The Bayi Rockets () were a professional basketball team based in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, which played in the South Division of the Chinese Basketball Association. The Rockets were the only CBA team owned and governed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

On 20 October 2020, The Chinese Basketball Association announced that the Rockets had withdrawn from Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) following a decision by the PLA.

History

The Bayi Rockets were founded in 1955 in Ningbo, Zhejiang. The team's founding members served in the People's Liberation Army, and the "Bayi" in its name represents the anniversary of the founding of the PLA, 1 August. There are also several other army clubs using the Bayi name in other sports leagues, including Bayi Kylin in the WCBA, the men's soccer team Bayi Zhengbang, and the women's soccer club Bayi Xiangtan.

In August 1979, the Bayi Rockets played the Washington Bullets, when the Bullets became the first NBA team to travel to China. The Bayi Rockets lost.

To continue the legacy left behind by the Bayi Rockets, a new team joined the CBA, relocating back to Ningbo again after a 3-year hiatus and were known as the Ningbo Rockets. The new team commenced playing in the 2021–22 CBA season.

Honours

  • Chinese Basketball Association

:CBA Playoff Champions (8): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07

:CBA Playoff Runners-Up (3): 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06

:CBA Regular Season Winners (6): 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2006–07

:CBA Regular Season Second Place (5): 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2005–06 (South Division), 2006–07

:CBA Regular Season Third Place (2): 2003–04, 2004–05 (South Division)

See also

PLA Military Sports Training Center

References

  • http://sports.sina.com.cn/cba/team/bayi/index.shtml (in Chinese)
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20110716024001/http://www.bsgb.com/cbaclub/cbaby.php (in Chinese)
  • Zhongyin (Ningbo) Battery Co., Ltd. website