BEIJING — J.R.Smith nearly got involved in a fight with some fans at a road game in China after his sister, a spectator, tossed a bottle onto the court to protest a hard foul. With 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Smith was blocked by Bayi’s center Xu Zhonghao, and fell against an advertisement board. No foul was called.Sitting in the crowd of fans, Smith’s sister and girlfriend were irritated because it appeared dangerous. To show her anger, Smith’s sister threw
BEIJING — When the NBA’s nuclear winter ended, Wilson Chandler was sitting in his bed, playing video games by himself. He opened his Twitter account and saw someone tweeting “the lockout ended!” But he didn’t believe it at first, “because there were rumors every day about it, I thought it just another one.” A phone call from his agent Chris Luchey came in later, Luchey told Chandler, “This time it’s true, the lockout ended. The NBA season will begin on Christmas day.” Chandler
From FIBA-Europe
BEIJING — Who is the brightest star after the first week of play in the Chinese Basketball Association? Of course it is Wilson Chandler, who had 43 points and 22 rebounds in his first game. But the one who attracted the most attention was J.R. Smith. You may have known that, because the news and video of Smith’s injury traveled fast. Smith left the court with his teammates’ help. The next day, he went to Beijing alone for physical examination without the permission
Jon Pastuszek reported on Twitter than Smith was carried by teammates to an ambulance. For more on this developing story, check out Jon’s Chinese basketball Website www.niubball.com.
BEIJING — As one CBA (collective bargaining agreement) goes down, another CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) is just getting ready to fire up. The Chinese season is scheduled to begin Nov. 19. The CBA is a little-known league for American readers, so I will provide you with a preseason power ranking. The defending champs, as always, are accorded the deserved honor of starting the new season atop any power rankings, apart from their new addition of Yi Jianlian. 1. Guangdong Southern Tigers Including Yi, the
BEIJING — Who is the greatest American player in CBA history? You can’t find an answer that pleases everyone. Some may tell you Stephon Marbury is the best. He is a two-time NBA all-star, was selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice, and praised himself as the best point guard on the planet. Others would say J.R. Smith is a better player for now because he is much younger than Starbury, and he is a scoring machine who already put up a triple-double (33 points,
BEIJING — Two years ago, when J.R. Smith and the Denver Nuggets came to Beijing to participate in the NBA China Games, he did not know he would spend part of his career in this ancient and mysterious country. But now, in October 2011, he has come to China and become a member of the Zhejiang Chouzhou team. “The lockout upsets me, basketball is my job, my love and my life. The lockout robbed it all. But because of the lockout, I can come