Bab 24: Chapter 24 [Is it so powerful]
"Besides Ma Jian, there are 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 audacious that he dares not ask the Basketball Association to go abroad to play? There is an example like Ma Jian, haven't you killed him as a warning to others?
Forward Ma Jian represented the Chinese men's basketball team in the 1990 World Championships and the 1992 Olympic Games, shining in the international arena. As the NBA spreads in China, after the Olympics, the 23-year-old wanted to break through and go to the United States to experience and fulfill his dream of playing in the NBA. The Basketball Association didn't agree because it would be difficult to control him once he got out.
In the end, Ma Jian chose to pursue his dream, at the cost of being permanently removed from the Chinese Men's Basketball Team.
Because sports school qualifications were not recognized, Ma Jian only entered 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, averaging 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 it's weird that someone officially signed with the Sonics and they didn't know anything about it before.
"His name is Yang Jian, he is 19 years old and a shooting guard." said Liu Zhenghua, who reported the situation.
"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
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, you can go to Harvard, and if you play well, you can enter the NBA? What does this kid do at home?" Huang Peng was stunned. 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 gave his life an extra layer of mystery.
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 he has better physical fitness than black people and has many dunks." Liu Zhenghua took a deep breath. "I couldn't believe it when I got the news. I reported it only after confirming it."
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, finishing 12th. The Chinese men's basketball team has never qualified for the group stage in the Olympics. The best performance was in 1984, ranking 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 opposition of the Basketball Association, are different. He didn't go to a sports school, he wasn't 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. He obviously wanted to develop in the United States for a long time. He may have fallen out with the Basketball Association because of his bad temper. Who is responsible for forcing such a star away?
It's normal for people in the Basketball Association to think this way. The salary for playing in the NBA is much higher than playing in China. As long as Yang Jian does not become a U.S. 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 are participating in the Long Beach Summer League in California and will 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. How can he gain a foothold in the NBA with his height as a swingman and his style as a power forward?
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 is the 15th pick in the first round, he will not displace Ma Jian. Barry is a shooting guard and there is no competition between the two.
The summer league only averages 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 have no big-name players participating, they are all NBA fringe players and low-ranking undrafted rookies. They traded second overall pick Antonio McDyess from the Clippers, but did not let McDyess participate in this summer league.
The Nuggets' interior defense is very tight. There are three big men in the team who are over 210cm tall, and they are all strong.
In this case, it is 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, five of which 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 he will be disturbed if he is close to the penalty area.
A long two-point shot refers to a shot between 16 yards and the three-point line. At present, more than 20% of the NBA's overall shots are in this area, and coaches generally like it. Yang Jian's three-point shooting is not accurate enough, so two-point shooting 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 new players, 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. He can't keep up with Yang Jian's speed when encountering counterattacks. He also has trouble with Yang Jian's positioning in positional battles.
The Jazz center is the "Big White Bear" Ostertag. A standing center cannot be defended at all. He can only play a role in defending the penalty area. He partnered 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 then jumped past people with the ball. He broke into the basket many times. 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 knew what was a pity for Sloan, but it was 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 doesn't take much time to get used to it. Hornacek usually plays like this, looking for opportunities to catch and shoot around Malone and Stockton.
Sloan concluded that Yang Jian had the potential to become a superstar. Hornacek, who had been selected to the All-Star once, was more accurate in shooting than Yang Jian, but there was a huge gap in physical fitness between the two. Yang Jian is more likely to get shots, while Hornacek 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 attracted a lot of media attention.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone