When you walk around the Yuanshen, you quickly realize that this is Yao Ming’s house. His image adorns the walls, the banners and the advertisements, whilst his retired jersey hangs from the rafters. During home games, Yao watches from his private box up high in the arena, looking down on players and fans alike like an emperor.

Yet if Yao is the liege of Shanghainese basketball, then Liu Wei is very much the heir-aparant. The two man are childhood friends, playing in same youth team together before both found themselves called up to the Sharks at the age of seventeen in 1997. There, under the tutaledge of coach Li Qiuping, they won a CBA title together, beating the then mighty Bayi Rockets in 2002, having lost to the military side in the two previous finals.

Lifting the trophy would be Yao’s last act for the Sharks before the NBA beckoned and the giant centre would not return to the team in an official capacity until 2009 when he bought the ailing basketball club. Yao and Liu were re-united in Shanghai but with an odd twist; one man was now technically the boss of his close friend.

Though Liu also made it to America, it never worked out like it did for Yao. On trial with the Sacrimento Kings in 2004, Liu played against his old team mate in the ‘China Games’, two preseason matches between the Kings and the Houston Rockets that  got obviously high viewing figures in Asia. This was as close as the guard came to making the NBA; Liu played thirty-four minutes over three games, scoring two points and getting four rebounds. Sacrimento didn’t pick up the option and the point guard returned to carry on playing for the Sharks.

Yet inspite of not being able to make it to the NBA, Liu Wei remains a popular, well-respected figure in Chinese basketball. As well as captaining his country, he has won one gold medal with China at the FIBA championships and two at the Asian Games. Last year, he became the first player in the CBA’s history to score 6000 points, 1600 steals and 700 assists. Within China’s social media sites, he is one of its most ‘liked’ figures, and fans at the Yuanshen will still gather by the players’ tunnel before and after games to reach down to Liu for a high five or an autograph.

There have of course been controversies, most notably in 2008, when along with three other team mates, he got involved in a post game confrontation with Gabe Muoneke, then playing for the now defunct Yunnan Bulls. The American was chased and cornered by the players in front of Muoneke’s family in what the CBA referred to as ‘[an] incident [that] was abominable and serious in nature, casting a terrible influence over society and seriously harming the CBA’s brand and reputation”. The point guard had the book thrown at him, and was fined heavily and suspended for ten games.

Its testament to his popularity however, that despite the Muoneke incident and the Sharks record in recent years (they have only had two winning seasons since 2002), Liu is still an important figure to the Shanghai supporters, who fete him with the same adoration as other fanbases in other sports might regard Derek Jeter, Paolo Maldini or Mario Lemieux; one-club players who have stayed with their team through thick and thin. Their mistakes on and off the court are excused by the supporters because these players have become fused to the very identity of the club. By staying around for so long, they have shown the same passion and commitment to the team as the supporters do.

Liu’s willingness to give his all for the Sharks has been well documented, although as he gets older, it will need to be stored and used carefully. In a recent CBA game against Lioaning, with Shanghai falling behind to a high scoring offense,  Liu, who had previously hobbled off due to knee pain, dragged himself back onto the court to help with the chase. It was ultimately fruitless as Shanghai were beaten decisively and Liu may well have made the injury worse (he would leave the subsequent game against Guangdong Tigers in the first quarter and has missed every Sharks game since then) but it underlined his desire to help his team win.

Liu will be thirty-two by the end of this CBA season and depending on the state of his body, he could play for a few more years to come. In a young team with masses of raw potential, the guard might be tempted to keep on playing into his thirties as his team mates mature, although he has also suggusted an interest in coaching.

When he does call it a day, Liu’s number will almost certainly be retired and raised to the rafters along with Yao’s. The two friends then will probably end up sitting together in the owner’s box, watching the team they led to a title almost a decade ago move onto its next chapter. Yao has already secured his legacy and in what time he has left, Liu will be seeking to make his already lengthy list of achievements that little bit longer.

