Meet the Shanghai Sharks

Coming off a disappointing 12th place finish from last year’s season, the Shanghai Sharks have regrouped and are the team to beat this year. They’ve added star guard Ryan Kelly and Taiwanese MVP power forward Tseng Wen-Ting to their already-strong line-up. The team hasn’t brought home a league championship since Yao Ming’s final year as the Sharks’ centre in 2002, but the recently-retired Houston Rocket is focused on putting the Sharks, which he bought in 2009, back on top.

Liu Wei

The point guard and captain of the Shanghai Sharks, Liu Wei, alongside his childhood friend Yao Ming, is the face of basketball in China. A native of Shanghai, Liu joined the city's youth team in 1994, before going on to play on the Shanghai Sharks inaugural team in 1996. As the captain of the China National Team, Liu has been an integral part of China basketball, playing in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics and taking home gold medals at the 2010 Asia Games and the 2011 FIBA Asia Championships. The crafty veteran proves that he knows how to manage the game during the Sharks’ season opener in November, netting 21 points in 36 minutes.

Mike Harris

Mike Harris played Division One ball for Rice University, before going on to an NBA career with the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder. 2011 marks the power forward’s fourth year in the CBA, where he started with the Dongguan New Century Leopards before arriving in Shanghai last year. He averaged 24.7 points and 14.7 rebounds, making him the league’s second highest rebounder during the 2010-2011 season. At this year’s season opener, he made 61 per cent of his field goal attempts for 18 points.

Ryan Kelly

Ryan Kelly (but you can call him R Kelly) is a CBA veteran. He played two seasons for the Jiangsu Dragons in 2004-2005 and 2007-2008. After stints on the Los Angeles Defenders in the NBDL and the Aishin Sea Horses in Japan (where he was named JBL’s Superleague Guard of the Year), he’s back in China for his first season with the Shanghai Sharks. On his first outing with the Sharks against the Qingdao Double Star Eagles, the shooting guard had 16 points.

Max Zhang

You can’t miss Max Zhang on the court. At 2.21 metres, he towers above everyone – except Shanghai Sharks owner Yao Ming. The centre attended The University of California, Berkley where he set the record as the tallest player in the school’s history. Using his height to his advantage, Zhang is famous for blocking shots, a talent that earned him a spot on the Chinese National Team in 2010. An injury ended his first season with the Sharks last year, but this is Zhang’s break out season, so keep an eye on him.

Tseng Wen-Ting 

A star in Taiwan’s Super Basketball League, Tseng (better known to his teammates as ‘Ding’) led his Yulon Dinos to three consecutive league championships and was named MVP for the last two wins. The starting centre of the Taiwanese team since 2001, Ding has anchored the team through the Asian Games and the Asian Championships. One of the smartest players on the court, Ding uses his body well and is expected to bring his one man defence show – not to mention the coolest hair in the league – to the Sharks this season.