The CBA Salary Report 2023: Who Are the Highest and Lowest Paid Players, Coaches, and Staff in Chinese Basketball?

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in China, with millions of fans and players across the country. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is the top professional league in China, featuring 20 teams and some of the best talents in Asia. The CBA also attracts many foreign players and coaches, who bring their skills and experience to the league. In this article, we will explore the salary, rules, and teams of the CBA, as well as the highest and lowest paid players in the league.

Salary

The CBA has a salary cap system, which limits the amount of money each team can spend on its players and coaches. The salary cap for the 2023-2024 season is 44 million RMB (about 6.8 million USD) for each team, with a minimum of 16 million RMB (about 2.5 million USD). Any team that exceeds or falls below the cap will be charged accordingly.

The CBA also has a salary limit for individual players, which varies depending on their nationality and performance. For domestic players, the maximum salary is 6 million RMB (about 937,800 USD) per season, down from 8 million RMB (about 1.25 million USD) in the previous season. For foreign players, the maximum salary is 5 million USD per season, down from 7 million USD in the previous season.

The average salary of a CBA player is estimated to be around 1.5 million RMB (about 234,000 USD) per season, which is higher than the average salary of a WNBA player (about 130,000 USD) but lower than the average salary of an NBA player (about 8.3 million USD).

The salary of a CBA coach is not publicly disclosed, but it is reported that some of the top coaches in the league can earn up to 10 million RMB (about 1.56 million USD) per season.

The salary of a CBA staff member, such as a trainer, a scout, or a manager, is also not publicly disclosed, but it is likely to be much lower than the salary of a player or a coach.

Highest Paid Players and Lowest Paid Players

The CBA does not release the official salary information of its players, so it is difficult to determine the exact ranking of the highest and lowest paid players in the league. However, based on some reports and estimates, we can get a general idea of who are the top earners and the bottom earners in the CBA.

According to cba, the highest paid player in the CBA for the 2023-2024 season is Jeremy Lin, who signed a three-year contract with the Beijing Ducks worth 15 million USD. Lin, who is a Taiwanese-American, is a former NBA star who played for eight teams, including the New York Knicks, the Houston Rockets, and the Toronto Raptors. He is also the first Asian-American to win an NBA championship, which he did with the Raptors in 2019. Lin joined the CBA in 2019 and led the Ducks to the semifinals in his first season. He averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in the 2022-2023 season.

The second highest paid player in the CBA is Lance Stephenson, who signed a one-year contract with the Liaoning Flying Leopards worth 4 million USD. Stephenson, who is an American, is also a former NBA player who played for seven teams, including the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers. He is known for his versatility, energy, and defense. He joined the CBA in 2019 and helped the Leopards win their third championship in the 2022-2023 season. He averaged 26.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in the 2022-2023 season.

The third highest paid player in the CBA is Ty Lawson, who signed a one-year contract with the Fujian Sturgeons worth 3 million USD. Lawson, who is also an American, is another former NBA player who played for six teams, including the Denver Nuggets, the Houston Rockets, and the Sacramento Kings. He is known for his speed, ball-handling, and passing. He joined the CBA in 2017 and has been one of the best point guards in the league. He averaged 27.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game in the 2022-2023 season.

On the other hand, the lowest paid players in the CBA are usually the local players who are not stars or veterans. They typically earn the minimum salary of 200,000 RMB (about 31,200 USD) per season, which is the lowest among the major basketball leagues in the world. ¹¹

Some of the lowest paid players in the CBA for the 2023-2024 season are:

• Zhang Ning, a 23-year-old guard who plays for the Nanjing Monkey King. He averaged 2.4 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game in the 2022-2023 season.
• Li Yueru, a 22-year-old center who plays for the Shanghai Sharks. She is one of the few female players in the CBA, and she averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in the 2022-2023 season.
• Wang Zhelin, a 27-year-old center who plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. He was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2016 NBA draft, but he never played in the NBA. He averaged 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in the 2022-2023 season, but he reportedly took a pay cut to stay with the Tigers.

Rules

The CBA follows the rules of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), with some modifications. Some of the main differences are:

• The CBA uses a 12-minute quarter system, instead of the 10-minute quarter system used by FIBA. ¹⁵
• The CBA has a 24-second shot clock, instead of the 14-second shot clock used by FIBA after an offensive rebound.
• The CBA has a restricted area under the basket, where a defensive player cannot draw a charge foul. The restricted area is a semicircle with a radius of 1.25 meters, instead of the 1.2 meters used by FIBA.
• The CBA has a limit on the number and time of foreign players on the court. Each team can have up to four foreign players on the roster, but only two can play at the same time. The total playing time of foreign players cannot exceed six quarters per game, except for the four teams that finished at the bottom of the standings in the previous season, who can have three foreign players on the court at the same time without any time limit.

