The Chinese Basketball Association have confirmed that in July, the 2017 Yangtze River Delta Professional Basketball Clubs Challenge will kick off in Shanghai, the first summer league in CBA’s history. This league has currently signed up 6 CBA clubs to participate. 

Since the CBA came into existence in 1995 the summer league has been missing from the first-tier professional men's basketball league in China. The CBA’s season often ends in late March or early April with the playoff finals, while the 2017/18 season will begin in late October. Because of the absence of this summer league during this 6 month off-season each CBA club has to carry out their preseason training plans separately, with very little opportunity to play friendly games with their rivals which would help to maintain their competitiveness and physical fitness. 

The launch of this 2017 Yangtze River Delta Professional Basketball Clubs Challenge will see this summer's league give CBA clubs the chance to compete against each other during this 6-month break, while also giving clubs more on-court game time to younger players. This preseason league offers a stage for those players to show their skill and gives clubs a chance to assess their young players’ performance.  

Source: Sohu

Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick