The Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers () or simply Guangdong Southern Tigers, formerly known as Guangdong Dongguan Bank () for sponsorship reasons, are a Chinese professional basketball team owned by the Guangdong Winnerway (Hongyuan) Group. The team is one of the best-performing teams in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The Tigers have won eleven CBA titles, more than any other team in the league. They are also the only team to have qualified for the CBA playoffs in every season since the league launched in 1995. The team plays its home games in Dongguan, Guangdong. Occasionally, for marketing purposes, the team plays some of its home games in Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and other cities in the Pearl River Delta.
Their arch-rivals in the CBA have traditionally been the Beijing Ducks.Determination and composure lead to Guangdong's gritty CBA win over Beijing huaxia, Xinhua, 19 April 2021. Accessed 20 April 2021.
History Established in 1993, the Tigers are the main team (Team 1) of the Guangdong Southern Tigers Basketball Club which is the first privately (non-government) owned professional basketball club in China. Besides Team 1, the club has three reserve teams (youth teams): Team 2 (Guangzhou based), Team 3A (Guangzhou based), and Team 3B (Dongguan based). These reserve teams are jointly administered by the club and by the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau.
The Southern Tigers have been CBA members since its inception and are the most successful team in the league. In the 1995–96 season, the Tigers qualified for the finals but lost to Bayi Rockets. After a seven-year wait, they made it to the finals again in 2002–03, and in 2003–04, the team claimed its first ever CBA title. Between 2002–03 and 2012–13, the team reached the CBA finals for eleven consecutive seasons, winning the championship eight times.
The team has also participated in the National Games of China, on behalf of the Guangdong Province. In 2009, they won the first National Games gold medal in basketball for their province. They defended the title in 2013.
Players Current roster
Retired numbers Guangdong Southern Tigers retired numbers No. PlayerPositionTenureCeremony date 4 Du Feng PF 1997–2012 No ceremony 8 Zhu Fangyu SF 1999–2017 29 October 2017 15 Jason Dixon C 1998–2001, 2002–2009 23 September 2009
Season-by-season record SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffsWonLostWin%1995–96184.8182ndWon semifinals vs. Liaoning Dinosaurs (2–0)Lost CBA finals vs. Bayi Rockets (0–2)1996–97139.5914thWon quarterfinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (2–0)Lost semifinals vs. Bayi Rockets (0–2)1997–981012.4557thLost quarterfinals vs. Liaoning Dinosaurs (1–2)1998–99139.5913rdWon quarterfinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (2–1)Lost semifinals vs. Liaoning Dinosaurs (0–3)1999–00157.6822ndWon quarterfinals vs. Liaoning Dinosaurs (2–1)Lost semifinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (1–3)2000–011210.5456thLost quarterfinals vs. Beijing Ducks (0–2)2001–021212.5007thLost quarterfinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (0–3)2002–03233.8851stWon quarterfinals vs. Shandong Lions (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Beijing Ducks (3–0)Lost CBA finals vs. Bayi Rockets (1–3)2003–04193.8641stWon quarterfinals vs. Shaanxi Kylins (2–0)Won semifinals vs. Jilin Northeast Tigers (2–1)Won CBA finals vs. Bayi Rockets (3–1)2004–05308.7892ndWon South Division semifinals vs. Bayi Rockets (2–0)Won South Division finals vs. Jiangsu Dragons (2–0)Won quarterfinals vs. Jilin Northeast Tigers (2–0)Won semifinals vs. Bayi Rockets (3–0)Won CBA finals vs. Jiangsu Dragons (3–2)2005–06375.8811stWon quarterfinals vs. Jilin Northeast Tigers (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Jiangsu Dragons (3–0)Won CBA finals vs. Bayi Rockets (4–1)2006–07264.8671stWon quarterfinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Jiangsu Dragons (3–0)Lost