Sunday, June 18, 2000

CBA RE-OPEN ON NOVEMBER 17

Chinese Basketball Alliance will re-open its season on November 17, CBA President/General Manager CHEN CHENG-CHUN announced yesterday(June 17). Five of the original six teams, except the Dacin Tigers, will compete in the new season.

Hong-fu Rams, Mars, Yulon Dinos, Hong-kuo Elephants and Luckipar Panthers will have to submit 10 million NT dollars to the league. League office says the official season schedule will be released within two weeks.

The most glaring changes in the new season will be the "Balance Draft", which is held after next month's William Jones Cup Internaional Tournament. Each team is allowed to keep only five local players. Players who are not kept by any team will automatically enter the draft pool. League office figures the balance draft will make five teams more balanced in talent, therefore produce more exciting games.

The first college draft will also be held after the Jones Cup and broadcast live. In September the league will setup the Import Players Draft. The pre-season games will be played in October.

Although Dacin Tigers made it clear they will not be back in the CBA within three years, Chen Cheng-chun did not rule out the possibility to invite the Tigers back in the next few months.

The CBA suspended its season in mid-March 1999, midway thru its fifth season, due to numerous financial difficulties.