"Besides Ma Jian, there are actually Chinese players playing in the summer league. Which team is he from? How did he get out? Someone has joined the NBA without permission. Why do I know about such a big thing now?" Huang Peng, chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, looked displeased.
Who is so bold that he dares not ask the Basketball Association to play abroad? There is an example like Ma Jian, why haven't you killed him as a warning?
Forward Ma Jian represented the Chinese men's basketball team in the 1990 World Championships and the 1992 Olympics, shining in the international arena. With the spread of the NBA in China, the 23-year-old after the Olympics wanted to break through and go to the United States to experience and fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA.
.The Basketball Association did not agree, on the grounds that it would be difficult to manage him once he was out.
In the end, Ma Jian chose to pursue his dream, at the cost of being permanently expelled from the Chinese Men's Basketball Team.
Because sports school qualifications were not recognized, Ma Jian only played in the NCAA in 1993. He was the first Chinese to play in the NCAA. He joined the University of Utah in the 1993-94 season and averaged 21.8 points, 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Ma Jian was undrafted in the NBA draft this year, and then got the opportunity to represent the Clippers in the summer league, averaging 15 minutes per game.
The Basketball Association knew about Ma Jian and was not surprised that he chose to stay and play in the United States. But someone officially signed a contract with the SuperSonics. They didn't know anything about it before. This is too weird.
"His name is Yang Jian. He is 19 years old and a shooting guard." Liu Zhenghua, who reported the situation, said.
"Which team is he from? Why haven't I heard of him before he is so strong? Why has he never been selected for the national team?" Huang Peng was very angry and felt that someone below him was not up to business.
Players who can sign with the NBA must be among the best in the country. How can they be unknown?
Liu Zhenghua smiled bitterly and said: "Yang Jian did not go to a sports school in China, but to a prestigious high school in Beijing. He did not join any basketball teams. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to Harvard University in the United States and entered the business school. He played on the school team
One season, he was undrafted in the NBA draft, and then joined the SuperSonics."
Huang Peng was stunned for a moment. "How many Harvard universities are there in the United States?"
"It's Harvard University, which is ranked among the top ten in the world. He got into it, not because of playing basketball." Liu Zhenghua also thought this was a bit fantastic.
"If you study well enough to go to Harvard, and if you play well, you can enter the NBA? What does this kid do at home?" Huang Peng was shocked. He had never seen such an awesome young man since the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Hey, you saw it today.
"In an ordinary family, his parents and relatives from the previous generation are gone. He sold his house in Beijing and went to the United States by himself." Liu Zhenghua couldn't find much information, and Yang Jian's background was very simple.
How did he develop his basketball skills? Why didn't he play basketball in high school? No one in the country knows. This makes his life more mysterious.
Huang Peng asked: "Is there any other news? Has any reporter interviewed him?"
"No, but CCTV is already preparing to send people abroad to interview him. It is said that based on his performance in the summer league, not only can he play in the NBA, but he is also likely to become a star. At least he can gain a foothold in the NBA."
"Is it so powerful?" Huang Peng was even more surprised.
"He scored more than 20 points in three consecutive games and scored 33 points in the third game. It is said that his physical fitness is stronger than that of black people and he has many dunks." Liu Zhenghua took a deep breath. "I couldn't believe it when I got the news. After confirmation,
I just came to report."
Huang Peng pondered for a moment, adjusted his glasses, and the lenses lit up. "As long as he is willing to join the national team, we may achieve a historic breakthrough in the Olympics next year."
"How could a young man not want to represent the national team? We will contact him to go through the process, and it will definitely work." Liu Zhenghua said with a smile: "It's a pity that he can't join this year's Asian Championships."
The men's basketball team is in urgent need of fresh blood to improve its overall strength. At the last Barcelona Olympics, the Chinese men's basketball team ranked last with 0 wins and 7 losses and finished 12th. The Chinese men's basketball team has never qualified for the group stage in the Olympics. The best performance was in 1984
Year, ranked 10th with 2 wins and 5 losses.
Everyone knows how strong NBA players are. If the Chinese men's basketball team has outside players who can play in the NBA, the chances of qualifying for the group stage will definitely increase.
Yang Jian's appearance was an unexpected surprise, and the Basketball Association could completely ignore his "unauthorized" going abroad to play in the NBA.
Because Yang Jian and Ma Jian, who insisted on playing in the United States despite the objections of the Basketball Association, are different. He did not go to a sports school or was trained by the local sports bureau, and the Basketball Association has no control over him.
