I’ve found that marrying into another culture definitely has its perks. Mrs. Cheap Seats had her parents visit for the weekend and I have a new favorite holiday: Chinese New Year! Here’s how it goes down—you eat, eat, eat… talk to relatives on the other side of the globe, eat some more, collect lucky money and then go to bed. Where has this been all of my life and why didn’t someone tell me about it sooner! The only confusing part about the entire day was when my friend kept telling me that it was Year of the Cow. My in-laws looked at me like I had a 2nd head growing out of my back. It didn’t take long to figure out that my friend doesn’t know the difference between a Cow and an Ox.
Now THIS looks like a party!
But all animals aside, it’s given me a new appreciation for all things Chinese—but it’s not like the sports world is overflowing with Asians. Japan has baseball on lock (we can thank Dice-K and Ichiro for that) and football has, well… they have Dat Nguyen. But in recent years, China and their 1 billion people look like they could be making a move to corner the Asian market in another sport: basketball.
In recent years, a few Chinese guys have made the trek around the world and caught the imagination of basketball scouts along the way. The first guy to get the NBA’s attention was Wang Zhizhi in the late 1990’s. Wang was 7’1” with athleticism and a long range game that had the experts drooling. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, he averaged 11.1 points and 5.6 boards per game. Not too bad for a 17 year old! After leading his professional club in China to a couple of championships, the Dallas Mavericks took a flyer on him in 1999 draft. It took 2 years before the Chinese government would let him play in the NBA, but that was only the beginning of his adventures. He played a few games for the Mavericks, but bounced between the Chinese National team and the Mavericks for a couple of seasons. He ended up playing with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat before he ultimately returned to China to play in their professional league and National team once again.
Even though Wang Zhizhi was the first Chinese player in the NBA, it was really Yao Ming that opened the doors for everyone else. The Wang fiasco had general managers all over the league suspicious as to the availability of Chinese players in regards to the government in China. Even if a player had the skills and potential to play in the Association, would they be able to free themselves from the Communist government? Not all NBA teams were willing to take that gamble with a precious NBA draft pick.
Breakin' down doors worldwide
A 7’6” center with a good touch proved to be too much to resist for the Rockets in 2002. After working out an agreement with the Chinese government and his professional club (Shanghai) before the draft, Yao made history by becoming the #1 overall pick. He came in 2nd place in the Rookie of the Year voting and was well on his way to solidifying his spot in the NBA. In his 2nd NBA season, he averaged 17.5 points per game to go along with 9 rebounds. He showed that he could bang down low with the thicker bodies in the NBA while still utilizing his mid-range game that was practically unstoppable. His career averages read like this: 19 points, just over 9 rebounds and almost 2 blocks per game. With the pressure that he has coming from China with hundreds of millions of people watching his every move, he’s more than justified being selected #1 overall.
In 2006, the next in the line of talented 7’+ Chinese players emerged when Yi Jianlian burst onto the scene. Yi Jianlian brought Hong Kong into the mix as a 7’1” guy who would be better classified as a swingman (as opposed to center). He was drafted 6th overall by the Bucks and after playing his rookie year in the NBA’s Siberia, he was traded to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson. In the middle of his 2nd season in North America, he’s already one of the highest grossing and most marketable athletes in China. His debut season for the Nets has shown an increase in productivity with 13 points and 2 blocks per contest. He’ll have to keep improving to justify his high draft status, but he’s demonstrating value above and beyond his skills on the court. Where do you think Yi Jianlian is more valuable? In Milwaukee, where the closest thing they have to a Chinese population is the line at the local Panda Express? Or perhaps New Jersey, which is only a quick trip across the river to New York City? When you think about the jerseys he’ll be selling and the increased global visibility he’ll bring to the Nets, there was more to the Jefferson trade than points per game!
Last year saw something new for Chinese basketball. For the first time, a guard was drafted by an NBA team. As usual, height was a major selling point as Sun Yue plays the point at 6’9”. Height, combined with his passing skills and ability to see the floor were enough to convince the Lakers to draft him in the 2nd round of the 2008 NBA draft. Just like Yi Jianlian, his most valuable quality is being Asian in a city with a huge Asian population. But he’s already winning the hearts of the fans as he’s been one of the primary guys during garbage time in home games. You know the guy that everyone hopes can just score on bucket? Right now, he’s THAT guy. But under Phil Jackson, that’s about as much as any rookie can hope for.
When I think back to the 4 Chinese men that have made the NBA, there’s one thing that I still can’t figure out: where did all of these tall Chinese guys come from? I know the stereotype is that Asians are small, but 7’6” centers and 6’9” guards are NOT short! It will give me something to think about while I’m counting my Lucky Money and eating my Dim Sum. None of us should have to work today; I’m all for creating more holidays that give me day off from work. So to everyone: Enjoy the Year of the Ox (not the Year of the Cow).
Goung hay fat choy!
Matt Reitz is the Editor-In-Chief here at ViewFromMySeats.com and former NHL Writer for ProHockeyTalk on NBCSports. When he’s not shoving a mic in the face of NHLers or explaining why home teams should wear white, he’s usually trying to figure out what song to play next on his iPod. It’s a never-ending job.
