Basketball season starts with Shanghai Challenge

GABBA is set to start the 2026/27 season with a novel rapid-fire competition, based on what is fast becoming the major sporting attraction in China’s second city, Shanghai.

Teams win matches by taking 2 periods of a maximum of 10 minutes or sooner, by scoring 15 points. If each wins a period, a tie-break of 2 minutes decides the outcome. There are a few other modifications to the basketball rules and, significantly, zone defences are not allowed.

A total of 14 senior men’s teams have entered the event, which will be played by 4 groups, with the top 2 in each going on to the knockout phase.

The Groups are:
A - Bavaria Blue Stars A, Bayside Eagles, Origin Lions, Europa Valmar Damex Hornets;
B - Bavaria Blue Stars C, Origin Crown, Bayside, Hercules GibYellow Gators;
C - Bavaria Blue Stars B, Origin Elite, Europa Valmar Damex Magic;
D - Bayside Wolves, Hercules GibYellow Beasts, Origin Heat.

The match schedule is:

Monday 28 - 9:00 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars A v Bayside Eagle;
9:45 pm, Origin Lions v Europa Valmar Damex Hornets;

Tuesday 29 - 7:30 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars C v Origin Crown;
8:15 pm, Bayside v Hercules GibYellow Gators;
9:00 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars B v Origin Elite;
9:45 pm, Bayside Wolves v Hercules GibYellow Beasts;

Wednesday 30 - 8:15 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars A v Origin Lions;
8:15 pm, Bayside Eagles v Europa Valmar Damex Hornets;
9:00 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars C v Bayside;
9:00 pm, Origin Crown v Hercules GibYellow Gators;
9:45 pm, Europa Valmar Damex Magic v Bavaria Blue Stars B;
9:45 pm, Origin Heat v Bayside Wolves.

Friday 2 October - 7:30 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars A v Europa Valmar Damex Hornets;
8:15 pm, Bayside Eagles v Origin Lions;
9:00 pm, Bavaria Blue Stars C v Hercules GibYellow Gators;
9:45 pm, Origin Crown v Bayside;

Monday 5 - 9:00 pm, Origin Elite v Europa Valmar Damex Magic;
9:45 pm, Hercules GibYellow Beasts v Origin Heat

Quarter Finals
Tuesday 6 - [1] 7:30 pm, 1st Gp A v 2nd Gp B;
[2] 8:15 pm, 1st Gp B v 2nd Gp A;
[3] 9:00 pm, 1st Gp C v 2nd Gp D;
[4] 9:45 pm, 1st Gp D v 2nd Gp C.

Semi Finals
Wednesday 7 - 8:15 pm, Winner [1] v Winner [3]; Winner [2] v Winner [4].

Final
Wednesday 7 - 9:15 pm.