Chinese basketball clubs hit back at ‘obsessive fans’ after player abused online
Former Liaoning Flying Leopards guard Guo Ailun joined Guangzhou Loong Lions after 14 years, and both clubs have been in the firing line
Two Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) clubs say they and a player have been “maliciously abused and attacked” online as the country continues to grapple with “obsessive fan culture”.
On Monday, Liaoning Flying Leopards beat Guangzhou Loong Lions 97-86 but the game’s prematch – and subsequently post-match – hype was centred on combo guard Guo Ailun.
Born in Liaoning, Guo played for his hometown club for 14 years before being traded to Loong Lions this summer. The match was set to be his first game back at the Shenyang Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, instead a fever meant he had to watch from the sidelines.
Before the game, Guo was presented with a championship ring and a video tribute was played. Throughout the fixture, fans chanted his name.
And afterwards, the 30-year-old said he hoped his old side could “give the people who bought tickets today some free ones for the [return fixture] against Guangzhou … because the money they spent was just to come and see me”.
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His comments triggered a wave of vitriol online, with Chinese basketball fanatics flooding social media, angry that Guo presumed they were only there to see him.
