Global Citizen

Having started his pro career in China, Congolese-American hoop star Emmanuel Mudiay has already shown he has the talent and courage that legendary careers are made of.

by Karan Madhok. Photos by Yin Di.

This feature was originally published in the March 2015 edition of SLAM Magazine (SLAM No. 185). You can also find it on SLAMOnline.com.

It’s 2014, and 18-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay is learning about a new city. As he tries to familiarize himself with Guangdong in Southern China, he dabbles in learning a little bit of Mandarin, embracing the new culture, dealing with the bumps and grinds on the basketball court and the attention a blossoming star gets off of it.

It’s 1999, and 3-year-old Mudiay has picked up a basketball for the first time in his life. He knows what the round object is, but beyond feeling the texture of the ball, he doesn’t think much of it. In Kinshasa, the capital of Congo and Mudiay’s birthplace, there are more pressing matters to consider, like the Second Congo War, which turns into the deadliest conflict on Earth since World War II.

It’s 2002, and Mudiay has a basketball in his hands again. He’s 6 years old and playing in his first organized game. The texture of the ball may not have changed as much, but everything else in his life has. Mudiay’s family has left the violence and the hunger of central Africa behind them. He’s in Dallas, TX, settling into a new country, a new culture.

We’re back in 2014, and that bouncy ball has changed his life. Mudiay has just wrapped up his stellar high school years as a consensus All-American, and convinced scouts that he is set to become one of the NBA’s top Draft picks. He seems to be destined to take the popular one-and-done route through college. He has even committed to the SMU Mustangs. Only, he decides to break from tradition, refuses to let NBA rules determine his chosen path, forgoes college and goes pro.

In November of 2014, Emmanuel Mudiay plays his first official professional game of basketball, representing the Chinese Basketball Association’s (CBA) Guangdong Southern Tigers. A few months before the start of the CBA season, Under Armour inks him to a lucrative, multi-year contract that will span his time in China and a (hopefully successful) early NBA career, reaffirming the faith of many in the young guard’s potential.

Before an ankle injury sidelines him just 10 days into the season, Mudiay shows glimpses of dominance for a team with championship aspirations.

Mudiay’s China adventure took a twist toward uncertainty after his injury. At the time of writing, Guangdong had replaced Mudiay in its lineup with former Detroit Piston Will Bynum, and there was no official confirmation from the team that Mudiay would take the floor again before the CBA season concludes. That said, we spoke to a source in the US who is close to Mudiay’s camp who assured us that Emmanuel has every intention of getting healthy and finishing his season in Guangdong, and that the Southern Tigers are (smartly) happy to have him.

Regardless of any uncertainty around Mudiay’s future, it’s guaranteed to be as interesting, if not more so, than his past.

You’ll hear from him a lot more in the coming months, whether he is helping Guangdong make a push for the CBA championship or impressing scouts at pre-Draft workouts in preparation for the NBA.

From Congo to Dallas to China, Mudiay has already charted a course that has taken him further at 18 years than most people get to go in their lifetime. But for the young phenom, this is just the beginning; With an ambitious, long-term plan for his future, Mudiay wants to leave no doubt that his tomorrow will be better than his yesterday.

In China, I speak to Mudiay about the journey and struggles of yesterday, the juncture at which he stands today, and his ever-so-bright tomorrow.

“It’s a blessing,” he says, “It makes me happy, but at the same time, I’m not satisfied. I’m still working as if I’m struggling. That’s my mindset and I’ll work like that ’til the last game I play in my career. I don’t wanna see nobody in my family, my kids, my grandkids, struggling for money. I know I’m still young, but I think that far ahead.”

***

Mudiay was just an infant in Kinshasha, capital of the country formerly known as Zaire, when he lost his father. After the First Congo War, Zaire became the Democratic Republic of Congo. Peace didn’t last much longer: By 1998 the large-scale Second Congo War displaced and destroyed the lives of millions in Congo and nearby nations, mostly from disease and starvation.

“I don’t remember much of that time,” Mudiay says. “I just remember that my mom and my brothers had to all take care of each other.”

