Sina Lions
Encyclopedia
The Pure-Youth Construction Basketball Team (璞園建設籃球隊) is a semi-professionl basketball team in the Super Basketball League
(SBL) of Taiwan
.
in Taiwan (CBA-Taiwan) between 1996 and 1998. Under the previous ownership by Sina.com
and corporate sponsorship by BenQ
, the team had also competed in the Chinese Basketball Association
of the People's Republic of China (CBA-PRC) in the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 seasons as the Sina Lions (新浪獅) or BenQ-Sina Lions (明基新浪獅) before becoming a founding member of the SBL in 2003.
During the CBA-Taiwan period, the Elephants were the unmatched three-time champions and the most favored squad holding a considerably larger share of young fans attending the game compared with the other clubs in the league. Nonetheless, they did not have a chance to defend their third championship because the game was discontinued midway the 1998–1999 season due to financial problems. In the aftermath of the league's sudden close down, the club had hit its own financial drought until it was rescued by Sina.com
from the brink of disbandment around 2000.
As the Sina Lions, they moved to join the other professional league abbreviated as "CBA" in mainland China
. Having played from a homecourt in Suzhou
, Jiangsu Province, China
, the Lions made the quarter-finals in their first year with the CBA-PRC but finished 13th out of 14 teams in the league with a disappointing 7–19 record in the ensuing season and dropped out from the top-tier Division A league (甲级A组联赛). The club then withdrew from mainland China and moved back to Taiwan to join the newly-founded SBL there. In the SBL's inaugural 2003–2004 season, the Lions had a second-place finish and was the runner up in the championship series against the Yulon Dinos
, their long-time rival in Taiwan.
Following the retirement – forced or voluntary – of a number of aged staters, the younger Lions ended up with an embarrassing 3–27 record in the 2004–2005 season. Between 2005 and 2007, the team was turned over between various corporate owners/sponsors including YMY Telephone Marketing (幼敏電銷), Azio TV (東風衛視), and Pure-Youth Construction (璞園建築), the current owner of the team. With the improvement of the young players on the team, Pure-Youth has been able to register increasing wins and made its first postseason appearance since the Lions period in 2008.
Super Basketball League
The Super Basketball League , often abbreviated to the SBL, is the pre-eminent men's semi-professional basketball league in Taiwan. It was founded in 2003 and considered by many as the successor organization to the short-lived Chinese Basketball Alliance , a men's professional basketball league...
(SBL) of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
History
The franchise derives its history to the celebrated Hung Kuo Elephants (宏國象) as they created the only dynasty of the defunct Chinese Basketball AllianceChinese Basketball Alliance
The Chinese Basketball Alliance was a men's professional basketball league in Taiwan that existed from 1995 to 1999. Also abbreviated as "CBA", the defunct organization based in Taiwan was distinct from the Chinese Basketball Association of the People's Republic of China and was also not to be...
in Taiwan (CBA-Taiwan) between 1996 and 1998. Under the previous ownership by Sina.com
Sina.com
SINA is an online media company for China and Chinese communities around the world. SINA operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, SINA Mobile, SINA Online, and SINA.net. SINA has over 100 million registered users worldwide...
and corporate sponsorship by BenQ
BenQ
BenQ Corporation is a Taiwanese multi-national company that sells and markets consumer electronics, computing and communications devices under the "BenQ" brand name, which stands for the company slogan Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to life .- Company :BenQ sells and markets technology products,...
, the team had also competed in the Chinese Basketball Association
Chinese Basketball Association
The Chinese Basketball Association , often abbreviated to the CBA, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in China.The league is commonly known as the CBA, and this acronym is often used even in Chinese...
of the People's Republic of China (CBA-PRC) in the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 seasons as the Sina Lions (新浪獅) or BenQ-Sina Lions (明基新浪獅) before becoming a founding member of the SBL in 2003.
During the CBA-Taiwan period, the Elephants were the unmatched three-time champions and the most favored squad holding a considerably larger share of young fans attending the game compared with the other clubs in the league. Nonetheless, they did not have a chance to defend their third championship because the game was discontinued midway the 1998–1999 season due to financial problems. In the aftermath of the league's sudden close down, the club had hit its own financial drought until it was rescued by Sina.com
Sina.com
SINA is an online media company for China and Chinese communities around the world. SINA operates four major business lines: Sina Weibo, SINA Mobile, SINA Online, and SINA.net. SINA has over 100 million registered users worldwide...
from the brink of disbandment around 2000.
As the Sina Lions, they moved to join the other professional league abbreviated as "CBA" in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. Having played from a homecourt in Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Jiangsu Province, China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, the Lions made the quarter-finals in their first year with the CBA-PRC but finished 13th out of 14 teams in the league with a disappointing 7–19 record in the ensuing season and dropped out from the top-tier Division A league (甲级A组联赛). The club then withdrew from mainland China and moved back to Taiwan to join the newly-founded SBL there. In the SBL's inaugural 2003–2004 season, the Lions had a second-place finish and was the runner up in the championship series against the Yulon Dinos
Yulon Dinos
The Yulon Dinos are a basketball team in the Super Basketball League in Taiwan. It was founded in 1965 by Yulon Motor's Chairman Yen Ching-ling as a First Division amateur basketball team...
, their long-time rival in Taiwan.
Following the retirement – forced or voluntary – of a number of aged staters, the younger Lions ended up with an embarrassing 3–27 record in the 2004–2005 season. Between 2005 and 2007, the team was turned over between various corporate owners/sponsors including YMY Telephone Marketing (幼敏電銷), Azio TV (東風衛視), and Pure-Youth Construction (璞園建築), the current owner of the team. With the improvement of the young players on the team, Pure-Youth has been able to register increasing wins and made its first postseason appearance since the Lions period in 2008.
2010-11 Roster
Notable players
Chen Shi-Jay until '10 Wu Chien-Lung Wu Chien-Lung Wu Chien-Lung is a Taiwanese professional basketball player. He plays for the Pure Youth of the Super Basketball League.... until '10 Darryl Hepburn 1 season: '09-'10 |
See also
- Chinese Basketball AllianceChinese Basketball AllianceThe Chinese Basketball Alliance was a men's professional basketball league in Taiwan that existed from 1995 to 1999. Also abbreviated as "CBA", the defunct organization based in Taiwan was distinct from the Chinese Basketball Association of the People's Republic of China and was also not to be...
(Taiwan) - Chinese Basketball AssociationChinese Basketball AssociationThe Chinese Basketball Association , often abbreviated to the CBA, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in China.The league is commonly known as the CBA, and this acronym is often used even in Chinese...
(PRC) - Super Basketball LeagueSuper Basketball LeagueThe Super Basketball League , often abbreviated to the SBL, is the pre-eminent men's semi-professional basketball league in Taiwan. It was founded in 2003 and considered by many as the successor organization to the short-lived Chinese Basketball Alliance , a men's professional basketball league...