NBA Players Who Found Success In China – Here’s Why They Decided To Play Overseas
NBA players and the Chinese Basketball Association have a love-hate relationship. It's a league where the greats go when their skills decline, its somewhere young players go to develop before they enter the NBA, and it can be a good way to earn money. It's easy to guess why a player ends up there if you're following their career. Some of the best to ever lace up in America eventually land in China to play the game they love. Are you familiar with these players who've made that transition?
Jimmer The College Star
Jimmer Fredette was unstoppable in 2011 while attending BYU. He broke 11 BYU records while he was there, including most 40-point games and most three-point shots made. But once he entered the NBA, Fredette couldn't duplicate that same success.
From 2011 to 2016, the sharp-shooter bounced around a couple of teams ranging from the Sacramento Kings to the New York Knicks. Come 2016, Fredette found himself playing for the Shanghai Sharks. He played incredibly overseas so the Phoenix Suns decided to sign him on March 22, 2019, bringing him back to America.
"The Panda's Friend"
Before he became Metta World Peace, he was Ron Artest. One of the best defensive stoppers the NBA had seen during his time and an all-time hustler on the court. Many remember his fateful incident when he and a few other players fought with fans during what is now labeled Malice at the Palace.
In 2014, World Peace signed a one-year deal with the Sichuan Blue Whales for $1.4 million. At the time, that made him one of the wealthiest players in the Chinese league. While in China, he played under the name The Panda's Friend and even had it on his jersey.
Pyscho T In China
Tyler Hansbrough was a well-accomplished college hoops player. His skill didn't translate too well over to the NBA, but he kept up consistent production worthy enough of bench roles and sometimes starting jobs.
After winning the college national championship, his numbers in the league weren't bad, just not what folks expected. In 2017, Hansbrough took his talents to the Guangzhou Long-Lions. Psycho T nearly doubled his stats in China and hasn't looked back since. There's no more wondering where the former North Carolina star is.
Birdman Chris Andersen!
Say hello to the "Birdman" Chris Andersen. He was a player who left it all on the court. Much like Brandon Jennings, Andersen started his career in China before going to the NBA. Birdman left junior college for the NBA but didn't sign up for the draft.
After playing an exhibition game in China, coaches from the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons saw something they liked and offered him a spot. After a short four months, Andersen built enough reputation to play in the big leagues in America.
One Of Argentina's Finest
Hailing from Argentina, Luis Scola was a pretty good NBA player. He was a key piece of a Houston Rocket team that won 22 straight games back in 2008. But as father time started winning the battle, Scola found himself bouncing from team to team.
A former teammate of Yao Ming, once Scola's ten-year NBA career came to a close, he went over to China and signed with the same team Ming played for, the Shanghai Sharks.
Jennings Goes Back For More
After choosing to skip college once he finished his high school career at Great Oak, Brandon Jennings decided to play overseas in Italy for a year. He figured getting paid for a year was better than not getting paid and earning an education for only a year.
Once Jennings entered the NBA in 2009, he was a stellar player his first few seasons, but eventually started to fall off as he bounced around a few teams. In 2017, Jennings signed a one-year deal with the Shanxi Brave Dragons. He only played 13 games before he got released.
The Big Man Heads To China
Drafted number one overall by the Portland Trailblazers back in 2007, Greg Oden was someone with tons of earning potential. As the years passed by, Oden's knees weakened. He began to miss games and hop around teams attempting to find a stable home.
Eventually, Oden couldn't play in the NBA anymore and headed over to the Jiangsu Dragons. While in China, he played fairly well and stayed relatively healthy for the most part. His career out east only lasted as long as his one-year contract.
Steve Used To Be The Franchise
Steve Francis grew up selling contraband and quickly went down the wrong road before basketball came into his life. He ended up becoming a star at the University of Maryland before getting drafted second overall in 1999. Francis eventually became "Stevie Franchise" while playing for the Houston Rockets because that's how good and dynamic he was.
As he grew older, his performance in the NBA started to fade away. In 2010, Francis decided it was time to leave the league and head to the CBA. Sadly, Francis only played in four games for the Beijing Ducks before he was out of there.
Agent Zero Takes Over China
For anyone familiar with Gilbert Arenas, you know how great a point guard he was in the NBA. He could score any kind of way and was always a problem for defenders. Then, one year he pulled a questionable move by bringing firearms to the locker room before a game. That move ultimately played a role in his early retirement from the NBA.
