Xinjiang Flying Tigers

Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Chinese	新疆广汇飞虎
Hanyu Pinyin	Xīnjiāng Guǎnghuì Fēihǔ
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Xīnjiāng Guǎnghuì Fēihǔ
Wade–Giles	Hsin1chiang1 Kuang3hui4 Fei1hu3
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Syin1 jyang1 Gwang3 hwei4 Fei1 hu3
Jyutping	San1 goeng1 Jim2 wui6 Fei1 fu2

Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Xinjiang Flying Tigers
	Xinjiang Flying Tigers logo
Leagues	CBA
Founded	1999
History	Xinjiang Flying Tigers ; (1999–present)
Arena	Hongshan Arena
Capacity	3,800
Location	Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
Team colors	Sky Blue, White;
Main sponsor	Guanghui Group ; (1999-2010) ; Tianshan R-C Bank ; (2010-present)
Head coach	Li Qiuping
Home	Away

The Xinjiang Tianshan Rural-Commercial Bank Flying Tigers (新疆天山农商银行飞虎) or Xinjiang Tianshan Nongshang Yinhang or Xinjiang Flying Tigers are a professional basketball team based in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China, which plays in the North Division of the Chinese Basketball Association. The Tianshan Rural-Commercial Bank is club's corporate sponsor while its mascot is a flying tiger.

The team's long-time former corporate sponsor was the Xinjiang Guanghui Group, Ltd. (新疆广汇集团有限公司). The club joined the league ahead of the 1999–00 CBA season, as the first step in the organization's plans to expand into the country's western interior.

History

During the 2004–05 CBA season, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers finished in third place in the North Division, but lost in the Quarter-Finals of the CBA Playoffs to the South Division's Jiangsu Dragons. In the 2005–06 CBA season, they finished in second place in the North Division, but were again eliminated by Jiangsu in the Quarter-Finals.

Xinjiang's success in recent years has been highlighted by three straight trips to the CBA Finals at the end of the 2008–09 CBA season, 2009–10 CBA season, and 2010–11 CBA season, as well as another appearance in the championship series following the 2013–14 CBA season. The Flying Tigers failed to win the title on all four occasions.

Outside of China, the team is best known for holding 2016 NBA Draft prospect Zhou Qi, a 7'2" center who some NBA pundits believe could be the next Yao Ming.