Thursday, April 27, 2000

CBA Hopes to Re-start in November

Six CBA teams have all agreed to play in the new season, which may start in November if everything goes well, newly-elected CBA president Chen Cheng-chun announced in an official league press conference on April 24.

Chen said that all six teams, including Dacin Tigers, which claimed it will not consider re-joining the CBA in the next three years, had signed the "Letter-of-intent" to play in the new season.

CBA also released the preliminary schedule of the new season. Training camps will open in September, while the exhibition games are scheduled in October. However no specific date is set. 2000-2001 season schedule will be officially released in July.

Chen, who is also the owner of the Hong-fu Rams, will held the double-posts as the league's president and general manager at early stages. No expansion team will be added in the new season, Chen said.

Chen promised to lay down a number of "systems", including player trades and local/import draft, that never was carried out in the previous five years of the league.

Mars(former BCC Mars) is looking for a new ownership, after the Broadcasting Corporation of China dropped the sponsorship for the team. New owner is believed to be set before July. At this moment, Mars is still the only team without an owner.

CBA suspended all action midway thru its fifth season in March, 1999. After the suspension, the CBA organized several mini-size tournaments and formed a re-structuring committee, hoping to bring back the league. Six teams of the CBA are Hong-kuo Elephants, Yulon Dinos, Luckipar Panthers, Hong-fu Rams, Dacin Tigers and Mars.

Saturday, April 01, 2000

Yulon Wins Millennium Series Title

Twenty year-old high-flying F/G CHEN HSIN-AN collected 20 points on his way to Finals MVP in Game 3 of the Millennium Series Finals, which the Yulon Dinos defeated Hong-kuo Elephants 76-66 on March 28 and swept the best-of-five series in three games.

Ironically, Yulon also played its last CBA game after cutting down the nets. The Dinos announced weeks ago they will move back to semi-pro A-League after the series. The team claimed that the shaky financial status leaves them with no other choice but to move back.

Moving back to the A-League will cost the team less money because most of the player will have their pay cut down. And they will not have to travel as often in the A-League, which plays all its games in Taipei area.

Trailing 0-2, injured Hong-kuo frontcourt Rex Manu and Liu Yi-shan both decided to play in the deciding game. 6-8 center Manu collected team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, but still not enough to push Hong-kuo over the hump. 5-9 PG Chou Jun-san chipped in 17 points, while 5-11 SG Lo Shin-liang contributed 16 points and 6 rebounds.

6-foot-4 Chen Hsin-an is clearly the brightest star in the series, where he was voted for Rookie of the Year, Finals MVP, and one of three members of PUMA ELITE-THREE TEAM. With his ability to play inside and outside, his explosiveness to the basket and acrobatic dunk, plus his handsome looks, Chen is regarded as the hottest Taiwan young stars in the new millennium.

Now a sophomore at Taipei Physical Education College, Chen was named by Asian Basketball Confederation as one of the two brightest junior players, along with 7-6 China center Yao Ming.

(Note)
CBA's future still uncertain
With its re-structuring going almost a year, the CBA's future is still uncertain. The re-structure committee originally planned to re-started the league in November, although two of CBA's six teams decided to move back to semi-pro league. However the committee did not make any encouraging progress since mid-February as far as bringing the league back.

Several CBA players had signed with semi-pro teams to continue their basketball career. Two-time CBA Finals MVP Cheng Chih-lung, who played with Hong-kuo during 1994-98, signed with Dacin Tigers after spending one season in China's Hilton League. Dacin is one of the two CBA teams moving back to A-League.

Cheng helped Shanghai Sharks to the best finish in franchise history, but rumors said they will not re-sign Cheng. Shanghai lost to Bayi Rockets 0-3 in the Hilton League Finals.

Hsiung Jen-chen(nicknamed Bear) of Hong-fu Rams also signed with Da-hwa Constructions. A-League will start its 2000 season in mid-April.