Shanxi Loongs

The Shanxi Loongs, also known as Shanxi SDIC Raptors Club or Shanxi Fenjiu Shares are a Chinese professional basketball team based in Taiyuan, Shanxi, which plays in the Northern Division of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The Shanxi Fenjiu Company is the club's corporate sponsor, while its mascot is a dragon.

Shanxi Loongs
LeagueCBA
Founded2001
HistoryHenan Dragons
(2001–2006)
Shanxi Dragons
(2006–2007)
Shanxi Brave Dragons
(2007–2018)
Shanxi Loongs
(2018–present)
ArenaShanxi Sports Centre Gymnasium
Taiyuan Riverside Sports Centre Gymnasium
Capacity8,000
LocationTaiyuan, Shanxi, China
Team colorsWhite, Burgundy, Orange
     
Head coachWang Fei (王非)
OwnershipShanxi Guotou
ChampionshipsNone

The team was known in English as the Shanxi Brave Dragons from the Summer of 2007 until September 2018, when a rebranding ceremony was held, unveiling a new logo and nickname. Loong is the Chinese word for dragon, in both Mandarin and Cantonese.

History

Originally known as the Henan Renhe Dragons (河南仁和) due to corporate sponsorship by the Henan Renhe Group (河南仁和集团), the team rebranded as a result of an agreement signed with the Henan Jiyuan Iron & Steel Group (河南济源钢铁集团) in early November, just before the CBA's 2004–05 regular season began (jigang is an abbreviation for jiyuan gangtie or Jiyuan Iron & Steel).[1]

In conjunction with this change—the club moved from its original home city of Zhengzhou to Jiyuan—in the middle of its first season.[2] From 2004 to 2006 they were known as the Henan Jigang Dragons (河南济钢猛龙) or Henan Jigang or Henan Dragons, and were based in both Jiyuan and Luoyang, Henan.

During the 2004–05 CBA season, the team's first in the league, the Henan Dragons finished in seventh and last place in the CBA's North Division and out of the playoffs. In the 2005–06 CBA season they suffered the same fate yet again.

Before the 2006–07 CBA season, the team headed to Taiyuan, and changed its name to the Shanxi Yujun Dragons or Shanxi Yujun or Shanxi Dragons. They signed with a new sponsor the following year, and became known as the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons, but the club has fared little better on the court since its relocation.

In January 2010, the Brave Dragons signed former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury.[3] He only stayed with Shanxi through the end of the 2009–10 CBA season, before leaving for Foshan, and eventually Beijing.

In August 2011, the Brave Dragons played an exhibition game against the Georgetown University Hoyas during the Washington, D.C. squad's two-week summer trip to China, but lost by a final score of 98–81.

Playing in the IBL

The Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons participated in the 2008 season of the International Basketball League (IBL). The IBL is a spring/summer league based in Portland, Oregon. They were housed at the United States Basketball Academy.

Roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Shanxi Loongs roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.
G 1 Chen Peng Yudi 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 75 kg (165 lb)
G 2 Kay Felder 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) 80 kg (176 lb)
PG 3 Xi Yimin 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) 74 kg (163 lb)
G 4 Jonathan Simmons 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 88 kg (194 lb)
C 5 He Jiachen 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 92 kg (203 lb)
SG 6 Xiao Jianxun 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 85 kg (187 lb)
G 7 Yuan Shuai 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 87 kg (192 lb)
SF 8 Zhang Ning 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 97 kg (214 lb)
F 9 Yan Pengfei 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) 116 kg (256 lb)
F 10 Ren Junwei 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 99 kg (218 lb)
PG 11 Zhou Zhandong 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 87 kg (192 lb)
F 12 Xing Zhiqiang 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 104 kg (229 lb)
SF 13 Su Kunhao 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 85 kg (187 lb)
SF 14 Che Haoming 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 86 kg (190 lb)
C 15 Wu Ke 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) 118 kg (260 lb)
SG 16 Liu Jiawei 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 101 kg (223 lb)
PF 17 Li Zhanglin 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 112 kg (247 lb)
PF 18 Han Peiyu 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 109 kg (240 lb)
SF 22 Zhang Zelong 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) 99 kg (218 lb)
G 23 Cao Fei 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 85 kg (187 lb)
SF 24 Zhang Xu 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) 96 kg (212 lb)
PG 25 Zhang Hanjun 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 83 kg (183 lb)
SF 27 Yang Kai 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) 97 kg (214 lb)
SF 34 Zhang Chunjun 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 98 kg (216 lb)
C 35 Ge Zhaobao 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) 116 kg (256 lb)
Head coach
  • Yang Xuezeng
Assistant coach(es)
  • Pan Jianping
  • Pan Jiang
  • Wei Mingliang
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured
Updated: March 28, 2022

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time.
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Current International players

Former Chinese players

Former International players

Trivia

The team and their former coach Bob Weiss are subject of the book Brave Dragons, A Chinese Basketball Team, an American Coach and Two Cultures Clashing which is about the experience of Weiss while he was coaching the team during the 2008–2009 season.

References
  1. "仁和正式联姻济钢 CBA新军河南猛龙男篮正式冠名_篮球-CBA_NIKE新浪竞技风暴_新浪网". sports.sina.com.cn.
  2. "河南男篮改迁主场赴济源 俱乐部介于痛与不痛之间 _篮球-CBA_NIKE新浪竞技风暴_新浪网". sports.sina.com.cn.
  3. "Marbury joining pro basketball team in China". ESPN.com. January 18, 2010.
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