Two teams disqualified from CBA playoffs over match-fixing allegations / News - Basketnews.com

The Shanghai Sharks and the Jiangsu Dragons were banned from the Chinese league playoffs for suspected match-fixing.

Credit: Yang Lei/Xinhua via ZUMA Press Credit Yang Lei/Xinhua via ZUMA Press

The Chinese Basketball Association has fined Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons each 5 million yuan ($775,049) and suspended both teams for the remainder of the season for playing "in a negative way" last week during games two and three of their play-off series.

Li Chunjiang, coach of the Shanghai Sharks, received a five-year ban, while his counterpart on the Jiangsu Dragons, Li Nan, will face a three-year ban, the association's Discipline and Ethics Committee said.

The punishments also include restrictions of five years on Jiangsu Dragon's General Manager Shi Linjie and three years on Shanghai Shark's Jiang Yusheng from engaging in basketball-related activities.

The heavy penalties were imposed after the committee found both teams didn't give their best efforts to win the games held on April 11 and 14 in the CBA playoffs.

The Sharks have several players with NBA experience including Michael Beasley, Eric Bledsoe, Johnny O’Bryant, and Jamaal Franklin. Antonio Blakeney is the only player with NBA experience on the Dragons, although a few other players on the roster have played NBA Summer League.

Findings from an investigation from the CBA Disciplinary and Ethics Commission concluded that Shangai showed negative contention during the second game of a three-game series, which Jiangsu won.

Bledsoe was serving a four-game suspension for the Sharks, and he served all three during the three-game series against the Dragons. But the team was accused of giving up during the second game, forcing a third contest, so that the former NBA star could return for the second game if his team advanced to the semifinals.

Leading 100-96 with 1 minute and 36 seconds left in Game 3 in the first round of the CBA playoffs on Friday, the Dragons conceded multiple consecutive turnovers at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, which led to a 10-0 surge from the Sharks, who eventually won 108-104 to clinch the series 2-1 and reach the quarterfinals.

Jiangsu are accused of demonstrating a "lack of competitive effort" and of having several "unexpected errors" in the final few minutes of the game, while coach Li Nan failed to call a timeout that could have at least kept them in contention.

Shanghai Sharks issued a statement accepting the punishment and expressing "deep regret for the negative impact caused by the incident on the long-time fans of the sport, and society as a whole."

The club said it is conducting an internal investigation into the incident to "address any issues that arose and to ensure that the mistake will not be repeated."

Shanghai was scheduled to play the Shenzhen Aviators (who have former NBA and G League players Jared Sullinger, Justin Wright-Foreman, and Askia Booker on their roster). Shenzhen will now advance to the semifinals now that Shanghai was ruled ineligible.

Yao Ming, who played for the Sharks before coming to the United States, is now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association. He called it 'a quite saddening' week.

"We are deeply saddened by the incident. In sports competitions, reputation is more important than ability," said Ming, adding that it is necessary to change some things through this event to make the sacrifices they have made meaningful.

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.