In 2001 - when Emmanuel was 5 years old - his family was granted asylum to the USA and found a home in Dallas. The adjustment to a new culture was much easier for him as the youngest member of the family. “For me, it was OK,” he recalls, “but for my older and middle brother it was a little bit different. They were older. But eventually, we all settled.”

The rest has been pretty well-documented history. Mudiay grew into a 6-5 point guard, blessed with the explosiveness, strength, open-court athleticism to match the world’s best and the size to overpower many others who play his position. He excelled at Arlington (TX) Grace Preparatory and then Prime Prep (of Deion Sanders’ fame/infamy) in Dallas, capping off his high-school career with invites to the Jordan Brand Classic and the McDonald’s All-American Game, as well as a commitment to nearby SMU, where he could have had a chance a play for legendary head coach Larry Brown.

But instead of heading to SMU, Mudiay took the road less traveled to play professionally overseas to fill in the year between high school and the NBA. He chose China over college, a decision that came with its share of doubts and questions in the basketball world.

“I didn’t wanna see my mom and my family struggling no more,” Mudiay says. “They’re my motivation. My family is good now, but I’m thinking about their kids, my kids…I never wanna see them struggle.

“My goal is to be in the NBA, but right now, I’m just trying to get better and learn as much as I can to get to the next level. People are gonna talk, and whether it’s good or bad, I only care about my team and let God decide the rest.”

Mudiay’s decision has rubbed some critics the wrong way, as they fear his decision might boost the tide of young players choosing big money in leagues like China instead of a shot at college. Even Coach Brown—who still maintains a strong relationship with Mudiay—told a few publications back home that, although he was excited for the young Emmanuel’s future, he wasn’t too high on the precedent that it might set for others.

When I shared Brown’s comments with Mudiay, his response displayed a maturity far beyond his years. “He’s right,” Mudiay says. “I got a lot of respect for Coach Brown. I know he’s proud of me and what I’m doing. But this decision is not for everybody. The opportunity was there for me so I took it. Some people might wanna do it, some might not. It’s different for everyone.

“I’m here with my family and that’s helping me a lot. Your circle has to be strong. For the long run this was the better choice for me. [Coach Brown] is probably right: This is not for everybody. But for me it was the best thing. If more players do it, I hope that they’ll be mentally ready and have the right people around them.”

Before his ankle sprain in late November, Mudiay’s early performances in China displayed glimpses of the potential that has made so many scouts rank him as one of the top picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. By his third professional game, he had notched a triple-double. In Guangdong’s win over Qingdao, Mudiay had 29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. Through the 10 games he played in before the ankle injury and before we went to press, Mudiay was averaging close to 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game in China.

But CBA stats should be taken with a pinch of wei jing. This is a league where, a month into the new season, undrafted American Errick McCollum was averaging over 40 points per game. Former Brooklyn schoolboy hero and short-time Sacramento King Quincy Douby channeled his inner Wilt Chamberlain a couple seasons ago by dropping 75 points in a game, a CBA scoring record.

In most cases, the foreign or “import” players in the CBA (usually, each team is allowed only two) are handed the responsibilities of dominating every aspect of the team’s play on the court and the stat sheets. But Mudiay’s Guangdong has long been an exception to the rule. The Southern Tigers usually have a much more democratic approach, where each player—even the most talented imports, such as Mudiay—have had to play as a part of the system instead of becoming the system itself. Currently, Guangdong features seven players from the Chinese national team, including four-time CBA MVP and former NBA Lottery pick Yi Jianlian.

“Most teams want [the import players] to just score,” says Mudiay of his time with Guangdong. “But here, they want us to be part of the team, not just focus on scoring. We have a game-plan to follow, of course, but Coach [Du Feng] lets me play my game, whether that’s finding teammates or scoring myself. Whatever the ‘D’ shows me, that’s how I play. Being a point guard, you have to be a leader from Day One. I’m an 18-year-old, directing 30-year-old men on court.”

***

It’s the end of 2014 and as he tries to capitalize on the present moment, Emmanuel Mudiay—still a few months shy of his 19th birthday—is keeping a watchful eye on the future.