Picture: QQ.com

Could this man be wearing the uniform of a CBA team during the lockout?

With all of the hoopla around former Houston Rockets’ center Yao Ming’s retirement, some may have forgotten that the NBA is still in lockout mode. As players and owners still haggle over an agreement, many of the top NBA stars have had a lot of free time on their hands this summer and it looks like they will still have a lot of down time come September when teams should be heading into training camp getting ready for the new season.

So what does an NBA player do while he is banned from team facilities or contacting anyone remotely affiliated with his team?

Perhaps Kevin Durant will bring his game to China for a brief period?

The Oklahoma Thunder’s star forward, Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers’ guard, Kobe Bryant recently made appearances in China hosting basketball clinics. Bryant’s teammate, Pau Gasol and newly crowned NBA champion, Dirk Nowitzki, are back in Europe with their respective national squads preparing the 2011 European Basketball Championships. Meanwhile, KFC is trying to entice one of their former employees, the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade, to comeback and work for them.

Despite all of the tours or international basketball ongoing at the moment, the big question is what will these players do come September if there is still no end to the lockout? Some players are already considering playing basketball elsewhere in the world.

Things started off with New Jersey Nets’ point guard Deron Williams signing with Turkish league team Besiktas. Slovenian national team guard Sasha Vujacic otherwise known as the future Mr. Maria Sharapova, followed in the steps of his Nets teammate by also signing with a Turkish team, Anadolu Efes.

This is only the beginning as more players maybe looking to what options they have overseas in order to stay fit while negotiators try to hammer out a new agreement.

Some serious thinking is needed by CBA teams

One of the options that some players may look at is playing in the Chinese Basketball Association. The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard and Durant have been on record as to saying that they are considering the possibility of playing in the Chinese basketball league should the lockout persist.

While many basketball fans in China maybe drooling over the idea of having a few top NBA stars in China’s top league, one needs to take a step back and be totally realistic about this prospect.

First, a CBA team signing a player the likes of Howard, Durant or anyone else would be a huge coup and most likely fill arenas in every CBA city. However, teams are probably considering whether it would be worth the gamble offering a lot of money to a player when the lockout could possibly end at any point. It would definitely be a poor investment on the part of a CBA team to part with so much money. Certainly, many of these teams are also wary of the whole Steve Francis fiasco during the previous season.

If anything, the CBA teams would most likely pursue offering a contract to a host of NBA free agents that are on the market. The likes of Russian Andrei Kirilenko, Tyson Chandler and, yes, Yao Ming’s former teammates in Houston, Tracy McGrady and Shane Battier are in the pool of players possibly looking for new teams. Perhaps a stint over in the ‘Middle Kingdom’ would be useful for them.

Second, if any of the top NBA players are strongly considering to play in China during the lockout, they have to realize that there are only a few big market cities in the country. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou can certainly provide these players with a rather comfortable life off the court, but would any of them be willing to sign for teams in Liaoning, Jilin or Shanxi?

In addition, how will the players adapt to the lack of luxuries they receive while playing in the American ‘Association’? They have to face the reality of playing in cold gyms, changing in makeshift locker rooms and possibly sharing a room with a teammate while on the road. These are certainly things they haven’t experienced since high school. There is going to be a lot they will have to sacrifice and adapt to if they choose to play in China.

Wukesong Basketball Arena: NBA players won't be seeing the inside of this place

Third, there is no guarantee that fans will see any of the top NBA stars in the league due to the strict rules that are imposed on teams by the CBA. With the number of foreign players allowed on each team limited, the amount of minutes they can play limited and a strict salary cap imposed, this could lead to most players looking to the European leagues or other places to play.

While it may seem like a smashing idea to have the rare opportunity of a star NBA player on a CBA roster during the lockout, fans should not hold their breath on this. It going to be a long time until there is confirmation that the 2011-2012 NBA season will be canceled and a few of the well-known ballers signing contracts with teams here.

