Fournier Takes to Social Media to Demand Payment: Shanghai Sharks Are the Worst Club I’ve Ever Played For

On June 28th, former Shanghai Sharks player Evan Fournier posted on social media, stating: “What a crazy year playing in China. The Shanghai Sharks are by far the worst team I’ve been a part of in my career. Very unprofessional. They still owe me playoff bonuses from the 21/22 season and the remaining salary for the 23/24 season.”

It is understood that even though Fournier’s contract with the Sharks ended before the 23-24 playoffs, he stayed with the team, financing his own expenses as they traveled for games.

He was still spotted in Shanghai by fans as late as May after the conclusion of the season.

Regarding why Fournier didn’t leave Shanghai sooner, a well-known media personality, “Solomon’s Servant,” wrote that there was a dispute over salaries. The club believed payments should be made until the contract termination date, while Fournier felt that since the non-guaranteed period had passed, the club should pay all wages as stipulated in the contract. With both sides at an impasse, the player was hesitant to leave the club without permission, as doing so could give the club grounds to accuse him of violating the contract. In such a case, even if he had a valid claim, it might not hold up in front of the Chinese Basketball Association or FIBA.

Thus, we saw Fournier attending every home and away game during the season, even paying out of pocket to stay with the team. He would also join the post-game handshake line, demonstrating his affiliation with the squad. However, the club didn’t acknowledge this, with Coach Liu Peng stating that these actions were purely personal initiatives by Fournier.