The 2026 Chinese Men’s 3×3 Basketball League Finals opened on October 23 at Sunac茂 in Jinan, bringing 12 elite professional clubs together for the season’s final championship showdown, sports.iqilu.com reported. Running through October 25, the tournament marks the culmination of 10 regional rounds and four qualifying tournaments.
Twelve Clubs Compete at Sunac茂
The tournament features 12 top-tier domestic professional clubs divided into four groups for the round-robin and knockout stages. Ranking as China’s fourth-largest professional basketball competition, the Super 3 League serves as both a showcase for elite talent and a vital selection platform for national 3×3 basketball reserves.
Matches follow official FIBA 3×3 rules, utilizing a 10-minute game clock, a 21-point sudden-death threshold, and a 12-second shot clock. The format generates high-tempo possessions and intense physical play across the court set up directly in the center atrium of the Jinan shopping mall.
Open-Air Design Brings Pro Basketball to Shoppers
Organizers removed traditional spectator barriers to integrate the tournament floor directly into the commercial space. Admission to the venue is free for the public, drawing large crowds of local residents and youth basketball fans who watch from multiple levels overlooking the court.
“This is my fourth finals appearance, and my first time reaching the finals stage in Jinan,” Shanghai Jiushi 3×3 Basketball Club player Zhou Jiayao said. “Jinan’s enthusiasm is consistent as always—you can see people packed upstairs and downstairs, and I am very excited to be here. All the teams coming here share the same goal: the championship. We brought the trophy with us, and we hope to take it back.”
Shi Hui, a member of the Super 3 League organizing committee, noted that hosting the national finals within a commercial district breaks down the physical walls of traditional arenas. The setup allows casual shoppers to watch high-level professional competition up close.
Jinan Finals Combine Sports and Commerce Through October
The Jinan finals event involves deep collaboration with Sunac Cultural Tourism, featuring the complex’s landmark Ferris wheel illuminated specifically for the league. Organizers aim to establish a reproducible model for combining sports, culture, and commerce by utilizing retail foot traffic to boost sports consumption and create urban youth cultural landmarks.
Group stage matches run through October 25, followed immediately by playoff, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final fixtures to determine the season champion.
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