The 2025-2026 Chinese Men’s Basketball Professional League (CBA) season press conference was held in Beijing, announcing that the regular season will be adjusted to 42 rounds, with the first round starting on December 12.
The 2025-2026 CBA season features adjustments in game timing and regular season round structure. The league will commence on December 12, 2025, with regular season rounds reduced from last season’s 46 rounds to 42 rounds this season. The playoffs will follow a 3-3-5-7 format, with the foreign player policy allowing 4 players (maximum) and 7 player-quarters (maximum 2 player-quarters in each of the first three quarters, maximum 1 player-quarter in the fourth quarter). Meanwhile, games will fully adopt FIBA rules, with game time adjusted from the original 12 minutes per quarter to 10 minutes per quarter.
The 2026 CBA All-Star Weekend will be held from March 6 to 8, 2026 in Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province, marking the second time in CBA All-Star Weekend history to be hosted in the “Hometown of Xishi.”
During this season’s domestic player registration period, all teams made adjustments to their domestic player rosters. Clubs completed a total of 48 domestic player transactions, including 18 transfers, 17 free agent signings, 3 matching signings, 3 exclusive signing right transfers, and 7 loans, setting a new high in transaction volume over the past three seasons.
To provide CBA players with more practical training opportunities and increase game experience, the new CBA season will introduce “CBA Potential Games” during the regular season phase. The “CBA Potential Games” plan includes 190 matches, with each participating team playing 19 potential games. These games will take place in the same venue immediately after the regular CBA league games conclude each day.
This season, the CBA Club Cup continues to upgrade, adding three NBL teams that meet the Chinese Basketball Association’s relevant requirements, bringing the total to 23 participating teams. The group stage of this Club Cup will be held simultaneously in four competition zones from December 3 to 8, 2025, in Changsha, Hunan; Nanchang, Jiangxi; Nanning, Guangxi; and Wuhan, Hubei. The finals are scheduled to be held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from February 6 to 12, 2026.
On December 12, 2025, the 2025-2026 CBA league season will officially begin, with the opening match featuring the defending champions Zhejiang Guangsha against last season’s regular season runners-up Shanxi Fenjiu.
The Chinese Basketball Association stated: “The new CBA season holds extraordinary significance, as it not only marks the key year for building a sports powerhouse at the beginning of the ’15th Five-Year Plan’ but also represents an important phase in the deep implementation of the national ‘Three Major Ball Games’ revitalization strategy. We will continue to adhere to the core concept of ‘organizing events that satisfy the people’ and fully promote the high-quality development of basketball in both mass sports and competitive sports.”
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China, with a history spanning over three millennia as a cultural and political center. It served as the seat of power for several imperial dynasties, most notably the Ming and Qing, which left behind iconic landmarks like the Forbidden City. Today, it is a global metropolis that blends ancient sites such as the Great Wall and Temple of Heaven with modern architectural achievements.
Zhuji City
Zhuji City is a county-level city in Zhejiang Province, China, with a history dating back over 2,000 years to the Qin Dynasty. It is famously recognized as the hometown of Xishi, one of the renowned Four Great Beauties of ancient China. The city is also historically significant for its connection to the classic text “The Spring and Autumn of Wu and Yue,” which documents the region’s early history.
Hometown of Xishi
The Hometown of Xishi is a cultural site in Zhuji, Zhejiang Province, China, commemorating one of the Four Great Beauties of ancient China. Xishi lived during the Spring and Autumn period (around 5th century BCE) and was said to have been born in this area before being sent to the state of Wu as part of a plan to weaken its king. Today, the site features temples, pavilions, and natural scenery honoring her legacy and legendary beauty.
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province in south-central China, with a history spanning over 3,000 years. It is historically significant as the hometown of Mao Zedong and was a key political center during his early revolutionary activities. Today, the city is a major economic and transportation hub, known for its vibrant media and entertainment industry.
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China, situated on the Gan River. It is historically significant as the site of the 1927 Nanchang Uprising, a pivotal event led by the Communist Party which is often considered the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. Today, the city is a major economic and transportation hub, known for landmarks like the Tengwang Pavilion, a celebrated tower with a history dating back to the Tang Dynasty.
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China, serving as a major economic and administrative hub. Historically, it was a frontier town and a key trading post on the southern Silk Road, facilitating commerce between central China and Southeast Asia. Today, it is known as the “Green City” for its lush subtropical landscape and serves as the permanent host of the China-ASEAN Expo.
Wuhan
Wuhan is a major city in central China, formed in 1927 from the merger of three historic towns: Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang. It is historically significant as the site of the 1911 Wuchang Uprising, which led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China. Today, it is a vibrant economic and transportation hub known for its universities, research institutions, and its location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers.
Hohhot
Hohhot is the capital of Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of northern China, whose name translates to “Blue City” in Mongolian. Founded in the late 16th century by the Mongol leader Altan Khan, it served as a regional center of Tibetan Buddhism, exemplified by the Dazhao Temple. Today, it is a major hub that blends modern Chinese urban life with traditional Mongolian culture.