Two years removed from being indefinitely suspended thanks to the locker room incident, Agent Zero left for China and signed with the Shanghai Sharks. It only took one season there for him to call it quits.
Beasley The Troubled
Michael Beasley had as much promise as anyone on this list. He was one of the best college players while at Kansas. The Miami Heat selected him two overall hoping a pairing on Dwayne Wade and Beasley would be fruitful, but Beasley couldn't get into NBA form. It seemed to be a mixture of personal issues and injuries.
After years of bouncing around teams and not providing much value, the Clippers released him in 2019, allowing the Guangdong Southern Tigers to sign him. Beasley's chances of coming back to the NBA look very slim now.
Jared Sullinger Sizzles Out
Here's another prolific college athlete who couldn't quite figure it out at the professional level. While he didn't play entirely badly for the Boston Celtics, he just couldn't give them what they needed all the time thanks to injuries.
It only took five seasons before Jared Sullinger dropped out of the NBA and headed to China. Thankfully, Sullinger looks like his old self in the CBA. His first year he would lead the CBA in rebounds, averaging 16.6 per game.
West Went East
Knowing Delonte West's history means you know about the alleged affair he had with LeBron James' mother. What isn't alleged is how fast West fell from grace. He arrived at the NBA with some of the highest expectations and played honorably for a few years alongside James.
After his play in the NBA dropped, he went down the D-League for a while. Once he finished there, West went east to sign with the Fujian Xunxing.
Starbury Takes Over China
After an up and down NBA career, Stephon Marbury decided to take a break in 2009. In January 2010, Marbury announced he signed with the Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons for the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
He played his first game while battling jet lag and put up 15 points, four rebounds, and eight assists in only 28 minutes. Marbury averaged 22.9 points and 9.5 assists per game that season, but the team couldn't reach the playoffs. In July of that same year, he signed a three-year deal to remain on the Brave Dragons. Marbury's won three CBA titles since joining the league.
Lawson Composed Himself In China
What can we say about Ty Lawson that can perfectly summarize his latent potential? For starters, he was a key component on his college team that won the national championship in 2009. Due to injuries, he would slip in the NBA draft.
While playing for the Denver Nuggets, Lawson was a well-established player on that team from 2009-15. Then, once he landed on the Rockets, he started to lose his grip on the NBA. Two years later, Lawson signed a deal with the Shandong Golden Stars.
Big Man Brandon Bass
During his 12-year NBA career, Brandon Bass was pretty darn good. Often times he came off the bench, but he was someone a coach could depend on to do his job, which was to grab rebounds and be a force in the post.
Bass is a player who went to China not because he was washed up or needed to revitalize his career. Bass went because there was nothing left he could do in the NBA that was up to his standards. That's why he signed with the Liaoning Leopards after the 2016-17 NBA season.
The Next Kobe Bryant?
Coming out of Providence College, many thought MarShon Brooks was going to be the next Kobe Bryant for the Brooklyn Nets. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, and a nice way to set someone up for early failure. We're not saying the comparisons are to blame for his fall from the NBA, but they probably played a part.
When Brooks played in the NBA, he wasn't even close to Bryant. He had his good nights but they came few and far between. One ticket to China can fix all of that.
Mo Speights
There aren't many who are NCAA champions and NBA champions, but Marreese Speights has both categories checked off. Since he entered the NBA in 2008, Speights did an excellent job at being a reliable force off the bench. He was an essential journeyman that teams would sign whenever he became a free agent.
Once the 2018 season concluded, it looked as if Speights would return but elected to play for the Guangzhou Long-Lions instead. Let's see if he can complete the championship hat trick.
Adding Some Curry To It
Say hello to Eddy Curry. Possibly one of the biggest busts to ever enter the NBA, Curry was far from what people expected. As the fourth overall pick in 2001, everyone expected him to play like a fourth pick, but instead, he ate until he became overweight at one point.
Luckily, Curry played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2012 and received a ring for their championship run. After that, he left America for China to sign with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.
T-Mac Loves China
If it weren't for a string of bad luck in injuries, Tracy McGrady could have very easily been a top ten player of all-time in the NBA. Post-retirement, getting selected to the Hall of Fame isn't such a bad consolation prize. The scoring champion played his best basketball as a member of the Orlando Magic between 2000-04.