I ask Mudiay if he has already charted a vision for the rest of his career. He leaves no doubt that there is already a highly detailed blueprint. “Oh yeah, I know what I want by the time I’m 40 years old. I won’t be satisfied until I’m in the Hall of Fame. I won’t be satisfied until I’m that successful. Everybody says that they want to be the best, but when I say it, believe me, I really mean it,” Mudiay emphasizes.

“I love new challenges—I’m going through one right now. So anything that comes by way, I’ll be ready. No doubt, my goal is to be the No. 1 pick. It takes a lot of hard work, but I’m putting in that work and I’m keeping my faith. Honestly, it’s all faith. I’m a very spiritual person. Everything I do—sports, school—I just have to credit God before any decision. It’s been a blessed journey and it’s far from over. I’m only 18, but the best is yet to come. I’ll keep working.”

Guangdong sweep Shandong to win 8th Chinese Basketball Association Championship

The Chinese Basketball league is now 18 years old, just entering its state in adulthood. And in its 18th season, the league took another big jump into respectability, featuring a better-than-ever mix of new superstar players and well-coached teams. But by the time the dust settled and the CBA Finals came to an end, the glory belonged to one of the league’s traditional powerhouses again. The Guangdong Southern Tigers, in their 11th consecutive trip to the CBA Finals (!), won the title in a dominating 4-0 sweep over the Shandong Lions. This victory gave Guangdong their eighth CBA Championship, tying them with the Bayi Rockets for most championships won in China.

After a surprise loss to the Beijing Ducks in the Finals last year, Guangdong made sure that there will be no upsets this time around. Guangdong beat Shandong by an average of 13 points per game in the four-game sweep. Yi Jianlian of the Southern Tigers – who was named the domestic MVP of the league – also won the Finals MVP award, averaging 20 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in the Finals. In the clinching game at home in Guangdong, Yi had 24 and 13 to lead five players in double figures to win the game 94-74 and lift the trophy.

The result was never in doubt. Guangdong have been the most consistently dominant team in China for over a decade, and after a surprise loss to Beijing in the Finals last year, bounced back this season on a mission for redemption. Guangdong went 28-4 through the course of the season, finishing at top place in the league. Guangdong have the advantage of featuring the top Chinese players, many of whom comprise the backbone of China’s national team. Returning from an unsuccessful NBA stint, Yi Jianlian was back to becoming the poster-boy of the league and the best player for Guangdong. The team also featured Wang Shipeng and Zhu Fangyu. Unlike many other teams in China, Guangdong made better use of the foreigners in their squad, who weren’t asked to dominate but asked to become a part of the system. In the playoffs, Ike Diogu and Donald Sloan became an important part of their rotation, while Terrence Williams was cut at the end of the season and joined the Boston Celtics.

Guangdong continued their dominant run into the post-season, going undefeated throughout to win a championship, defeating Zhejiang and Xinjiang 3-0 and 3-0 in the first and second rounds respectively before the Finals sweep over Shandong.

It was the end of a fairytale season for Shandong. The Lions ended last season as one of the worst teams in the league, but the addition of Jordanian Zaid Abbas to the core of American players Jackson Vroman and Pooh Jeter helped this team finish in second place in the season and pull an surprising 3-0 victory over the defending champions Beijing in the semi-finals of the playoffs.

Guangdong’s victory once again highlights the disparity of talent and coaching in the league. Out of the 18 CBA seasons, two teams – Bayi and Guangdong – have won 16 of the titles. Bayi dominated the league in its early days, but ever since other teams began to pay big money to talented foreign players, Bayi – the Army team who doesn’t allow foreigners – slowed down. And ever since, the championship has mostly belonged to Guangdong. The only other teams in China to lift the titles have been the Shanghai Sharks with Yao Ming back in 2002, and the Beijing Ducks led by Stephon Marbury last year.

