Everybody in the NBA wants top get their hands on the next Hassan Whiteside — a late bloomer who been a force in the middle for the Miami Heat. The guy who may fit that profile is Eli Holman, formerly of the University of Detroit and now playing in China where he finished one assist shy of a triple-double in Game 1 of his team’s first-round playoff series. There are some remarkable similarities between their stories. But whether Holman jumps to
Nets players would welcome Andray Blatche’s return
With the Brooklyn Nets slumping despite Monday’s home win over the Clippers, and trade rumors swirling around the team’s highest paid players, at least two Nets players would welcome the return of center Andray Blatche, who spent the first five months of the season in China. Brooklyn, Memphis and Miami are among atleast three teams interested in Blatche, according to ESPN New York, whose Chinese club failed to reach the postseason, making the volatile nine-year vet a free agent. So would Nets players
10 Players in China Who Could Help NBA Playoff Teams
With a triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds and 12 blocks on national TV, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside has shown that impactful midseason signings can be found in the strangest of places. Whiteside was a 2010 second-round pick of the Sacramento Kings. He was waived by both the Kings in 2012 and the Memphis Grizzlies three months ago. In between, Whiteside was playing for Jiangsu Tongxi in the second tier of Chinese basketball. With the regular season of the Chinese Basketball
China Update: Beasley shines, Mudiay remains, Blatche does work
From NBA bust to CBA folk hero, Shanghai Sharks import Michael Beasley is enjoying an incredible career renaissance in China. The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, Beasley is currently averaging 29.4 points and 10.4 rebounds. If that wasn’t impressive enough, on Sunday at the CBA All-Star Game in Beijing, Beasley scored a record 59 points. There are few players with quite so hot a hand as the former Miami and Minnesota forward, and given that he will soon
Emmanuel Mudiay Has Uncertain Future in China
For the last three months, Emmanuel Mudiay hasn’t been able to cross the Guangdong Tigers’ locker room without first passing the cubicle of the team’s starting small forward, Zhu Fangyu. Zhu is the Chinese Basketball Association’s all-time leading scorer and a fixture on China’s national team for over a decade. He is also known as the authority figure within the Guangdong roster that sizes up new arrivals and decides if they are serious enough about playing for China’s most successful team. The
Artest’s Stint in China May Come to a Premature End
Metta World Peace, Ron Artest, Panda Friend. Whatever the name is on his medical form and the roster chart, the diagnosis is still the same: ‘Recurrence of knee injury – recovery time: three-to-five weeks.’ In the NBA, this would mean a spell on the sidelines. But in the Chinese Basketball Association, it is often the end of the season for an overseas player. This is the ruthless nature of life in the CBA, particularly for the league’s American imports. They’re brought in
Chinese Basketball Association Finals Preview: Beijing Vs. Xinjiang
Half a world away from all the Phil Jackson madness, Stephon Marbury is competing for a championship … again. Game 1 of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Finals is Wednesday night. The two best teams in the league — the Beijing Ducks and the Xinjiang Flying Tigers — will play a best-of-seven series for the CBA championship. Beijing comes into the series having just upset the top dog of the league, the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Xinjiang, on the other hand, is the undisputed
From China to America: Which Imports Could Impact Playoff Races?
Hoop dreams come in all shapes and sizes. And halfway around the world, some dreams are just beginning — the dream of making it back to the NBA. This weekend, the Chinese Basketball Association concludes its regular season as teams gear up for the playoffs. For many Americans playing in China, the dream is humble yet significant – to compete for an NBA roster spot. No matter how you look at it, getting back to the NBA is always a long shot.