Shanghai Won the Champion

After a 24-year wait and 8,813 days apart, Shanghai men's basketball team has finally lifted the CBA's Supreme Championship Trophy once again! In the 2026 CBA Finals, Shanghai defeated Zhejiang Guangsha 4-1 to claim the 2025–26 CBA title. This marks Shanghai's second championship in franchise historytheir first coming 24 years ago in 2002. On April 19, 2002, Shanghai secured victory in Game 4, defeating Bayi with a 3-1 series win.

Looking back 24 years to the 2001–02 season, Shanghai ended Bayi's eight consecutive championships, becoming the second team in CBA history to win the title. That was also Yao Ming's final year playing in the CBA; he entered the NBA as the number one draft pick that summer. Afterward, Shanghai fell into a prolonged period of struggle. This year's team marked only the third time in franchise history they reached the CBA Finals. By defeating defending champions Guangsha, Shanghai became the fifth team in CBA history to win at least two titlesjoining Guangdong (11 titles), Bayi (8), Liaoning (4), and Beijing (3).

Shanghai made history by becoming the first team in CBA history to achieve a double crown in a single season! On February 12, they defeated Shanxi in the CBA Club Cup final to successfully defend their title. Just three and a half months later, Lu Wei's squad stood atop the CBA. Since the CBA Club Cup has been held only twiceand both times Shanghai wonit is now the first team ever to capture both the regular-season championship and the Club Cup in the same season. From the Club Cup to the regular season title, then through the playoffs, Shanghai delivered an outstanding performance throughout the entire year, fully deserving of their glory.

The numbers speak for themselves. Shanghai finished the regular season on a 23-game winning streak, matching the longest single-season streak in franchise history. They were also the only team in the league to go undefeated at home during the regular season. Over 42 games, Shanghai ranked first in the league in points per game (100.1), rebounds (42.9), assists (24.1), three-point shooting percentage (39.3%), offensive efficiency (126.1 points per 100 possessions), and defensive efficiency (105.8 points allowed per 100 possessions). In the playoffs, although their unbeaten home record was broken (losing Game 2 of the semifinals to Beijing), Lu Wei's team lost just one road game.

This year's Shanghai team truly demonstrated exceptional competitiveness, highlighted by sweeping Shanxi 2-0 in the quarterfinals and eliminating Beijing 3-1 in the semifinals. Three playoff moments stand out vividly and reflect Shanghai's strength. The first came in Game 4 of the semifinals: after trailing by as many as 20 points, Shanghai erupted with a 39-11 run in the third quarter, stunning Beijing and completing a comeback. The second was Game 2 of the finals, when Goodwin Brandon (188-SG-1995, college: FGCU) stole the ball from Brown Jr. Barry (190-SF-1996, college: Kansas St.) and hit a game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds. The third was Game 3 of the finals, where Shanghai crushed Guangsha by 33 points on the road, completely extinguishing the defending champions' morale and confidence.

This is a glorious moment for Shanghai men's basketball. After 24 years, they have returned to the top. Their performance this season was remarkable: 38 wins and 4 losses in the regular season, 9 wins and 2 losses in the playoffs, plus a perfect 6-0 record in the Club Cuptotaling 53 wins and 6 losses across the entire season.