Guangzhou: The 'Stories of Guangdong' on and off the court at the Guangdong Basketball Association have been a testament to the region's deep-rooted love for basketball. 'To understand Chinese basketball, one must look to Guangdong.' This saying has long circulated within China's basketball community, highlighting the province's significant contribution to the sport.
According to Ghana News Agency, the inaugural 2026 Guangdong Provincial City Basketball Association (Guangdong B.A.) began on March 21 at the Tianhe Sports Center Gymnasium in Guangzhou, where the Zhongshan team defeated the Guangzhou team to claim the opening victory. The event saw fans eagerly securing tickets, showcasing the unwavering passion of Guangdong locals for the game.
Historical records reveal that as early as the late Qing dynasty (1644-1912), female university students in Guangdong were already active in basketball. The Republic of China era (1912-1949) witnessed schools like Pui Ching and Pui Ying in Guangzhou driving the sport's development forward.
From humble beginnings on dirt courts to the celebrated Guangdong Tigers team-eleven-time champions of the CBA-and now the Guangdong B.A., the province's basketball journey has been marked by numerous defining moments. It has gradually become an integral part of both urban and rural life, embedding itself in Guangdong's shared memory and cultural identity.
Ma Shuo, deputy director of the Institute of Cultural Industries at the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized that the Guangdong B.A. is not a fleeting, traffic-driven event. Instead, it is a new IP that has evolved naturally from Guangdong's long-standing sporting traditions, supported by a broad grassroots base and a strong sense of urban identity.
In the early 20th century, basketball spread rapidly across both cities and the countryside of Guangdong. Notably, Shaxi Town in Zhongshan won the national 'Village B.A.' championship in 2023 and 2024, highlighting the local enthusiasm for the sport.
Guangzhou played a pivotal role in nurturing Li Shaofen, one of the first generation of women's national basketball players in New China. Her achievements helped Guangdong secure the women's title at the inaugural National Games, where her encounter with Academician Zhong Nanshan became a legendary story in sports circles.
Dongguan, another key city in Guangdong's basketball narrative, saw the establishment of the country's first privately run professional basketball club, Guangdong Hongyuan, and the construction of the first township-level arena built to CBA standards. The Changping men's team from Dongguan and the Jun'an women's team from Shunde made history at the inaugural National 'Harvest Cup' Farmers' Basketball Tournament in 1984 by sweeping the men's and women's titles.
This edition of the Guangdong B.A. explicitly prohibits professional players, giving 'slipper-court kings' and 'grassroots stars' from across the province a chance to shine. Du Feng, president of the Guangdong Basketball Association, noted that participants range in age from 16 to 40, adding variety to the competition.
Ma Shuo further commented that a sporting event can serve as a city's reception hall, a new engine for consumption, and a cultural showcase, with diverse traditions-from Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, and hometowns of overseas Chinese-integrated into the event. This approach transforms 'watching a game' into an opportunity for 'exploring a city.'
The Guangdong B.A. will feature 125 games, running through August. Meanwhile, the Guangdong Football Super League is set to kick off in late April, with 123 matches scheduled on weekends through around October. During both competitions, Guangdong plans to offer dining vouchers and host 'Guangdong Products for the World' promotional events, aiming to invigorate both city life and the excitement of the arenas.