Shanghai Sharks

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) are a Chinese Basketball Association team based in Shanghai.^[3]

Shanghai Sharks 上海久事大鲨鱼
Leagues	CBA
Founded	1996; 28 years ago (1996)
History	Shanghai Sharks (1996–present)
Arena	Shanghai Indoor Stadium[1]
Capacity	13,000
Location	Shanghai, China
Team colors	Blue, Orange, White
President	Qian Anke
Head coach	Liu Peng
Ownership	Shanghai Jiushi Group[2]
Championships	1 (2002)
Website	shanghaisharks.cn
Home Away Third

The Sharks, who share their colors with the New York Knicks, are best known outside China for having developed Yao Ming before he entered the National Basketball Association. Yao was the driving force behind their three consecutive appearances in the 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 for the first time on their third try, breaking the Rockets' streak of six CBA championships in a row.

In August 1979, the Sharks played the Washington Bullets, the first NBA team to travel to China,^[4]: 156 with Yao Zhiyuan - father of Yao Ming - as their center.^[4]: 156

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.^[5]

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.^[6][7] Around that time, alongside the CBA as a whole, they 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, and Dillon Brooks were prominent victims of such jokes.^{[8][9][10][11]}