A New Chapter in Chinese Basketball

"This is Dragon TV's live broadcast of the NBA Draft. This is a special day, because at last, we are no longer merely spectators! A rising star who once shone brightly in the Chinese Basketball Association is about to enter the NBA. I'm Su Qun, bringing you this live report!"

"We're honored to have with us Wang Zhizhi's teammate from the Bayi Rockets, a two-time Asian Games champion, three-time Asian Championship winner, two-time Olympic Games participant, and a key player in the Bayi Rockets' six consecutive league titles—the God of War, Liu Yudong!"

"You flatter me. You flatter me." Liu Yudong smiled modestly. Accepting this commentary invitation had actually involved considerable risk.

"Your teammate—Wang Zhizhi—is sitting in Madison Square Garden in a suit, waiting for Stern to call his name. How do you feel at this moment?"

"Wang is a very good player, and an extremely hardworking one. His pursuit of basketball has led him down a road no one has ever traveled before. With Kobe's help, he used NCAA Division II as a stepping stone before entering the draft."

"To be honest, this may become the best path for Chinese players to reach the NBA, the greatest stage in world basketball. Many players may follow his example in the future. But in my opinion, Wang may have entered the draft a little too hastily this year."

"Oh? Please elaborate."

"Wang's 18+7 averages in Division II might look good, and his 48.5% field-goal percentage and 41.2% three-point percentage are excellent as well. But quite a few people still question the durability of Asian players. In my view, he should have transferred to Division I as a sophomore and spent another year developing. If he could maintain 18+7, or do even better, he would definitely make the lottery. He has both