Once upon a time the term CBA meant a basketball league in the US that served as a minor league for the NBA while satisfying the thirst for pro b-ball in markets including Anchorage, Cincinnati, and Saskatoon. Now that basketball has become the favorite sport of millions of Chinese hoop fans, the CBA is readily identifiable as the Chinese Basketball Association. The league has been a training ground and refuge for future and past NBA athletes like Chris Anderson and Jay Humphries, not to mention the man who single-handedly raised the profile of basketball in China to its present dizzying height, Mr. Yao Ming.

Qingdao’s CBA team is called Qingdao Double Star, named after the owner of the team, the Qingdao based sports shoe company, aka Shuang Xin. The team nickname is alternatively translated from the Chinese 雄鹰 to either Eagles or Hawks or Double Stars. Either way, the official Qingdao Double Star Basketball Club was founded in 2003 and plays at the Qingdao University Arena. The recently released schedule for 2009-10 features 16 home games for Qingdao Double Star, who are hoping to improve on last season’s 16th place finish (of 18 teams).

The home opener is December 25 (7:30 pm Tip Off) against Dongguan. To catch Double Star in action, call 8268-4351 for more info.

Ticket Prices:

VIP Season Pass: 2600 RMB (Single Game 200 RMB)
Member Season Pass: 580 RMB (Single Game 40 RMB)
Regular Single Game: 30 RMB
Students: 15 RMB (with ID)

2009-2010 Schedule (All games 7:30 pm tip off except as noted):

• December 20, 2009
  bye: Qingdao
• December 23, 2009
  Shandong vs. Qingdao
• December 25, 2009 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Dongguan
• December 27,2009 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Guangdong
• December 30, 2009
  Guangsha vs. Qingdao
• January 1, 2010
  Zhejiang vs. Qingdao
• January 3, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Beijing
• January 6, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Tianjin
• January 8, 2010
  Shaanxi vs. Qingdao
• January 10, 2010, 8:00 pm
  Xinjiang vs. Qingdao
• January 13, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Liaoning
• January 15, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Jilin
• January 17, 2010
  Jiangsu vs. Qingdao
• January 20, 2010
  Shanghai vs. Qingdao
• January 22, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Bayi
• January 24, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Fujian
• January 27, 2010
  Shanxi vs. Qingdao
• January 29, 2010
  bye: Qingdao
• January 31, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Shandong
• February 3, 2010
  Dongguan vs. Qingdao
• February 5, 2010
  Guangdong vs. Qingdao
• February 7, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Guangsha
• February 10, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Zhejiang
• February 19, 2010
  Beijing vs. Qingdao
• February 21, 2010
  Tianjin vs. Qingdao
• February 24, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Shaanxi
• February 26, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Xinjiang
• February 28, 2010
  Liaoning vs. Qingdao
• March 3, 2010
  Jilin vs. Qingdao
• March 5, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Jiangsu
• March 7, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Shanghai
• March 10, 2010
  Bayi vs. Qingdao
• March 12, 2010
  Fujian vs. Qingdao
• March 14, 2010 (Home)
  Qingdao vs. Shanxi

Relevant Links:
Official CBA website (Chinese)
Official Qingdao Double Star website (Chinese)
Qingdao Double Star 2009-10 Roster (Chinese)
CBA 2009-10 Schedule (English)
Qingdao Double Star 2009-10 Schedule (Chinese)
Chicanohek Video Blogs Qingdao Double Star game (English)
Chicanohek Vimeo Video
Qingdao Double Star on Sina (Chinese)