CBA embraces new changes as new season tips off

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The 2017-18 season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) will begin on Saturday. Teams will be playing this season under new schedules with the help of new technology.

The circuit is now under the guidance of new boss Yao Ming, a former NBA star, who oversees basketball's governing body in this country. Thanks to Yao, the league has separated itself from the administrative center, and runs as an independent company.

The CBA has also brought in consultants from aboard to help the league improve, while also taking into consideration, the current state of the association. The basketball Hall of Famer has also implemented several changes.

"We not only borrow expertise from leagues abroad, but also need to look internally, to create a Chinese-style basketball league," said Yao.

Xinjiang Flying Tigers claimed the trophy in last season. /Photo via sina.com

In the past, regular season games were played on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. But this season, the league will follow a similar schedule to the NBA, with gamedays taking place from Tuesday to Sunday, so twice as many as before.

The playoffs are also being expanded - from eight to ten clubs. Teams that finish seventh to tenth in the regular season will compete in a best-of-three knock-out round. The winners join the top six teams in the quarter-finals.

Abudushalamu Abudurexiti, the player of Xinjiang Flying Tigers said, "The new schedule not only influences the players, but also the fans. They can watch basketball every day. For us, the schedule is more flexible. We now have the opportunity to watch other teams play after our games."

The league is also using technology to help reduce disputed calls. A brand new statistics system will be put into use, and a video replay center has been established to make referees' decisions more accurate. All officials will be equipped with a new timing system to avoid the timing mistakes which occurred often before.