CBA Summer League Qingdao Leg Begins, Liaoning, Shanxi and Shandong Test New Signings, Qingdao Beats Guangsha by 25 Points in Opening Win

Poster News

On September 2, the 2026 CBA Summer League Qingdao leg officially began. Four games were played that day, with hosts Qingdao defeating Zhejiang Choushang 84-59. Newly promoted first-team youngsters Li Junxian and Cong Ruiyan made their debuts and delivered impressive dunks during the game, helping the team secure an opening victory. In the other three games, Liaoning defeated Fujian 80-76, Shanxi lost to Tianjin 100-104, and Beijing edged Shandong 85-82.

As a warm-up competition before the CBA regular season, the Summer League provides practical opportunities for teams to develop tactics and gives young players a platform to showcase their training results. During the offseason, many CBA teams made transfers, and the eight teams participating in Qingdao were no exception. In the opening Liaoning-Fujian game, retired veteran Han Dejun from last season appeared with the coaching staff, while former China U-series team captain Duan Ruiqi, signed from Sichuan, made his debut after joining the team. He recorded 7 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, earning his first win in nearly a year. Young players Li Huyi and Zhang Chenzhifeng also performed well, scoring 13 points and 3 rebounds, and 16 points and 9 rebounds respectively with veteran Fu Hao's guidance. For Fujian, Zou Yang remained a key player, while homegrown shooter Zeng Lingxuan had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and prospect Liu Jinyu contributed 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

During the offseason, Shandong Hi-Speed made a major roster overhaul, focusing on reducing excess personnel, bringing in strong additions and upgrading the coaching staff. This summer, the team acquired Wang Lanqin, Zhu Mingzhen and Yang Wenxue, effectively strengthening its depth. Meanwhile, it renewed contracts with Gao Shiyan, Tao Hanlin and Chen Peidong, while players including Yu Dehao and Sun Tonglin departed after their contracts expired. In the first Beijing-Shandong matchup, the two new arrivals made their on-court debuts under head coach Qiu Biao. Facing national-team-level guard Zhao Rui and forwards Fan Ziming and Zhai Xiaochuan, Wang Lanqin scored 8 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists, while Zhu Mingzhen recorded 8 points and 2 rebounds. As the 2022 CBA Draft first overall pick, Wang Lanqin's return to his hometown and taking responsibility for Shandong is widely expected.

Shanxi also underwent major roster changes during the offseason with the goal of improving competitiveness. The team brought in forward Zhao Jiaren from Zhejiang Guangsha, Wang Junjie from Ningbo, and borrowed Xie Zhijie from Shandong. At the Qingdao Summer League, Shanxi nearly fielded its full-strength lineup. Zhao Jiaren posted an all-around performance of 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal, earning the nickname 'China's Trey Murphy' from fans after the game. Zhang Ning also scored 19 points, while key players including Liu Chuanxing, Jiao Hailong and Yuan Shuai all appeared.

The final game of the night was between Qingdao and Guangsha. Their previous major clash came in the second round of the 2024-25 season playoffs, when Qingdao, led by Yang Hansen, caused Guangsha significant trouble and the two teams needed five games to decide the winner. This summer, Qingdao kept almost the same roster as last season. Among domestic players, apart from key forward Zhao Jiayi leaving for Beikong, Li Junxian, who had previously trained with the China U18 team, and youth team player Cong Ruiyan were promoted to the first team and registered during the summer.

In the opening game, with Wang Yibo and Zhang Haobo organizing the offense through two lineup combinations, Li Junxian scored 6 points and 5 rebounds, showing a solid performance. Notably, Cong Ruiyan scored 12 points in 14 minutes, and his back-to-the-basket dunk in transition recreated a famous scene from Slam Dunk and thrilled the crowd. Neither team used its full starting lineup in this game. Qingdao's Duan Angjun had just returned from training in the United States and did not play as he needed time to adjust to the time difference, while Guangsha's Hu Jinqiu was preparing with the national team and only key guard Sun Minghui led the team, resulting in a relatively large margin.

As a traditional core event of the Qingdao Basketball Season, the 2026 CBA Summer League Qingdao leg will be held from September 2 to 6 at Qingdao Guoxin Gymnasium. Eight strong teams, including Zhejiang Choushang Securities, Beijing Shougang, Liaoning Bengang, Shanxi Fenjiu, Shandong Hi-Speed, Tianjin Pioneers, Fujian Jinjiang Culture Tourism and Qingdao Laoshan Beer, have gathered in Qingdao to compete and provide fans with a high-level basketball event this summer. The event follows a public-friendly approach, with affordable ticket prices allowing more fans to experience professional basketball up close.

The 2026 CBA Summer League Qingdao leg lasts five days, with four games each day, and offers double-game tickets as well as two ticket price tiers. In addition, the event provides multiple discounted ticket policies for eligible groups. Students, seniors and military personnel can receive a 20% discount on offline ticket purchases, while 2026 college entrance exam candidates can receive one free ticket each by presenting their admission exam permit or admission notice.

As the first and only major basketball season project in China supported by the Chinese Basketball Association and officially authorized by CBA, the Qingdao Basketball Season, a city landmark basketball event, has entered its fifth year of development. It has hosted more than 40 basketball events and activities, driven over 400 million yuan in city cultural tourism consumption, converted event traffic into consumption growth, and transformed event influence into strong momentum for high-quality urban development.

Editor: Liu Yuxin

Reviewer: Li Jianing