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Q: What's with the insurgence of ex-NBA players joining the CBA?
First it was that guy from Beijing Maury or whatever he's called. THen Tracy Mcgrady and now AI Allen Iverson have come to China. Did they find out that the star player for the Beijing team made a lot of money or what is it? Have they come to finally win a championship since they couldn't do it in the NBA?
Cash, same reason as why Didier Drogba, Nicloas Anelka etc. play football (soccer) here.
Because they aren't good enough to play in the NBA anymore and they'd rather play in China than Europe. Really, international basketball has always been filled with plays from the US who either weren't good enough to make it to the NBA (like Kobe Bryant's father) or with NBA players that are past their prime.
More than likely it is because they cannot make it in the NBA anymore and T-Mac is a prime example. He had a workout with the Knicks in September and was not given a contract, so he came to Qingdao................of course, he now says that he chose to come here because he thinks the CBA is a good place to be, blah, blah, blah.......Another example is Stephon Marbury who could not make it in the NBA anymore and Allen Iverson who wanted to play in China also and now Gilbert Arenas is also here. But all power and good luck to them as they also come to China for the money; as Lattrell Spreewell once said "I have a family to feed" after refusing a 3 year , $USD21 million contract.
Basically they are past their prime in the NBA, but they want to continue to play, so they come to China.
Money. If you knew anything about the game mattaya there are a lot more players than the ones you mentioned. Last year along with Starbury there was because of the NBA lockout many including Kenyon Martin, Australia's own Patty Mills(only 3 or 4 games) who is now back at the Spurs and others. The reason the washed up ones get the big bucks in China has a lot to do with the local preference of "name" over substance. Same reason that designer labels are trampling each other to get a foot hold.
crimochina:
nice to see your posts woody. but just "name " over substance. a player that can't cut it in the nba can average 30 + points a game in china. in other european leagues they have improved to where these washed up players would be coming off the bench. plus in china they are instant stars.
the only complaint i have is i wish they would talk to a cultural image consultant before they actually come here. I'll give you an example of what I mean. In beijing there is an ad for the team where Marbury is pointing along with his teammates. some of his teammates seem to think that he is mimicking holding a gun.
woody:
I agree with what you are saying. I guess what my point is is that the stars come to China because they (the ones with big names) are paid far more than they can now earn elsewhere. Why.Because elsewhere teams base their payments on what they produce rather than their name. Same reason there is nowhere near the proportion of consumers obsessed with labels in most other countries. If China was less impressed by name and more impressed by what a player can produce they could get the same or better output from a much much cheaper player (fringe NBA guy) in their prime.
Because chinese people love them, we are even expecting Koby who was so close to come(shaanxi team) …… OK， seriously,,, because china is a good place for retirement
