US Players Look to East

Updated: 2011-10-16 10:17

By Sun Xiaochen (China Daily)

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US Players Look to East

Former NBA all-star guard Stephon Marbury in action for Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) club Foshan Dralions last season. Marbury, who will play for Beijing Ducks this coming season, was the first NBA superstar to play in China when he came two years ago. With the NBA lockout going on, more NBA stars are expected to join the CBA and the global spotlight could switch to the Chinese league next season. Provided to China Daily

As the NBA lockout continues, and more and more games are lost, some of America's top hoopsters are heading abroad to continue their careers, writes Sun Xiaochen.

In the absence of a Hollywood blockbuster, smaller movies sometimes steal the box office. Can the same thing happen with basketball?

At best, the show that is the National Basketball Association (NBA) has been postponed this season.

But fans have another option that's suddenly looking a lot more attractive - the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

With the NBA's first two week canceled and the rest of the season in jeopardy after labor negotiations faltered, the CBA has suddenly found a void to fill, and the chance to draw more eyeballs to the league.

And it just so happens that at this moment, it has an increasingly attractive cast of displaced NBA stars.

In addition to last season's top scorer, Quincy Douby, and former New York Knicks all-star guard Stephon Marbury, this season's newest imports include three Denver Nuggets - Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler.

US Players Look to East

"I believe more fans will start to follow CBA games, and more stories about the league will be published in the papers. It will become a new stage, and the world will realize how valuable the league is," said Marbury, who will play for the Beijing Ducks.

With the entirety of the NBA season in danger, it's possible another stream of free agents will flow into the Chinese league before it tips off on Nov 20.

If the new players impress the fans and gain superstar status in their new Chinese cities, it might send a message to teammates back home.

"(The three Nuggets) will demonstrate to those NBA guys together with me that coming to China is a nice option. With the league's profile climbing, I believe more NBA players will come in the future," said Marbury, who began playing in the CBA two years ago for Shanxi Zhongyu.

Thanks to the lockout, former Washington Wizards forward Yi Jianlian also has the chance to play locally after returning from the US.

Yi, who helped Guangdong Southern Tigers win three league titles from 2003 to 2007, signed a one-year contract with an opt-out clause with his home club.

Yi's return immediately enhanced the roster as the team attempts to defend its title against the rising Xinjiang Flying Tigers, who scooped up Martin with the largest deal in league history.

"Although he may not stay with us very long, I am quite sure the move is good for both the team and the Chinese fans," said Southern Tigers coach Liu Hongjiang. "Our team will benefit from him, and fans are certainly keen to see him playing his best again."

So the stage is set for battles between NBA swingmen, and wars in the paint between Yi and national team veteran Wang Zhizhi.

Fans and sponsors alike suddenly have a menu of enticing games.

"Last year, the league enjoyed a TV ratings peak during the finals.

"This season, it is reasonable to think it could surpass that pinnacle with more real stars coming. It should be a spectacle for fans and the sponsors," commentator Su Qun told Basketball Pioneer recently.

Broadcasts of CBA games will also hit the vast North American market, traditionally dominated by American sports like the NBA and NFL.

According to Infront China, the CBA's league marketing partner, it has signed a one-year agreement with One World Sports (OWS), North America's leading Asian sports provider, to distribute CBA games.

OWS will present two same-day delay English language matches per week until late March.

The package also includes the popular CBA All-Star Game next February.

"The CBA is an exciting acquisition for OWS viewers," said Preston Bornman, chief operating officer of OWS. "Basketball is a worldwide phenomenon, and we are proud to offer Asia's top league to our American audiences."

"The fact that the league will be delivered to the American audience for the first time is proof not only of its growing popularity among basketball fans worldwide, but also the effective promotion of the games," said Ma Guoli, CEO and managing director of Infront China.