Photos

For the Record Sports

Yiqiyou

The NBA's key to the Chinese market on the verge of retirement

The imminent retirement of Houston Rockets’ center Yao Ming comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the Shanghai native’s career from his early beginnings in the game. Persistent injuries over the past few seasons have allowed the towering center to only play in a handful of games. Coming off of his most recent injury, a stress fracture of his ankle, may have put the writing on the wall for the former Shanghai Sharks star.

Throughout last week and this week there has been much talk about Yao’s retirement and his plans for the future. There has also been some discussion about the future of the National Basketball Association in the Chinese market. Some consider the retirement of Yao as a huge blow to the NBA in the Chinese market.

In a recent online poll conducted by Weibo, 57 percent of the participants said they would stop watching the NBA after Yao’s retirement. A few things must be noted when analyzing this online poll as it is not exactly scientific.

First, it is not easy to know whether these participants are regular followers of the NBA or just casual fans since Yao Ming joined the league in 2002. Most likely it is the latter, but that does not mean the NBA will lose its hardcore followers in China.

Second, besides Yao being the face of the league in China, how many other players could those who took part in the poll identify? This goes back to the previous assumption that most of those that took part in the poll are casual fans. Of course, most know of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, but are they familiar with other stars in the NBA?

Washington Wizards’ forward Yi Jianlian is in the league; however, he may not have the star power as his former teammate. Having changed teams on a couple of occasions during his time in the US, he has not been able to stamp his authority as of yet.

Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard will always have a presence in China

Third, China is a market that not only the NBA wants to be in, but even the players, individually, want to be in as well. Players such as Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose and Kevin Garnett choose to spend part of their summer holidays here in order to increase their profiles. Even jersey sales in China show that fans here are following other players in the league than Yao.

Yao Ming’s retirement from the NBA will be a disappointment, but it will not spell doom for the league in the Chinese market. What could spell its doom is the lingering lockout saga which sees no sign of ending.

Photos: CNS

Slam Counterkicks

When the lanky Shanghainese first landed in Houston in 2002, few expected him to achieve what he now stands for. In his nine seasons of playing in the NBA, Yao Ming averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds per game. Yet his contribution to basketball and the NBA cannot be told by these stats, as Yao basically globalized the sport more than anyone in history.

The news came out yesterday from Yahoo Sports that the 7-foot-6 player is to retire soon due to left foot and ankle injury, which already cost him the past two seasons. Yao’s injury was a typical result of over-playing. Since the 2004 Athens Games, the “Moving-Great Wall” constantly found himself moving over the Pacific Ocean to reunite with his Chinese teammates for glories in the Asian Champs, the Olympics after at least four surgeries.

Yao Ming to Retire Soon

There’re claims from both sides, the Rockets and the Chinese sports bureau, about the other’s irresponsible role in playing Yao too much to a degree that even the Shanghai native himself tried to downplay the spat a number of times. At the age of 30, Yao can probably still play a reduced role in the NBA, but decides retirement as his best option for future career development. And what he left after the retirement are a multiple layers of assets that cannot be easily measured.

Yao Ming’s humble image and witful, humourous talk not only made his countrymen proud, but also made Chinese kids glue to the game. For sport in China, the most valueble legacy after he leaves should be those boys playing hoops around the country. There’re, according to the NBA’s estimation, 300 millions of Chinese playing basketball. And most of these 300 million grew up watching Yao Ming play in Shanghai and then Houston and drew inspiration from him. The game would not only make the next generation of Chinese more athletic and healthy, but more team-work oriented through competitions on the court.

But for the moment, this vast player base doesn’t equal the height of Chinese basketball, as there’s a great divide between grassroots and pro players. The CBA, the country’s basketball association, doesn’t really interested in organizing non-professional league in schools. In recent years, sports brands assumed CBA’s role in doing that, because for them, schools are excellent opportunities to market their brands and products. Chinese basketball could further unleash its potential given proper restructure work of league-building.

