Bayi Records Five-time Title in CBA

The Bayi Rockets kept the title untouchable this season when the military team, for five straight times, won the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league, while the league is calling for a change.

Bayi, which surrendered just one game in the 1999-2000 season to the Beijing Ducks, remained unbeaten in the playoffs after they crushed the finals newcomers Shanghai Sharks 3-0 in the championship series.

The only CBA team which have no foreign recruit, Bayi keep their title-winning legend with a squad filled with internationals. Wang Zhizhi, Liu Yudong, Zhang Jinsong, Li Nan and Fanbin were all members of the national team which won the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998 and the Asian Championships in Fukuoka of Japan in 1999.

Other teams were intimated by the chemistry, defense and experiences of the powerhouse, which expect no challenge to their league superiority in a decade.

But Shanghai did blow a fresh breeze to the league by storming into the finals, which, in the last four seasons, was virtually a derby between arch-rivals Bayi and Liaoning Hunters. With teenage sensation Yao Ming blooming faster than anyone could imagine, Shanghai edged out old name Guangdong Tigers 3-2 in the semi-finals to set up a new finals confrontation between Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi, the two tallest players of the league. However, Bayi's solid defense dampened Shanghai's confidence and bravery in the first game in Shanghai. The reigning champions rolled over to the title with three games down in straight in the best-of-five series. Bayi had the advantage in every aspect of basketball and put nothing at stake, just as before. Liaoning, which contracted two tall and masculine Americans before the season, suffered their worst fall in the league when they slumped to fifth place.

While Vanguard Aoshen, a re-union team of former Vanguard and Aoshen, raised eyebrows at the beginning of the season but failed to live up to the expectations and was finished before semi-finals. As for the Most Valuable Player award, pivot Wang Zhizhi, who was picked up by NBA Dallas Mavericks last summer but failed to make a U.S. trip as the Bayi club turned down the offer, is a hot favorite to win the award for the first time.

But Wang didn't top any statistic lists whereas Jiangsu Dragons ' forward Hu Weidong was in the center of controversy over the MVP selection.

The MVP award, which was won every time by the leading scorer in last four regular seasons, could only be taken by players from the top four teams under a new rule adopted by CBA this season. Hu, the MVP in the Asian Championships last September in Japan, led the league with scoring, three-pointers and steals, and second in assists. But Jiangsu were out of top four.

"I'm disappointed with the decision because I felt so good this season," Hu, who recovered from injuries this season, told a popular Chinese Central Television program -- Basketball Park on Monday.

Wang's domination of the key has also been strongly challenged by Sharks' Yao, 2.23 meters compared to Wang's 2.15. Yao, 19, three years younger than Wang, topped the league in rebounds, blocks and dunks in the regular season and was selected in the Nike Summit Championships for his brilliant performance in CBA.

Yao was unstoppable in the finals in the face-off with Wang and his team, but needed more strength and experiences to top Wang in the future.

And the CBA is welcoming more changes to inspire a national enthusiasm for the sport.

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