SHANGHAI, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Former NBA All-Star D'Angelo Russell scored 21 points in his Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league debut as defending champions the Shanghai Sharks cruised past the Shenzhen Aviators 102-68 in the 2026-27 season opener on Friday.
Shanghai maintained its core roster that won the title last season, including Wang Zhelin, Zhang Zhenlin and Brandon Goodwin, and bolstered its squad with the signing of Russell and three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee, who played for the Beijing Ducks last season.
Russell went seven of 23 from the field. Goodwin led Shanghai with 22 points and nine assists. Wang had a double-double of 14 points and 18 rebounds, and Zhang added 16 points.
"Our players fought very hard, which was reflected in our defense and rebounding. They showed their will to win," said Shanghai coach Lu Wei. "It was just our first game of the season. One game at a time."
Both sides struggled a bit in offense in the opening quarter, with Terquavion Smith's two 3-pointers earning Shenzhen a 19-16 lead as the quarter ran out. Shenzhen center Ibou Badji showed his athleticism with two blocks on Goodwin and Russell.
Shanghai broke a 32-32 tie with a 13-0 surge in the final three minutes of the second quarter, before extending its lead to 22 points heading into the final frame.
Li Hongquan's layup helped Shanghai build a 95-66 lead with 3 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, putting the result beyond doubt.
Shanghai outrebounded Shenzhen 60-34, and had a 22-10 advantage in assists.
"We put together three really good quarters after we started off pretty slow. A new team, we are trying to figure each other out. We did a great job on the glass. We played hard defensively and made up for our missed shots," said Goodwin.
Before the game, Shanghai received its championship rings on home court and raised its second championship banner in franchise history.
On the Shenzhen side, Smith scored a team-high 18 points. He Xining, last season's regular season MVP, had 16.
"We are not in good form, especially some rotation players. Some of them just recovered from injuries, and didn't have enough time to train together with the team," said Shenzhen coach Gu Quan.
"We played too simply, which led to a low shooting percentage. We conceded many rebounds, and the number of our assists was low. These are the problems we need to address," he added.
The first round of matches continue on Saturday and Sunday. ■