This season, which began with the hype of former NBA All Stars like Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas joining the league, finally belonged to a Chinese player, Yi Jianlian. Yi, who got his start in Guangdong, tried his luck in the NBA, and then returned to Guangdong and to glory again. The scary thing about Guangdong’s dominance is that the team and the system seem to have gotten stronger as the season progressed, and there is no reason why they wouldn’t be at the top of the hill once again this time next year. Even a potential loss of Yi to the NBA (if he gets a chance to return) may not stand in their way.

Chinese Basketball Association: Regular Season Round-Up & a Preview of the Playoffs

This article was first published on February 19, 2012 on Court Side.

China’s Basketball Calendar roughly parallels their zodiac calendar. By the first week of February, the Year of the Dragon concluded in China, and the Chinese New Year also coincided closely with the end of the regular season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Now begins the Year of the Snake, and the CBA playoffs will begin about two weeks into the New Year. It’s a time for fresh beginnings and new starts. Once the haze of the festival celebratory fireworks clears, the picture ahead will get clearer.

The professional league in China has taken major strides forward each year since its inception just 18 years ago. This year, a slew of more stars including Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, and the returning Yi Jianlian joined the league that already featured big names like Stephon Marbury and several big name Chinese superstars. It made for an exciting few months of basketball. The questions now begin as we look ahead: Who has the best chance of moving forward to capture the CBA championship? Who will be the big surprises and the big disappointments? Which team can leave the Dragon behind and welcome the Snake with fireworks on court?

Eight of the 17 total teams in the league have qualified for the post-season, which is set to begin on February 27th. The eight qualified teams play the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-five challenge, before moving to best-of-seven in the semi-finals and Finals, which will conclude around the end of March.

The teams who have qualified for the playoffs are: Guangdong, Shandong, Beijing, Xinjiang, Liaoning, Guangsha, Dongguan, and Zhejiang.

Last year’s finalists, winners of seven CBA championships, and by far the strongest team this season, the Guangdong Southern Tigers are looking in top form to return to the Finals for the 11th straight year! Guangdong have become China’s marquee team, featuring many of the best players from China’s national squad and boasting of the league’s best record over the past decade. Guangdong finished the 32-game 2012-13 season with just four losses, decimating nearly every team that came in their way. Guangdong feature China’s best player – Yi Jianlian – who returned to the CBA this season after an unsuccessful NBA stint to boost his already powerful side. They are perfectionists, replacing their successful coach mid-season to add an even more successful coach, and replacing their foreign import Terrence Williams at the end of the season to add Donald Sloan – formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers – to their roster.

Beijing Ducks – led by former NBA All Star Stephon Marbury – were the surprise winners of last year’s CBA title in their first-ever visit to the Finals. Despite a few minor hiccups, Beijing continued to be amongst the league’s elite this season behind the efforts of Marbury (who was amongst the league’s leaders in points and assists), Randolph Morris, Li Gen, and Zhe Ji. Like last year, Marbury has gotten his teammates involved more in the regular season before taking over in the playoffs. Will Guangdong – or any other opponent – find a way to stop him this time around? The Ducks face Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in the first round.

Finishing in the bottom four last season, CBA’s best ‘Asian import on hire’ Zaid Abbas (from Jordan) joined the Shandong Lions this season and helped completely change the fortunes for his new side, assisting other solid foreign imports Pooh Jeter and Jackson Vroman to help take this underdog side to second place in the league. But question marks remain if this team now has the mettle to carry on their hot streak into the playoffs. Their first round opponent are the Dongguan Leopards.

Those with an outside bet to challenge for the title could be the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of China’s cold far West, featuring veteran Mengkte Bateer and talented imports James Singleton and Von Vafer. Xinjiang will first have to deal with fifth place Liaoning Dinosaurs in the first round.

The first round could see an intriguing 1 vs. 8 matchup between Guangdong and the eighth-seeded Zhejiang Golden Bulls. While Zhejiang only barely managed to scrape into the postseason ahead of Shanxi and Bayi, they feature one of the league’s most entertaining scorers in Quincy Douby as well as forgotten former NBA big man Eddy Curry.