Once his injuries started to take a toll on his body, Mcgrady started bouncing around teams. He would eventually land in China, inking a deal with the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles.
The Boozer Way
Carlos Boozer used to be one of the better power forwards in the NBA. While he played for the Jazz between 2004-10, he was constantly the piece that would help them get into the playoffs. After his time with the Jazz, he had a fairly productive stint with the Bulls. But then, his career started to tumble.
In 2016, Boozer signed a one-year deal with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. A year and some months later, he announced his retirement from the CBA.
Bonzi Wells Went From Portland To China
In the 1990s, Bonzi Wells was one of the first new era players for teh Portland Trailblazers franchise. After getting in trouble one too many times for his antics, however, the team shipped him to Memphis.
After a respectable career there, Wells signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in 2009. He instantly became a fan favorite. Unfortunately, he had a slow return to the court after the Chinese New Year and found himself once again out of favor with his team and was released.
Terrence Jones Has Played All Over The World
Terrence Jones was the apple of Houston's eye after won the 2012 National NCAA Championship. The Rockets took him with the 18th pick in the draft and expected he would contribute right away.
After a mediocre and disappointing run, Jones found his way to China, playing for the Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles. His tenure didn't last very long after he got into a verbal altercation with his coach. Soon after he was sent packing, and returned to the United States.
Von Wafer Crumbled Under Pressure
Von Wafer was nicknamed "The Dutch Cookie," although we're not sure why. We do know that after 200 games in the NBA, his career crumbled. He averaged just 5.3 points per game and 1.2 rebounds.
When he found himself without a team, he did what so many before have done and took his talents to China. For one year he played for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. After that season, he came home and played in the NBA's G-League.
Jordan Crawford Has Bounced Around
Jordan Crawfod is notable for one thing. While still a sophomore in college, he was at one of LeBron James' basketball camps when he dunked on the icon. The video made its way to YouTube before Nike could do anything, and Crawford became a hot name in the scouting world.
For Crawford, his posterization of James would be his only big moment. Once he entered the NBA, he found instability, and eventually fled to China to play with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.
Sheldon Williams Helped The Gold Lions Climb The Mountain
Sheldon Williams was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. In a matter of years, they would come to regret their decision. IN his NBA career, Williams managed a meager 4.5 points per game and 4.3 rebounds.
With no home in the NBA left with open doors, Williams signed with the Tianjin Gold Lions. In 2013, as one of their franchise players, the Gold Lions reached the playoffs for the first time in team history.
Stromile Swift Dunked His Way To China
Stromile Swift was a slam dunk addict who was selected second overall pick in the 2000 draft. At the time he was praised as a generational athlete and can't miss talent. And then he missed, and ended up overseas.
In 2010, Swift left the NBA for the CBA and signed with the Shandong Lions. He played there for two years and earned one all-star selection. In this case, playing in China turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.
Memphis Missed The Mark On Hakim Warrick
The Memphis Grizzlies used to have a thing for players would could slam dunk. That's what led them to draft Hakim Warrick in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft. The only problem was they didn't realize Warrick couldn't do anything else.
When his NBA career final fizzled in 2013, Warrick still had the passion to play and went to China. He signed with the Liaoning Flying Leopards, where he spent one season before finally calling it a career.
JJ Hickson Never Found His Stride
JJ Hickson played one year of college ball before making the jump to the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him in 2008. He played there for three seasons, although he never found his footing in the league.
After jumping around the league as a bench piece, Hickson flew overseas in 2016. He signed with the Fujian Sturgeons before joining the Nanjiang Monkey Kings one year later. Today, he is still hopping around basketball leagues around the globe looking for his perfect fit.
Randolph Morris Won It All
One of the best players the CBA has ever seen was someone who completely washed out in the NBA. His name was Randolph Morris and he played a total of 74 games in the NBA before before signing with the Beijing Ducks.
In China, Morris reinvented himself entirely. He was named to two all-star teams and won three CBA Championships. Sadly, the NBA never came calling for his return to the states and he ended his career with Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut.
Dorell Wright Skipped College
There used to be a time in the NBA when players could skip college and go straight to the NBA. Dorell Wright chose that path, and it ultimately paid off. For ten years he was major player on several teams. He won a ring and started 82 games for the Warriors.
After that decade was over, Wright took his talents to China. He signed with the Beikong Fly Dragons. His stay there only lasted one season, and he came back to the United States to play for Miami.
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