Super Penguin League
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- Super3 Star Arena
- Super Penguin Alliance
| Super Penguin League | |
|---|---|
 Promotion Poster | |
| Also known as |
|
| Simplified Chinese | 超级企鹅联盟 |
| Genre | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language | Chinese |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Production location | China |
| Running time | 110 minutes |
| Production company | Tencent Video |
| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | 2 August 2018 – 7 November 2020 |
Super Penguin League (Chinese: 超级企鹅联盟) is a 2018 Chinese live competitive basketball all-star tournament featuring both sports and entertainment celebrities, including former NBA legend Tracy McGrady, Iverson Molinar, Steve Nash, Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker, noted trainer Ganon Baker, CBA Zhejiang Lions head coach Li Chunjiang, and former Taiwanese international Yen Hsing Su.[1][2][3] On 2 August 2018, it was released on Tencent Video.[4][5] More than 50 prominent personalities from the sports and entertainment industries convened for a ‘Sports vs. Entertainment’ event held at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre.[6]
It is a Chinese All-Star basketball tournament where celebrities undergo training to compete against NBA and CBA players. In this edition, the 'Ultimate Red' and 'Blue Battle' teams competed against each other in a competitive match. Throughout the game, freestyle basketball and professional cheerleading performances were presented, contributing to the overall dynamic atmosphere. The event combined sports and entertainment, enhancing fan engagement. Rocket Girls 101 were official cheerleaders, and BonBon Girls 303 gave an opening performance.
The rules, officiating, statistics, and commentary all adhered to NBA standards. The event featured world-class referees, and a commentary team that delivered a level of quality comparable to the NBA Finals.[7]
Program format
Super Penguin League represents a significant upgrade from the Red and Blue War, evolving from a one-off celebrity game into a full-season competition featuring group stages, knockouts, and finals. Sixteen teams—split evenly between the Red Force and Blue Energy alliances, compete for advancement. Each team comprises a captain, two stars, and a professional player, blending entertainment and athleticism while upholding high basketball standards.
- Season 1: The competition lasted 40 days and featured 24 high-level matches. The 'Gathering Stars' segment was led by Tracy McGrady, Kris Wu and Yen Hsing Su.
- Season 2: Recognised basketball trainer Ganon Baker, NBA players Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker along with coach Li Chunjiang, provided professional guidance, intensive training, and detailed game plans for the players. [8]
- Season 3: It consisted of three teams: Dark Ranger, Barbie Bear and Y.C Lakers.[9]
Seasons
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | Finale | |||
| Season 1 | 13 | 2 August 2018 | 14 October 2018 | |
| Season 2 | 9 | 2 July 2019 | 21 September 2019 | |
| Season 3 | 8 | 17 September 2020 | 7 November 2020 | |
Members
| Year | Season | Members | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Season 1 | Kris Wu Dylan Wang Bai Jingting Ren Jialun Hou Minghao Deng Lun Elvis Han Wang Zi Rui Wu Haochen Wu Chun Allen Ai |
NBA: Tracy McGrady Iverson Molinar Steve Nash[10] Coach: |
| 2019 | Season 2 | Li Chen Zheng Kai Jam Hsiao Aaron Yan Dylan Wang Lai Kuan-lin Gao Hanyu Dong Youlin Tang Xiaotian Zhang Sifan Liu Ruilin Ayanga Zheng Yunlong Li Mincheng Bruce Hung Jason Gu Wen Yifan Aaron Deng Zhang Mingen Yu Haoran Man Shuke Chi Zi Will Liu Zhang He Zhou Rui Wang Qing Lang Dongzhe |
NBA: Manu Ginóbili[11] Tony Parker[12]
|
| 2020 | Season 3 | Wang Anyu Li Wenhan Ashton Chen Sun Yi Li Yunrui Zhang Yuan Li Jia Xiang Ele Yan Li Chen Rex Li Pinkray Wang Runze Dylan Wang Gong Ziqi Lang Dongzhe |
CBA: Chen Dengxing Yang Zheng Li Hexu Zhang Jianhao
|
Reception
The dynamics of professional basketball, combined with the creative athleticism and talent of young national artists, offered a refreshing experience that received critical and audience acclaim.[13] In 2019, singer Jam Hsiao, Ma Jia, and actor Bruce Hung provided entertainment during the competition; the final game garnered over 21 Million viewers on streaming platforms.[14]