Outside the playoff picture, one of the revelations in the CBA this season was Shavlik Randolph of the Foshan Long Lions. Randolph was the CBA’s leading scorer (32.7 ppg) and finished the season third in rebounds (14.4 rpg). He missed the playoffs, but his performance could make him in high-demand in the CBA (or the NBA?) for the future.

Also missing the playoffs were two high-profile former NBA All Stars, both of whom who saw their teams finish in the bottom four: Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas. McGrady had a decent individual season for the Qingdao Eagles, but his efforts weren’t enough otherwise to save his poor team from a last place finish in the league. Gilbert Arenas showed glimpses of form for the Shanghai Sharks, but he missed more than half the season to injury and his squad suffered in the constant flux, finishing at 14th place.

But the ones left behind are the past; they’re the ones slain by the Dragon and unable to compete with the Snake. Now we look ahead: Will Guangdong get back to the top of Chinese Basketball? Will the Ducks bring the title back to China’s capital? Or will the New Year bring a new champion?

CBA Webchat: T-Mac, A Retooled Guangdong Offence and Jianbings

A few days ago, I took part in a web-chat with two of the best English-language basketball writers in China - Andrew Crawford, the writer Shark Fin Hoops, and Jon Pastuzek, the man behind NiuBball. This was the first time that I have participated in a webchat with them, and as a relative newcomer to Chinese hoops, it served as an important introductory conversation. The chat was first published on Shark Fin Hoops.

The Chinese basketball season is about a month away from starting and in anticipation of this, cash has been flashed and some well-known NBA players will be plying their trade in China this season.

Andrew Crawford: Karan, as its your first time talking CBA hoops with us, why don’t you give people an idea of who you are and your writing background?

Karan Madhok: Well, I’m a basketball writer from India and have worked with the Basketball Federation of India, NBA.com/India, and SLAM Magazine. I keep a blog about basketball in India called ‘Hoopistani‘. I moved to China just over 3 months ago so I’m still new to the CBA and Chinese hoops.

AC: Great stuff. Do you think you’ll chose a team to follow this year or are you going to stay neutral the whole time!

KM: Oh, I’m definitely choosing the Beijing Ducks for 2 obvious reasons. 1) I live in Beijing and I’m already a fan of the city and 2) Call me crazy, but I’ve been on the Stephon Marbury bandwagon for over a decade now, following his career through its ups and downs, vaseline eating and championships. Oh and 3) The Ducks and have the coolest name in the CBA!

AC: That they do. Well, you’ve picked a fine time to arrive in the capital- I was hoping to get you on the Sharks bandwagon but alas. Since you brought up Stephon Marbury, lets neatly segway into another NBA player whose been around for a while- Tracey McGrady has signed with the Qingdao Eagles. Guys, do you think T-Mac can still do it or is this more about both sides making money off this?

KM: Well, this is definitely about the money first and foremost. Qingdao benefits, McGrady benefits, everyone’s happy. But for McGrady, I think there is still some (very) faint hope that this stint will give a him a chance in the NBA again once the CBA season ends. I don’t expect him to be a Marbury-type loyalist to basketball in China – at least not yet, anyways. Whether or not he gets a shot with the NBA again (and I’m not sure he will), McGrady will be using Qingdao for the stats and the money, and Qingdao will use McGrady for the money and the fans.

Still though, this is a logical next move for him. McGrady has definitely been very popular in China since the Yao days, and a star like him will no doubt bring some more excitement to the CBA.

Jon Pastuszek: Obviously, money plays a big factor when these big name NBA guys sign in China. But, whereas last year there were some players making well into the seven figures, T-Mac’s contract this season is reportedly quite reasonable by CBA standards. This is more of a long-term thing for him. McGrady, a la Stephon Marbury, will aim at building his brand inside the Chinese market. He’s already hugely popular among fans and the belief is that if he can stick around and build Qingdao into a winner, he’ll become an even bigger name out here.

About his play, there’s a few questions: Can his body hold up to 30+ minutes a night? Is he explosive enough to get to the basket consistently? How is he going to handle the pressure of having to score 25 to 30 points a night?