The professional league, the CBA, has its own faults too. After 17 years of operation since its establishment in 1995, the basketball players in the country still cannot be traded. This correlates with China decades-old sports school system, in which a player, like Yao Ming, is found, trained and developed in a local sports school and then supplied to a local club. Of course no Chinese club wants to lose a player in Yao’s stature, but an average bench player would also find it very hard to move due to a lack of regulation on players’ trading. The move-around of players every season is mainly done behind the closed doors between local sports bureaus and clubs, with so much guanxi involved. The result? You get only three champion teams in the past 16 seasons and familiar faces every year in the CBA All-Star Game.

Yao Ming Left Due To Foot Injury

Yao may not be as fortunate as Mengke Bateer and Sun Yue, who received their NBA champ rings respectively with the Spurs and Lakers and, more important, both are still playing. Yet his fortune allowed him to do something his national teammates have never dreamed of. In 2009, Yao purchased Shanghai Sharks, his former team before joining the Houston Rockets in the Chinese top league. The team is reportedly costing Yao RMB 20 mln a season, but the new management he brought to the Sharks is strikingly positive and could herald change in the CBA if more investors come in.

On 20th this month, Yao will get back to his hometown to announce his future plans. His decision of retirement will become yet another lesson to many Chinese kids looking up to him but few had a chance experiencing themselves: When things go wrong, we move on. Let it be said that Yao is the greatest player in the history of sport in China so far and, as his name ‘ming‘ suggests, Yao’s legacy will be carried on in the generations to come.

Photo: Netease

Previously:

• What can Yao get from the Sharks

Zheng Jie, left, and Li Na, Chinese female tennis athletes on the verge of stardom. Source: People's Daily

For all of about five seconds, there was discussion about an “all Chinese” final in the Australian Open. The People’s Daily newspaper had already crowned Li Na and Zheng Jie — the Chinese female tennis players who both managed to advance into the final four to play against Serena Williams and Justine Henin, respectively — “two golden flowers.”

And then it was over.

Defending champion Williams stopped 16th seeded Li Na in a two-hour match, winning 6-7 (4), 6-7 (1). If you followed ESPN‘s account of the events, Henin “thrashed a helpless” Zheng Jie, 6-1, 6-0, in a game that took less than 60 minutes to complete.

Losing in the semifinals to Williams and Henin is nothing less than stellar, as both Li Na and Zheng Jie’s march to the semifinal matches is at least commendable, possibly historic given this is the first time two Chinese players have made it this far in an Australian Open. Right now, both Li Na and Zheng Jie should be considered two tennis stars on the verge of overtaking two other records that no other Chinese tennis athlete can yet claim: breaking into the top-10 rankings or winning a Grand Slam. They’re almost there. And while almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, the two are part of a growing sports machine in China that has its athletes on their way toward star status.

It’s no secret, China enjoys its heroic athletes. Each time a Chinese athlete accomplishes another first for the country, the people are right there cheering. Nationalism aside, China is just starting to see its sports mold homegrown athletes into world superstars. In interviews with sports promoters, coaches and athletes, all have constantly repeated the mantra that once a Chinese athlete takes home the top prize in any international event, the popularity of said sport explodes.

Forgetting Yao Ming for a minute, China’s sports stars are coming through the ranks in more non-traditional sports, at least in comparison to the revenue-driven, media-savvy sense of western sports. Forget football, basketball or baseball. China is a country where diver Guo Jingjing is a goddess, snooker prodigy Ding Junhui can dominate the front of sports newspaper pages, and Liu Xiang could fill the stands at the Bird’s Nest if it was announced Beijing was about to hold an international track and field meet, all 76,000+. But you’d be hard-pressed to find the aforementioned names anywhere outside of China — discounting the 2008 Olympic Games, of course.

