First Chinese player for nine years enters NBA draft AFP 12 hours ago Beijing (AFP) - Chinese basketball player Zhou Qi will enter the 2016 NBA draft, media reports said, bidding to succeed superstar Yao Ming as the league's top name from China. Zhou, a centre who towers 2.18 metres (7 feet 2 inches) tall, has played two seasons for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), leading it for blocks both times. Nicknamed "the big devil king," he has already filed his paperwork to enter the draft -- when NBA teams in June select their new players for the season -- and begun training in the US, Tencent Sport said. Chinese fans are avid followers of the NBA and constitute its largest overseas market, but the CBA has failed to produce top-notch talent, with the exception of recent Hall of Fame inductee Yao. Yao retired in 2011 and there has been no Chinese player in the NBA since Yi Jianlian left in 2012. American Jeremy Lin, the Charlotte Hornets' point guard, is ethnically Chinese but his parents are from Taiwan. Zhou weighs 95 kilogrammes (210 pounds), and averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in the 2015-2016 season for Xinjiang, China's official Xinhua news agency reported. Hou Wei, the Xinjiang club's chairman, told the Beijing Times his team was reluctant to part with Zhou. "We believe the time isn't right [for him], but he himself wanted to give it a try," he said. Chinese fans, though, were thrilled at the prospect of finally having a fellow countryman to root for in the NBA. The hashtag #Fire up, Zhou Qi# had garnered more than 14 million views on China's Twitter-like Weibo social media platform by Monday afternoon. "After 10 years of waiting, finally there's hot young blood ready to challenge the NBA!" said one commenter. "Here's fuel to add to the fire for our new hope Zhou Qi to enter the NBA and achieve his basketball dreams!" Another wrote: "No matter how the draft turns out, I'm still very much looking forward to seeing Chinese faces in the NBA once again -- this wait has truly been too long."
I don't want my Celtics to draft him. He won't survive in the NBA with that weight. Any established teams with reliable bigs will bully him out of the court
Have to agree to one of the comments, although not surprise that the mainlanders think all they need is height...A good balance is what a great baller needs! If he does get drafted to the NBA I will laugh at all the stuff that will happen to him. I'm sure you guys have seen that video that was made for Lin man that's some brutal stuff, but at least he can handle it.
agree, I think he'll be a bust. Of all the Chinese drafted players, besides Yao Ming, all players never lasted because of injuries or their basketball IQ just isn't there. Jeremy Lin doesn't even count as a "Chinese" player. Yi JianLian - injury prone Sun Yue - never managed to squeak into the 2nd unit Any international player who is obligated to play in the summer for their team are usually players I would avoid. And I don't think he'll prove me wrong. I am betting heavily against this kid. A 7 footer who weights 210 lbs? Get the fuck out of here. Demarcus Cousins will abuse him like there's no tomorrow. Horford, Dwight, Drummond, Valancuinis, Jordan, any real centers will abuse him night in and night out.
I like the other drafted Chinese center more. He more bulky and traditional center. Wang zheling or something, drafted 2nd round by Memphis but likely he'd be staying in China
