China Mobile Communications Corporation, "CMCC"), a Chinese state-ownedSt ...

, UPS2010 FIBA World Championship Team photos
, FIBA.com. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
2011, 2013–15:

TCL TCL or Tcl or TCLs may refer to: Business * TCL Technology, a Chinese consumer electronics and appliance company **TCL Electronics, a subsidiary of TCL Technology * Texas Collegiate League, a collegiate baseball league * Trade Centre Limited ...

References

External links

*
China
at FIBA site
China National Team - Men
at Asia-basket.com

at FIBA Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:China Men's National Basketball Team Men's national basketball teams 1974 establishments in China

History

2023 World Cup qualification

Results

Olympic Games

FIBA World Cup

FIBA Asia Cup

FIBA Asia Challenge

Asian Games

East Asian Basketball Championship

East Asian Games

Team

Current roster

Depth chart

Past rosters

List of head coaches

Kit

Manufacturer

Sponsor

See also

References

External links