With his height and versatility, he will find ways to effect the game beyond scoring the ball, but in the CBA, imports are expected to put the ball in the hoop… and with seven Chinese players leaving the team this off-season, including Li Gen, he won’t have much help around him to alleviate that pressure.

AC: Absolutely- the Li Gen point is crucial in my books. I know last season, Qingdao were happy to let Lester Hudson call the shots but they always had a solid Plan B in Li. Cai Liang was also a decent player for them too and he’s gone as well so it really is all about the star player this season.

After the K-Mart/Patty Mills/ Wilson Chandler drama last season, how do you think T-Mac will handle his debut year in China. Qingdao is obviously a very nice city but it certainly isn’t Orlando or Houston!

JP: While not Orlando or Houston, or even Beijing or Shanghai, Qingdao is actually a very pleasant city by the coast and one I think McGrady could get used to. He’s been to China several times before and he says he is aware of all of the issues he’ll have to face, so I don’t think living here will be an earth-shattering adjustment for him. Unless his body chooses not to cooperate and his play suffers as a result, I think he will adapt just fine.

KM: I have never been to Qingdao, so it won’t be fair for me to comment on how McGrady can fit in. But I believe that if guys like JR Smith and Kenyon Martin can go to the hinterlands of China, then McGrady will be okay, too. In the end, if the money is good, he’ll be good. Plus, he’ll enjoy the type of popularity here that he has never experienced in his career. That will be worth it all.

AC: Just behind T-Mac in terms of the wow factor is probably Yi Jianlian coming back to China and playing for his home team, the Guangdong Tigers. The fact that the Tigers now have an already strong local roster that is now reinforced by getting a Chinese NBA caliber player as well as still having room to add two overseas imports has to make the favorites going into the start of the season?

KM: From what I’ve been able to gather in my short time here, it seems that Guangdong are primed to be the favourites again. The NBA imports may get all the hype but it will be the familiarity of Yi coming back to his old system that will really propel this team.

JP: I’ve almost always been a subscriber to the belief that the reigning champions come into the season as the favorites. And with a Beijing team that made a big addition themselves with Li Gen, I still think they’re the favorites.

But, Yi is obviously a massive signing for them. Not only is he an NBA-caliber seven footer, he’s one who has no playing time restrictions because he’ll be registered as a Chinese player. Yet, while he’ll be force this year, Guangdong didn’t play well in the time that he was with the team last year during the NBA lockout, and I think there will be an adjustment period as his team gets re-adjusted to playing alongside him. Having too much talent is one of those good problems, though, and I think Guangdong is certainly the odds-on-pick to get back to the Finals.

AC: The third and final ‘ big’ name we should talk about is Gilbert Arenas- again with Guangdong. That signing looks to be all but done and Agent Zero is on his way to Guangzhou. On paper, this is an excellent move- a scoring PG like this will be an asset on any team but he’s a little crazy to say the least!

KM: This is a high risk/high reward move of course: either Arenas just shoots them out of contention or he somehow manages to play with Yi and build a championship.

JP: Like T-Mac, the issue with Gil will be his body’s ability to deal with 30+ minutes a night. If he really is healthy. like some reports have suggested, and he has some of that explosiveness he had a few years ago, he’ll be a problem for opponents. I question if this is really what Guangdong needs right now, especially with Yi coming back. Historically, this is a team that thrives when they get “system foreigners,” like Smush Parker and Lester Hudson, ones who understand that the team doesn’t need their imports to dominate offensively. Last season, they had a similar import in Aaron Brooks, and while he played very well, he struggled to run good offense and get his teammates good looks in the Finals against Beijing. Critics of this argument will say that Arenas is bigger and stronger than Brooks and will be able to effect the game in more ways than just scoring, but I don’t believe its ever been within Arenas’ nature to be a distributor. There’s a lot of potential for Guangdong to be an explosive offense, but whether the pieces fit together is something that I’m not too sure on.

AC: Have there been any other moves that have caught your eye? I really like the Hudson move to Dongguan and the Elijah Milsapp signing by my Sharks is also a nice bit of business. Millsap’s got that unknown quality to him but everyone’s excited about him in the city and he’ll hopefully provide a ton of dynamism between the 2 and 3 spots.

