The 10-year-old Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is to
launch the "polar star project" in the upcoming 2005-06 season to
take the first step towards its real professionalization.
"We defined the new season as an execution year in order to
extend all these reforms to each club. We need insure our slogan
'serve fans, serve sponsors and serve media' could be operated
properly and professionally in every stage," said Li Yuanwei,
executive vice president and secretary general of the Chinese
Basketball Association, on Thursday.
The polar star project is planning to reform the domestic
basketball league overall, including the marketing, game system,
broadcasting, public image, backup system, dancing teams, etc., in
order to create a new brand of basketball league and help the
national teams to win historical results in the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Games.
Swiss Infront Ltd. signed a multiple-year marketing contract
with the CBA, which promises at least 650-million-U.S.-dollar
income each year to the league, a sum that doubles the most of the
league's annual income for the past decade.
The Diamond Company donates championship rings and trophy to the
league while domestic sportswear provider Anta Group builds a new
lab to provide identical jerseys and sneakers to the over 300
players from the 15 teams.
A total of 308 games will be played in the new season, 42 more
than the previous one, while the playoffs and finals will be Best
of 5 and Best of 7 from the former Best of 3 and Best of 5.
Dongguan New Century chose the No.1 pick, American forward
Anthony Miles while Fujian SBS selected No. 2 pick, center
Washington, at the CBA draft in Oregon, the United States, in
September, with 28 out of 500 international players joining the
CBA.
League Office replaced the baskets in all courts to ensure the
24-second display and game timer will be appeared simultaneously
with the TV signal.
Cheerleaders and on-court DJs received a three-day full scale
training in Beijing and Shanghai for the purpose of increasing
recreational elements into the CBA courts.
Brand slogan "My team, my game, my CBA" will persist while a new
stage scheme "Vigorous CBA, it's your time!" is raised, hoping to
build CBA as the most characterized league in China.
"The League Office tackles different perspectives to upgrade the
competitiveness of the league, such as game order maintenance,
court environment renovation, brand image promotion and basketball
culture construction," said League Office manager Wang Xuan.
(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2005)