Nineteen points, eight rebounds and two blocks. To the casual eye, that reads as a pretty nice box score. But, for Wang Zhelin and Chinese basketball as a whole, it will remain as a historic stat line stuffed with something way more important than just numbers: Potential. By now, word of Wang’s impressive aforementioned performance has gotten around to basketball circles all around the world. In China, he’s getting some love for what is by far the best showing a Chinese player has ever
BEIJING — After his tears had dried up, Stephon Marbury was the star of Game 1 of the Chinese Basketball Association finals. Marbury scored a game-high 36 points with five assists, five rebounds and one altercation as the Beijing Ducks went 1-0 up in their best-of-seven CBA finals against the defending champions Guangdong Southern Tigers with a 108-101 victory Wednesday night. Prior to the series, when the Ducks qualified to play the defending champions (who now have Aaron Brooks in their arsenal), the 35-year-old
NEW YORK — Looks like J.R. Smith has made up his mind, and he is reportedly headed to the New York Knicks. This was a topic of discussion this morning on the Armando and Perk radio show in Miami, where I predicted he’d play on Broadway and my hosts believed he’d go to the Clippers. Click here to listen to the interview. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, who has broken so many stories on the Knicks beat that the
LOS ANGELES — The Clippers just got even better. Unexpectedly given early freedom after an abbreviated stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, Kenyon Martin signed Friday night with the Pacific-Division-leading Los Angeles Clippers. “Kenyon is the ultimate competitor and a key acquisition,” stated Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey. “We expect that he will provide additional experience, passion and professionalism, as well as some important depth to our front court.” Martin, 34, has played in 654 career NBA games with the New
NEW YORK – If you’re a fan of the New York Knicks, there are only so many times that a moral victory will suffice. Coming into the 2011-2012 season, with a true center in Tyson Chandler and a dynamic frontcourt duo featuring two of the NBA’s most prolific scorers, the Knicks were supposed to be battling with the likes of the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. But after last night 105-102 loss to the
Somebody in China didn’t handle the paperwork properly, and that means Kenyon Martin will be back in the NBA as soon as next week. Perish the thought of what happens to the poor fellow in China who botched the job. The top teams vying for his services include the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The first overall pick of the 2000 draft, the 11-year veteran spent the past seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
BEIJING _ That is the video from the Beijing Ducks’ third consecutive loss after their 13-0 start to the season, a game in which Wilson Chandler scored 44 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. (Shoutout to NiuBBall.com for the footage). At one point in the game, Stephon Marbury told his coach he would defend Chandler. Marbury, 34, is 10 years older, 6 inches shorter, and 15 pounds lighter. “Nobody asked me, but I have to do that. Because at the time my teammates were
BEIJING — Who is the best foreign player in the CBA? Before the season started, we talked about this topic. At least for now, we’ve got the answer: Stephon Marbury, whether on or off the court. His stats are not as dazzling as those of J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler, but the Beijing Ducks, Marbury’s team, are still unbeaten after their first 10 games. Opening 10-0 is a record for this club. Without any doubt, Marbury is the best player and the leader