JP: I’m with you on Hudson, he should be a great fit with the Leopards. But I’m surprised you didn’t mention D.J. White, who if healthy is going to have a huge season in Shanghai. I like what Xinjiang has done, burying the hatchet on James Singleton and whatever beefs were there from two years ago, and bringing Von Wafer to play alongside him. I think Wafer is going to shred the nets this season and Singleton, as always, will do all of the little things in between that has made him such a good player in this league over the last three years. And I’m totally buying the culture change in Foshan: New coach, three good imports and a complete Chinese roster overhaul. Maybe they’re not a playoff team, but they’ll be much improved.

AC: I think for me, White’s NBA resume implies he’ll be a strong signing so I’m more instinctively drawn to the ‘what could be’ of Milsapp rather than the ‘what we know’ about White. This could easily be a case of preseason optimism but he’s quick and can make shots from all over the court so I’m hoping he could be Shanghai’s own Marcus Williams but time will tell on that one. Viz Foshan- any sort of culture change within that organisation can only be for the better because they’ve been nothing but mediocre for several seasons.

Is there a team in the league who is desperately screaming out for a certain individual/kind of player to help them in the upcoming season?

JP: Jiangsu needs bigs like I need jianbings in the morning, which is why they signed one of the bigger centers on the market, Garret Siler, and I’m looking into buying a jianbing skillet to put in my house. OK maybe just walking three minutes outside my house will do, but you get the point. Siler will help, but he is not a 36 minute a night kind of guy and I don’t think their Chinese are good enough to play consistently well when he’s off the court. I like Siler if he’s in shape, but I think they still are lacking in that area. I think Pooh Jeter will be solid for Shandong, but with Sui Ran already there at point guard, I’m surprised they didn’t go with a ball-handling wing. Maybe they’re committed to developing Ding Yanyuhang this season.

AC: Jianbings for life! That said, I don’t think even those delicious turnips ones I get on the corner of Wuding Lu and my apartment over in SH are going to help out Jiangsu this season. They were truly, truly bad and even my love for Meng Da’s oddness and Nanjing as a city can obscure the reality that the Dragons bouncing back to anything respectable this season is going to be tough.

Alright gents- There’ll obviously be a preview before the the first round of games starts but with the CBA season now a month away from starting, how excited are you about Chinese basketball in 2012/13?

JP: think it’s going to be a great season. For once, there’s actually some parity in the league — not just at the top of the league, but also in the middle part of the standings. Overall, I think the quality of the league top to bottom is as good as its ever been. The CBA is getting better and better every year: The level of foreign players, Chinese players and coaching continue to be on the upward. And as we saw last year during the Finals, fan interest is at an all-time high. Excited to see how it all plays out this year.

KM: I’m really excited obviously since this will be my first time to witness the action first-hand in China. The CBA is becoming one of the most-hyped leagues in the world. Of course, there can be a lot of criticisms and drawbacks of the way certain things are done here, but coming from India, the CBA model is a good one to follow to see how a league should be built and developed. This season, Yi is back, McGrady and Arenas are on board, and I live in the city of the Ducks and Marbury. What’s not to love?

AC: Indeed. I’ll gladly second Jon’s point about the upcoming season. There is so much to get excited about. For me personally, its been a massively long offseason and the sooner I get my three nights of basketball the better. Now I’ve got a season under my belt from last year, there’s a whole range of teams I want to see the Sharks crush, players I want to see crossed up and fourth quarter shoot-outs I want us to sneak out off by a point. Can’t wait. Thanks for your time guys- we’ll have to do this again before the season starts in late November

Marbury’s Fall; Ma Bu Li’s Redemption

Earlier this week, Stephon Marbury, a talented player mostly remembered as a ‘failure’ in the NBA finally reached redemption in his topsy-turvy basketball career by finally winning his first championship at the age of 35… in China. Marbury fell, but finally, Ma Bu Li achieved redemption.

Click here to read full article.