Following a crushing 20-point defeat by Japan in the semifinals—which took place on the sensitive anniversary of the September 18 Incident—the Chinese men’s basketball team lost 70–79 to Iran in yesterday’s bronze medal match at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games. Finishing fourth and missing out on a medal, the team recorded its worst Asian Games performance since the 2014 Incheon Games and the second-worst in its history. The news sparked a torrent of criticism from Chinese netizens and fans; head coach Guo Shiqiang admitted that the team “did not perform as well as the opponent” throughout the game. Public opinion has overwhelmingly mocked the team, declaring that Chinese men’s basketball has been relegated to second-tier status in Asia; after suffering multiple humiliating defeats, it is said that there are no longer any games the team “cannot afford to lose.”
According to media reports, the team had previously suffered a heavy 77–97 defeat to Japan in the semifinals. That 20-point margin set a record for the team’s largest-ever loss at the Asian Games—a defeat made even more painful by occurring on the “Day of National Humiliation” (September 18). Having already faced fierce backlash then, the team’s subsequent loss to Iran—marking their second-worst finish in history—has triggered a wave of online mockery and demands for head coach Guo Shiqiang to step down.
In yesterday’s bronze medal match, China led 31–29 at halftime, but the game slipped out of their control in the third quarter as Iran outscored them 26–15. Although China managed to narrow the gap to a single point in the final quarter, they were unable to complete a comeback. Throughout the match, China committed 16 turnovers compared to Iran’s four, and only two players—Pang Zhenglin (22 points) and Li Hongquan (12 points)—scored in double figures. This marks the first time since the team began competing in the Asian Games in 1974 that they have failed to reach the podium in two consecutive tournaments. After the match, Guo Shiqiang remarked, “It is a pity we lost today; we were outperformed by our opponents in every aspect of the game.” He explained, “After the group stage, we only had a nine-man rotation available for the semi-finals. With such a limited roster, certain players inevitably had to log heavy minutes, leading to fatigue issues.” He further noted that the squad was heavily composed of young players who struggled to maintain consistent performance—a key factor in the defeat.
Hu Mingxuan, captain of the Chinese men’s basketball team, commented: “We failed to execute on defense and rebounding, and we didn’t carry out our pre-game game plan effectively on the court. Although we managed to control the tempo for a stretch in the second half, we couldn’t recover after committing turnovers; it’s a real shame.” He added, “A loss is a loss. There is still a lot of room for improvement.”
The Chinese men’s basketball team concluded their campaign with two consecutive losses, drawing fierce criticism from the public. Many netizens believe the team has regressed to “second-tier” status in Asia and is now vulnerable to defeat against virtually any Asian opponent. Calls for Guo Shiqiang to step down have intensified, with many urging the team to face up to this reality.