Commentary: Harshest-ever punishment necessary to safeguard integrity of Chinese basketball

BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) on Monday imposed the harshest-ever punishment in league history on the Jiangsu Dragons and Shanghai Sharks for unsportsmanlike conduct involving the two clubs, in a bid to uphold the integrity of the game.

Both clubs were found to be "intentionally passive playing" during their CBA playoff games on April 11 and April 14 and have thus been disqualified from the ongoing 2022-23 CBA season. They will be each fined 5 million yuan (727,000 US dollars) as well, with the head coaches and general managers of the two clubs also facing suspensions ranging from three to five years.

CBA president Yao Ming described the punishments against the two teams as "heartbreaking," which resonated with many basketball fans.

"Lies cannot be tolerated in sport," a netizen wrote on Weibo.

Integrity is the most fundamental value to sport, as Yao said that "for sport, the most important thing is reputation rather than capability." Without integrity competition is meaningless. When appropriate behavior occurs, competitive play is more enjoyable for everyone.

Obviously, the CBA playoff games between Jiangsu and Shanghai were not enjoyable due to their "intentionally passive playing." Such unacceptable behavior must stop. Otherwise, it will harm the league.

Thanks to its timely investigation and harsh punishment, the CBA has, to a large extent, restored the game's image.

"We still have hope in Chinese basketball," a fan named FC Runzong wrote on social media.

Both clubs have apologized to fans on social media, saying that they will draw lessons from the incident.

Players, coaches, referees and audiences all have a role to play in safeguarding the sound development of the league. It takes the efforts of everyone every day to ensure that sportsmanship remains one of the top priorities in basketball.