Hong Kong Bulls anxiously wait to learn fate about competing in top-tier CBA league
City’s basketball team also moved closer to finding a permanent home with renovation discussions on Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai ongoing
Hong Kong Bulls are expected to learn their fate about playing in the top tier of the Chinese basketball league before the final match of its current playoff season on June 14.
The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is looking to integrate its league and the separately operated second-tier National Basketball League (NBL), which would mean the “NBL ceases to exist”.
The Bulls, who won their third straight NBL title in April, are now anxiously waiting to see what will happen out of a possible three potential outcomes.
First, the Chinese association could bill the 2026-27 season as the first promotion-and-relegation season, meaning the Hong Kong-based Bulls will fight in the lower league for one more season to earn their top-tier status.
A more radical approach could see Sichuan Fenggu Liquor, which lost all 42 games in the season, lose its place in the top league. Sichuan had been playing with only local players due to the owner’s financial struggles, and the team’s losing streak would amount to 47 games if the end of the 2024-25 season was included.