Feature: Hangzhou crowned at inaugural ZheBA, grassroots basketball booming in China

HANGZHOU, China, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Hangzhou captured the inaugural ZheBA championship on Friday night, defeating Lishui 93-71 to win the series 3-1 and highlighting the growing appeal of grassroots basketball in China's Zhejiang province.

The victory at Huanglong Sports Center drew a packed crowd on a rainy weeknight, a rare sight for local basketball in recent years. It came nearly nine months after the professional Zhejiang Lions won the CBA title on the road in Beijing on May 20, 2025, denying hometown fans a live celebration.

This time, Hangzhou delivered for its supporters. The team dominated the finals against underdog Lishui, which was missing a key player and lost the first two games. But Lishui fought back in Game 3, with star guard Ni Haokai scoring 33 points despite illness to secure a 59-58 victory and force a decisive Game 4.

The comeback energized fans. Lishui supporters traveled to Hangzhou, filling sections of the arena with orange, the team's color. Even injured captain Xu Minwei attended on crutches. "I don't care if they win or lose. I have to be there to cheer for them," Xu said.

Since launching in July, the ZheBA league - which excludes professional players to spotlight local talent - has hosted 487 games, drawn nearly 1.79 million in-person spectators, exceeded one billion live-stream views and generated more than 30 billion online interactions. No other grassroots sports event in Zhejiang's history has matched its buzz.

Participants include everyday locals like Xu, a basketball fan who nearly became an excavator operator before rising in his mountain city. Many players balance day jobs with hoops, such as business owners who rebound at night. Their skills may not rival pros, but their passion for victory and hometown pride fuel the league's community spirit.

The tournament challenged assumptions that big cities dominate basketball talent. County teams from Cangnan and Fuyang advanced deep, proving smaller areas can compete.

Beyond the court, ZheBA boosted local economies. Fans traveled province-wide for games, filling hotels, night markets and tourist sites. Hangzhou offered discounts at more than 160 scenic spots and nearly 300 businesses with a ticket stub. Wenzhou paired home games with city markets. Cangnan linked its mascot to tourism, generating 281 million yuan (39 million US dollars) in revenue over three months.

By year's end, the league sold over 800,000 tickets and drove more than 10 billion yuan (1.4 billion US dollars) in combined spending on culture, tourism and sports. Host cities reported widespread benefits.

"This title belongs to every citizen and player in Hangzhou," said Hangzhou head coach Yu Shuangkai. "Today we delivered for Hangzhou sports."