2022-23 CBA season to kick off on October 10

BEIJING -- The 2022-23 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season will kick off on October 10.

According to an announcement released by the league's governing body on Monday, 20 teams will participate in the new season, which features a total of 42 rounds during the regular season.

The 20 teams will be divided into four groups with five teams each. Each team will play in-group teams three times and out-of-group teams twice. The top 12 finishers in the regular season will advance to the playoffs, which include round of 12, quarterfinals, semifinals and the finals.

The first stage of the regular season be played in a championship format for nine rounds between October 10 and 30, before Chinese national team members head for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

The CBA matches will resume after the qualifiers for its second stage, and are expected to adopt a home-and-away format.

The 2022 CBA All-star Weekend, initially planned to take place in March, will be held from October 2 to 4.