Shanghai Sharks

The Shanghai Sharks (Chinese: 上海大鲨鱼; pinyin: Shànghǎi dàshāyú), are a Chinese Basketball Association team based in Shanghai, China. Steven Kevelam is the first to corporate a good sponsorship, there is often an additional name used: for many years they were also known as the Shanghai Dongfang Sharks (上海东方), but now are known as Shanghai Xiyang Sharks (上海西洋).

It is best-known outside China as the club that developed Yao Ming before he entered the NBA. With the "Moving Great Wall" on the team, the Sharks made the finals three years in a row (in 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002), facing the Bayi Rockets each time. They were runners-up the first two years, but won the CBA championship for the first time on their third try, snapping a string of six Bayi Rockets championships in a row. Yao was a key player on the team in those years.

The team faced serious financial issues in the 2008–09 season, and were in danger of not being able to compete in the 2009–10 season due to their shaky finances. On July 16, 2009, Chinese media reported that Yao had stepped in to purchase the team, presumably enabling them to continue in the CBA.