NBL: Chinese NBA star set to attract ‘millions’ of eyeballs to the South East Melbourne Phoenix
The South East Melbourne Phoenix have signed a former Chinese NBA star with aspirations of returning to the world’s best league.
Basketball
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The NBL’s Asian connection continues to grow with Chinese international centre Zhou Qi choosing the South East Melbourne Phoenix as his best pathway back to the NBA.
Drafted by the Houston Rockets at pick 43 in the 2016 NBA draft, the 216cm big man has been a regular Chinese national team member since making his debut in 2014.
In a deal hailed by Phoenix officials as “monumental”, Qi has agreed to a two-year deal, the second year as a player option.
He returned to the Chinese Basketball Association for the 2019-20 season with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, where he averaged 20.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game.
The 25-year-old has already built a solid resume, winning a CBA championship title in 2017, a FIBA Asia Cup championship in 2015 and a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games with the Chinese team.
Qi has signed with the Phoenix under the NBL’s special restricted player rule like fellow Chinese international Chuanxing at the Brisbane Bullets and will join the team in Australia as soon as the visa process is complete and flights are organised.
The Chinese star believes the NBL is the perfect launch pad to reinvigorate his NBA career.
“I’m excited to be joining the South East Melbourne Phoenix, I felt my best chance of getting back to the NBA was to join the Phoenix,” said Qi, who played 19 NBA games with the Rockets between 2017 and 2019.
“The whole process has been one of the more professional of my career, I’m very grateful to owner Romie Chaudhari and CEO Tommy Greer for making my decision such an easy one.”
Greer has vowed to help Qi fulfil his NBA aspirations.
“His dream is to get back to the NBA and we’ll do everything we can to help him achieve that,” Greer said.
“Zhou joining the NBL will literally add millions and millions of eyeballs to our team and the league.
“At 7-foot 1 Zhou’s skill set is something we haven’t had before; we think he can help us cement our position at the top of the NBL this year.
“With our starting point guard from last year Keifer Sykes starting training camp with the Indiana Pacers this week, we’ve shown as a club we can make that happen.
“Not only is it a fantastic signing for us as a team, but it’s also a game-changing addition to the NBL. Zhou is an absolute superstar in China and to have him in the NBL is enormous.”
Chaudhari described the signing as groundbreaking and a signal to the NBL that the Phoenix is “all in”.
“Signing a Chinese player of Zhou’s credentials is a landmark move for the Phoenix and the NBL,” Chaudhari said.
“Bringing Zhou to the NBL further expands the league and the club’s international presence – this signing makes the Phoenix a real player on the global stage.”
The Chinese connections for the Phoenix go back to their inaugural season.
The team‘s first games came during a pre-season tour to China, while their first competitive game on Australian soil was against Chinese CBA team the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.
Qi will join his national team for the November 22 to November 30 World Cup qualifying period, then return to the Phoenix.
NBL commissioner Jeremy Loeliger praised Qi’s signing as groundbreaking for the Australian league.
“We are thrilled that Zhou Qi has chosen to play in the NBL with the Phoenix,” Loeliger said.
“To have a player of Zhou’s calibre come to the NBL speaks volumes of the league’s standing in global basketball.
“Earlier this week Chinese national team member Chuanxing Liu signed with the Brisbane Bullets and Zhou’s signing reaffirms the NBL as a prime destination for Chinese players looking to make the next step in their career.”
Qi joins a Phoenix line-up that includes Xavier Munford, Cam Gliddon, Ryan Broekhoff, Mitch Creek, Kyle Adnam, Izayah Le’afa, Dane Pineau, Reuben Te Rangi and Tohi Smith-Milner.
Originally published as NBL: Chinese NBA star set to attract ‘millions’ of eyeballs to the South East Melbourne Phoenix
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