Team

The CB(kA consists of 20 teams, divided into two conferences: the North Conference and the South Conference. Each teiam plays 56 games in the regular season, which runs from October to March. The top eight teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, which are held from March to May. The playoffs are a best-of-five series until the finals, which are a best-of-seven series. The winner of the finals is crowned as the CBA champion. ¹⁹i

The 20 teams in the CBA for the 2023-2024 season are:

• Beijing Ducks
• Beijing Royal Fighters
• Fujian Sturgeons
• Guangdong Southern Tigers
• Guangzhou Loong Lions
• Jiangsu Dragons
• Jilin Northeast Tigers
• Liaoning Flying Leopards
• Nanjing Monkey King
• Qingdao Eagles
• Shandong Heroes
• Shanghai Sharks
• Shanxi Loongs
• Shenzhen Aviators
• Sichuan Blue Whales
• Tianjin Pioneers
• Xinjiang Flying Tigers
• Zhejiang Golden Bulls
• Zhejiang Lions
• Bayi Rockets

The most successful team in the CBA history is the Guangdong Southern Tigers, who have won 11 championships, including the most recent one in the 2022-2023 season. The second most successful team is the Liaoning Flying Leopards, who have won three championships. The third most successful team is the Beijing Ducks, who have also won three championships.

Conclusion

The CBA is a competitive and exciting basketball league, with a mix of local and foreign talents, and a passionate fan base. The CBA offers a good opportunity for players and coaches to showcase their skills and earn a decent income, while also facing some challenges and limitations. The CBA also contributes to the development and promotion of basketball in China, and to the national team’s performance in international competitions. The CBA is expected to grow and improve in the future, as the sport becomes more popular and professional in the country.

Most Asked Questions and Answers

Q: How can I watch the CBA games?
A: The CBA games are broadcasted by CCTV, the state-owned television network.

A: The CBA games are broadcasted by CCTV, the state-owned television network in China. You can also watch the games online through the CBA’s official website or through some streaming platforms such as Tencent Sports or Youku .

Q: Who are the best players in the CBA? A: The best players in the CBA are usually the foreign players, who have more experience and skills than the local players. Some of the best players in the CBA for the 2023-2024 season are Jeremy Lin, Lance Stephenson, Ty Lawson, Sonny Weems, and Luis Scola.

Q: Who are the best coaches in the CBA? A: The best coaches in the CBA are also usually the foreign coaches, who have more knowledge and tactics than the local coaches. Some of the best coaches in the CBA for the 2023-2024 season are Guo Shiqiang, Brian Goorjian, Stephon Marbury, Memi Becirovic, and Du Feng.

Q: How can I play in the CBA? A: To play in the CBA, you need to have a valid contract with a CBA team, which can be obtained through the CBA draft, free agency, or trade. You also need to have a valid visa and work permit to work in China. You also need to follow the rules and regulations of the CBA, such as the salary cap, the salary limit, and the foreign player limit.

Q: How can I coach in the CBA? A: To coach in the CBA, you need to have a valid contract with a CBA team, which can be obtained through negotiation, recommendation, or application. You also need to have a valid visa and work permit to work in China. You also need to have a good understanding of the CBA rules, the CBA culture, and the CBA players.

Q: How can I buy tickets for the CBA games? A: To buy tickets for the CBA games, you can visit the official website of the CBA or the official website of the CBA team you want to watch. You can also buy tickets through some online platforms such as Damai or Maoyan . You can also buy tickets at the venue on the day of the game, but the availability and price may vary.

Q: How can I bet on the CBA games? A: Betting on the CBA games is illegal in China, and it can result in severe penalties such as fines, imprisonment, or even death. Therefore, we do not recommend or endorse any form of gambling on the CBA games. However, if you are interested in the odds and predictions of the CBA games, you can visit some websites such as OddsPortal or Wincomparator , but please use them for entertainment purposes only.

Q: How can I join the CBA fan club? A: To join the CBA fan club, you can follow the official social media accounts of the CBA or the CBA team you support. You can also join some online communities such as Baidu Tieba or Zhihu , where you can interact with other CBA fans and share your opinions and insights. You can also attend some offline events such as fan meetings, fan festivals, or fan tours, where you can meet and greet the CBA players and coaches.

Q: How can I learn more about the CBA history and culture?

A: To learn more about the CBA history and culture, you can read some books such as The CBA: A History of China’s Professional Basketball League or The Rise of China’s Basketball Dynasty . You can also watch some documentaries such as The Year of the Yao or The Last Dance , which feature some of the most iconic moments and figures in the CBA history. You can also visit some museums such as the Basketball Museum of China or the Yao Ming Basketball Museum , where you can see some of the memorabilia and artifacts related to the CBA history and culture.

Q: How can I support the CBA development and promotion? A: To support the CBA development and promotion, you can do some of the following things:

• Watch the CBA games regularly and cheer for your favorite team and players.
• Buy the CBA merchandise and wear them proudly.
• Share the CBA news and highlights with your friends and family.
• Participate in the CBA surveys and feedbacks and voice your opinions and suggestions.
• Donate to the CBA foundation and support the CBA charity and social responsibility programs.