Results

Kínai CBA 04/06 11:35 52 [8] Qingdao Eagles v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 87-70
Kínai CBA 04/01 11:35 51 [20] Sichuan Blue Whales v Jiangsu Dragons [19] L 77-92
Kínai CBA 03/30 11:35 50 [20] Sichuan Blue Whales v Zhejiang Golden Bulls [3] L 85-119
Kínai CBA 03/28 11:35 49 [20] Sichuan Blue Whales v Liaoning Flying Leopards [1] L 82-101
Kínai CBA 03/25 11:35 48 [12] Shanxi Loongs v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 117-77
Kínai CBA 03/23 11:35 47 [17] Jilin Northeast Tigers v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 105-86
Kínai CBA 03/21 11:35 46 [1] Liaoning Flying Leopards v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 113-66
Kínai CBA 03/19 11:35 45 [20] Sichuan Blue Whales v Jilin Northeast Tigers [17] L 76-93
Kínai CBA 03/17 11:35 44 [20] Sichuan Blue Whales v Guangdong Southern Tigers [4] L 92-104
Kínai CBA 03/15 11:35 43 [13] Beijing Ducks v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 96-82
Kínai CBA 03/13 11:35 42 [9] Beijing Royal Fighters v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 103-85
Kínai CBA 03/10 11:35 41 [14] Tianjin Pioneers v Sichuan Blue Whales [20] L 113-93

Wikipedia - Sichuan Blue Whales

The Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales (sometimes spelled Whale) (四川金强蓝鲸), also known as Sichuan Jinqiang or Sichuan Jinrong Industry, are a professional basketball team based in Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, which plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association. The Jinqiang Group is the club's corporate sponsor while its mascot is a blue whale.

In 2016, the team won the CBA Finals in their first appearance in the championship series, defeating the Liaoning Flying Leopards 4–1 in the best of seven series. They became the fifth different club to claim the title in the league's 21 seasons of existence, and the fastest expansion squad to ever do so, winning the title in just their third campaign in the CBA.

History

The team spent the first four years of its existence a member of the higher-tier Chinese National Basketball League, until getting "promoted" ahead of the 2013–14 CBA season, after winning the NBL championship in 2013.

Affectionately referred to by many local fans as the Sichuan Army (川军), the club received international media attention during the 2014–15 CBA season, after signing former NBA All-Star Metta World Peace. Embracing his move to China, the man born as Ron Artest soon gave himself a new name, The Panda's Friend.

The team missed the CBA Playoffs for a second straight year, however, finishing 18th of 20 clubs with a record of 8–30, and despite telling reporters he "had indeed found a bit of inner peace in Sichuan", World Peace headed to Italy after the campaign ended. His departure left the Blue Whales to adopt a different offensive approach for the 2015–16 CBA season.

During the ensuing campaign, Sichuan would reach surprising success by finishing in third place in the regular season standings with a record of 30–8, and earning the third seed in the playoffs. The Blue Whales tied the Xinjiang Flying Tigers for the second-best record in the regular season, and matched up with them in the semi-final round of the playoffs. The team advanced to the 2016 CBA Finals against the Liaoning Flying Leopards after sweeping the Guangsha Lions and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the first two rounds of the postseason.

During the Finals, the Blue Whales lost their first game against the top-seeded Flying Leopards, before winning four straight contests to claim their first-ever CBA championship. The series was notable for a very controversial situation, however, as a brawl between a group of Sichuan fans and several Liaoning players erupted at a hotel lobby in Chengdu after Game Three. Footage of the incident went viral on numerous Chinese and international websites, and the league received scathing criticism from the country's media. The Blue Whales were fined by the CBA for not providing adequate security, while the Flying Leopards that were involved in the fight were to be disciplined at the start of the following season. Hamed Haddadi would also be the first Asian to not be born in a Chinese providence to be named the CBA Finals MVP in 2016.

A Sichuan egy kínai profi kosárlabdacsapat, amely a kínai kosárlabda-szövetség (CBA) tagja. A csapat székhelye Csengduban, Szecsuan tartományban található.

A Sichuan 1996-ban alakult, és a CBA egyik alapító csapatának számít. A csapat legjobb eredménye a 2006-os CBA-döntőbe jutás, ahol végül alulmaradt a Guangdong Southern Tigers csapatával szemben.

A Sichuan hazai mérkőzéseit a Szecsuani Tartományi Kosárlabdapalotában játssza, amely 18 000 néző befogadására alkalmas. A csapat színei a piros, a sárga és a kék.

A Sichuan jelenlegi edzője Yoo Jae-hak, a csapatkapitány pedig Justin Hamilton. A csapat kiemelkedő játékosai közé tartozik még Hamed Haddadi, Michael Frazier II és Yuan Shuai.

A Sichuan az egyik legnépszerűbb csapat a CBA-ben, és nagy szurkolótáborral rendelkezik Szecsuan tartományban. A csapat szoros kapcsolatot ápol a helyi közösséggel, és számos társadalmi felelősségvállalási programot támogat.