If the Basketball Association insists on "management", I'm afraid something will happen. Yang Jian sold his house in China, obviously because he wants to develop in the United States for a long time, and he may have a falling out with the Basketball Association because of his bad temper. Who is responsible for forcing such a star to leave?
It is normal for people in the Basketball Association to think this way. The salary of playing in the NBA is much higher than playing in China. As long as Yang Jian does not become an American citizen and is willing to play for the national team, everything is easy to talk about. They are willing to give all kinds of green lights.
On the American side, Yang Jian knew that Ma Jian played in the NCAA and participated in the 1995 NBA draft.
However, the two had no chance to meet in the summer league. The Clippers participated in the Long Beach Summer League in California and would not go as far as Salt Lake City.
Yang Jian also knew that Ma Jian's NBA dream would eventually end in failure. Although his physical fitness is good, his shooting is too unstable. He is 26 years old this year, with the height of a swingman and the style of a power forward, how can he succeed in the NBA?
To gain a foothold?
Later, there was a rumor on the Internet that Ma Jian almost stayed with the Clippers, but was pushed out by Brent Barry after the preseason. This was impossible. Even ignoring the fact that Barry was the 15th pick in the first round, he would not push out Ma Jian.
Jian Barry is a shooting guard, there is no competition between the two.
The summer league only plays an average of 15 minutes per game, and those with average statistics will definitely be eliminated. Only the top players in the summer league can get contracts, and most of them are just basic salaries.
The Sonics' opponent in Game 4 was the Denver Nuggets, and they won by only 7 points.
The Nuggets did not have any big-name players participating, they were all fringe NBA players and low-ranked undrafted rookies. They traded second overall pick Antonio McDyess from the Clippers, but did not allow McDyess to participate in this summer league.
The Nuggets' interior defense is very tight. There are three big men on the team who are over 210cm tall, and they are all strong.
In this case, it was difficult for players on both sides to score near the penalty area. Yang Jian performed best again, playing 33 minutes and scoring 24 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
He made 7 of 15 mid-range jump shots, and 5 of them were "long two-pointers" one step inside the three-point line. When the opponent's inside line shrinks to defend near the penalty area, it is easy for him to get a shot from this distance, but if he is close to the penalty area, he will
be disturbed.
The long two-point shot refers to shots between 16 yards and the three-point line. Currently, more than 20% of the shots in the NBA league are in this area, which is generally liked by coaches. Yang Jian's three-point shot is not accurate enough, so the long two-point shot is a good choice.
.
The Sonics' final opponent was the host Jazz, and they easily won 102 to 81.
The Jazz are recognized as a strong team, but their summer league lineup is not that good, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses. The summer league is mainly for training newcomers, and the core of the team is point guard Howard Eisley.
Starting shooting guard Andy Toulson was an undrafted player born in 1966. He briefly played for the Jazz in the 1990-91 season and played 47 games. This black player's athletic ability is not good and he cannot keep up with Yang Jian when encountering counterattacks.
With his speed, he also felt uncomfortable with Yang Jian's position in position battles.
The Jazz center is the "Big White Bear" Ostertag. The standing center cannot be defended at all. He can only play a role in defending the penalty area. He partners with the equally slow-moving power forward, allowing Yang Jian to get a lot of catch-and-shoot opportunities.
.
Yang Jian also practiced a breakthrough technique, which worked repeatedly.
After catching the ball, he feinted, took one step off the dribble, and jumped past people with the ball. He broke into the basket many times, and his movements were not flashy but he was fast. As long as the opponent was slightly staggered, they could only watch him pass by.
Yang Jian played 35 minutes and scored 30 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, his second 30 in the summer league.
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan also came to watch the game and lamented: "The SuperSonics will definitely be our number one enemy next season. What a pity."
The assistant coach knows what Sloan's regret is, but it is a pity that they did not choose Yang Jian. Yang Jian's style of play is very suitable for the Jazz's pick-and-roll offensive system, and it does not take much time to get used to it. Hornacek usually plays like this, and in Malone
Look for opportunities to catch the ball and shoot with Stockton.
Sloan concluded that Yang Jian had the potential to become a superstar. Hornacek, who had been selected to the All-Star once, shot better than Yang Jian, but there was a huge gap in physical fitness between the two. Yang Jian was more likely to get shooting opportunities, while Hornacek was
He can only pass the ball most of the time.
Yang Jian is the most eye-catching player in the summer league, and his performance is better than that of all high-ranking rookies. Coupled with his Chinese identity, he has attracted a lot of media attention.