Who Was the First Chinese NBA Player?

Many people don’t know who the first Chinese NBA player was. In fact, most people don’t even know there was a Chinese player in the NBA at all. But there was, and his name was Wang Zhizhi.

NBA Basics

Wang Zhizhi was the first Chinese NBA player. He was born and raised in China and played for the Bayi Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) before joining the Dallas Mavericks in 2001. He spent three seasons with the Mavericks before returning to China in 2004.

The NBA is the highest level of professional basketball in the world

The NBA is the highest level of professional basketball in the world. The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It changed its name to the National Basketball Association (NBA) after merging with its rival, the National Basketball League (NBL), in 1949. The league currently has 30 teams, 29 in the United States and one in Canada.

Yao Ming is widely regarded as the greatest Chinese basketball player of all time, and he was also the first Chinese player to be drafted into the NBA. He was selected by the Houston Rockets with the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, and he went on to play eight seasons for the team. Ming retired from basketball in 2011 due to injuries, but he remains an important figure in both China and the NBA.

The NBA was founded in 1946

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League. The league consists of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), and is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

Chinese NBA Players

The first Chinese NBA player was Yao Ming, who played for the Houston Rockets. He was drafted in 2002 and went on to play for nine seasons before retiring in 2011. Yao Ming was a seven-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. He was also a two-time Olympian and won a bronze medal in 2004.

Yao Ming was the first Chinese player in the NBA

Yao Ming was the first Chinese player in the NBA. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2002 with the first overall pick. Yao played eight seasons with the Rockets before retiring in 2011. During his career, Yao was a five-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Team eight times. He is the only Chinese player to have ever been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yi Jianlian was the second Chinese player in the NBA

Yi Jianlian (born October 27, 1987) is a Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, becoming only the second Chinese player to be selected in an NBA draft. In July 2008, he was traded to the New Jersey Nets. He has also played for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic.

Standing at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he plays both power forward and center positions. Yi’s game is compared to Dirk Nowitzki’s because of his shooting ability as a big man. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in September 2017.

In February 2005, at age 17, Yi joined the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).[3] In his rookie season he helped lead his team to victory in the CBA championship game.[4][5] In 32 games he averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds per game.[6] His team once again reached the Finals in 2006–07, but lost to their arch-rival Beijing Ducks in a hard-fought series that went to five games.[7] In 50 games during the regular season he averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds per game.[8]

In May 2007, Yi declared himself eligible for the 2007 NBA draft,[9] becoming only the second player from China after Yao Ming to do so. He was selected with the sixth overall pick by Milwaukee Bucks in what GM Larry Harris called “a tough decision”.[10][11][12]

Impact of Chinese Players in the NBA

The first Chinese NBA player was Wang Zhizhi, who was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1999. Since then, there have been a number of other Chinese players who have made an impact in the NBA. These players have helped to grow the game of basketball in China and have inspired a new generation of players. Let’s take a look at some of the Chinese players who have made an impact in the NBA.

The impact of Yao Ming in the NBA

After Yao Ming was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2002, he quickly became one of the most popular players in the NBA. Not only was he a great player on the court, but he was also a pioneer for Chinese players in the league.

Yao’s impact on the NBA was twofold. First, he showed that Chinese players could be successful in the NBA. This opened up the door for other Chinese players to come to the league. Second, Yao’s popularity helped to grow the game of basketball in China. His success on the court led to more interest in basketball among Chinese people, and many of them started playing the game.

Today, there are a number of Chinese players in the NBA, and basketball is one of the most popular sports in China. Thanks to Yao Ming, the game of basketball has a much larger footprint in China than it did before he came into the league.

The impact of Yi Jianlian in the NBA

Yi Jianlian was the first Chinese player to be drafted in the NBA, and he had a big impact on the league. His drafting opened the door for other Chinese players to come over and play in the NBA, and he helped increase the league’s popularity in China. Jianlian played for five different NBA teams during his career, and he was a solid player for most of his time in the league. He averaged over nine points per game and five rebounds per game during his NBA career, and he was a decent three-point shooter. Jianlian’s best season came in 2010-11 with the New Jersey Nets, when he averaged nearly 15 points per game. He also had a brief stint with the Chinese national team, but he was not able to lead them to any significant success.