CBA finals vs. Bayi Rockets (1–4)2007–08264.8671stWon quarterfinals vs. Zhejiang Lions (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Dongguan Leopards (3–0)Won CBA finals vs. Liaoning Dinosaurs (4–1)2008–09455.9001stWon quarterfinals vs. Shandong Lions (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Dongguan Leopards (3–0)Won CBA finals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (4–1)2009–10322.9411stWon quarterfinals vs. Bayi Rockets (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (3–1)Won CBA finals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (4–1)2010–11257.7812ndWon quarterfinals vs. Bayi Rockets (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Dongguan Leopards (3–0)Won CBA finals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (4–2)2011–12275.8441stWon quarterfinals vs. Fujian Xunxing (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (3–0)Lost CBA finals vs. Beijing Ducks (1–4)2012–13284.8751stWon quarterfinals vs. Zhejiang Golden Bulls (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (3–0)Won CBA finals vs. Shandong Lions (4–0)2013–14304.8821stWon quarterfinals vs. Shanghai Sharks (3–0)Lost semifinals vs. Beijing Ducks (2–3)2014–15344.8951stWon quarterfinals vs. Shenzhen Leopards (3–1)Lost semifinals vs. Beijing Ducks (1–3)2015–162810.7374thWon quarterfinals vs. Shandong Golden Stars (3–0)Lost semifinals vs. Liaoning Flying Leopards (1–3)2016–17308.7892ndWon quarterfinals vs. Sichuan Blue Whales (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Shenzhen Leopards (4–1)Lost CBA finals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (0–4)2017–182810.7373rdWon quarterfinals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (3–1)Lost semifinals vs. Liaoning Flying Leopards (1–4)2018–19424.9131stWon quarterfinals vs. Jiangsu Dragons (3–0)Won semifinals vs. Shenzhen Leopards (4–0)Won CBA finals vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (4–0)2019–20442.9571stWon quarterfinals vs. Qingdao Eagles (one match only)Won semifinals vs. Beijing Ducks (2–1)Won CBA finals vs. Liaoning Flying Leopards (2–1)2020–21466.8851stWon quarterfinals vs. Beijing Ducks (one match only)Won semifinals vs. Shandong Heroes (2–0)Won CBA finals vs. Liaoning Flying Leopards (2–1)2021–222612.6845thWon first round vs. Tianjin Pioneers (2–0)Won quarterfinals vs. Zhejiang Golden Bulls (2–0)Lost semifinals vs. Liaoning Flying Leopards (0–3)2022–23339.7862ndLost quarterfinals vs. Zhejiang Lions (1–2)2023–243715.7124thWon quarterfinals vs. Zhejiang Lions (3–1)Lost semifinals vs. Liaoning Flying Leopards (2–3)2024–253115.6747thWon first round vs. Shanghai Sharks (2–1)Lost quarterfinals vs. Shanxi Loongs (0–3)2025–262715.6435thWon first round vs. Guangzhou Loong Lions (2–1)Lost quarterfinals vs. Beijing Ducks (1–2)
In popular culture During a December 2011 episode of Inside the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal mentioned the Tigers during their "Who He Play For?" sketch, where he guessed Aaron Brooks had now been playing for the team. The moment and reaction of "Ni Hao! Ni Hao!" ( in Mandarin Chinese) became a popular meme, particularly when a new NBA free agent is expected to become a journeyman (examples being Ben Simmons, Eric Bledsoe, and Jordan Poole).
Honours Chinese Basketball Association Playoffs champions (11): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 Playoffs runners-up (5): 1995–96, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2016–17 Regular season champions (14): 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06 (South Division), 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 Regular season runners-up (6): 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2004–05 (South Division), 2010–11, 2016–17, 2022–23
FIBA Asia Champions Cup Third place: 1996
National Club Championship Winners: 1998
Asian Club Championship Winners: 2012
National Men's Basketball Group B League Winners: 1995
References
External links Team profile Guangdong Southern Tigers on Weibo.com