Bringing Yao Ming back for a moment: One has a better chance of finding a Chinese person that can recall the gold medal-winning lineup of the women’s quadruple sculls at this past Olympic Games than one does of finding someone who knows the starting lineup to Manager Yao Ming’s Shanghai Sharks basketball team. South Korean Y.E. Yang’s victory over Tiger Woods at the 2009 PGA Championship was said to be a positive for golf in China. And given China is sending world half-pipe champion Liu Jiayu to the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, there could even be a snowboarding household name in China come March 2010.

So Li Na and Zheng Jie didn’t take home the top prize … this time. Barring a career-ending injury, the two are almost certainly destined for tennis infamy. It might be too early to place them alongside names such as Guo Jingjing, Ding Junhui, or Liu Xiang, but one might as well leave the two slots open for the tennis duo from China.

— Zachary Franklin

Links and Sources:

• People’s Daily: “Serena Williams Stops Li Na’s Fairytale Run to Reach Australian Open Final”
• People’s Daily: “China Celebrates Zheng, Li for Australian Wins”
• ESPN: “Despite Roadblocks, Justine Henin Back in Australian Open Final”

The Shanghai Sharks announced Yao Ming is not the owner of the team (Xinmin Evening News).

According to the Shanghai Daily, NBA basketball star Yao Ming is not the owner of the Shanghai Sharks, the Chinese star’s former team, and he has not been guaranteed ownership of the team.

The newspaper reported that while Yao’s management group, Team Yao, has been signed on as an “entrusted investor” for the next five years, the basketball player is officially not an owner.

Instead of transferring ownership stake of the team to Yao Ming — what was initially agreed upon — the team is instead selling those stakes on the open market. According to the Xinmin Evening News, one unnamed fitness center said it would bid.

The Shanghai Daily said the Sharks have assets estimated around 20 million USD. After the 2008 season, which saw a record 43 loses for the Sharks, the Xiyang Group refusing to continue sponsoring the team, and player’s salaries not being paid, the Sharks now find themselves at the center of the Chinese basketball world. Even more now that Yao Ming, the former center for nine seasons on the Shanghai team, is not the official owner.

— Zachary Franklin

Previously:

• What Can Yao Get from the Sharks?

From Al Jazeera:

While smoking is on the decline in many Western countries, China is one of the world’s fastest growing smoking markets with public surveys showing a low awareness of the health risks.

About 350 million Chinese, or more than a quarter of the population, are smokers and health officials say about one million Chinese die every year from lung cancer or other smoking-related illnesses.

Tens of millions more are put at risk by passive smoking, because of the lax enforcement of rules banning smoking in public places.

Such a nice thing to do, isn’t it? I sincerely hope they can promote anti smoking in Gongti and other stadiums. What’s the point of lighting a cigarette when watching football live in a stadium? Bù Shuǎng!

The Chinese NBA star Yao Ming is buying his former CBA team, the Shanghai Sharks. The team finished the second last in the 08-09 season, the worst ever result in club’s history.

“As a Shanghainese, I’m emotionally attached to the team,” Yao was quoted as saying by a state-owned television station. “The club is now in a difficult situation and I hope I can do something to help.”

It’s such a good thing to do when you can help your former teammates. But what can Yao get from the Sharks?

1. Attention

Attention, one of the things that Yao never lacked since entering the NBA in 2002. But last month, Yao’s left foot injury was described as “career-threatening” by Tom Clanton, the Houston Rokets physician, a tragic news for the 28-year-old. The big man is not likely to get back on court soon, which means he will be away from Chinese media coverage for some time. By acquiring the Sharks, Yao’s presence can definitely reignite the Luwan Stadium and the new position to keep him in the limelight of Chinese media for seasons, if not decades. Once Yao retires, he’s name will still be held by new basketball fans in the Middle Kingdom.

2. Connections

Yao is deemed as a savior by Shanghai Sports Bureau, the powerhouse behind the Sharks, who seemed desperate to offload the team. The Sharks has been running without a sponsor since this April. Though there’re three shareholders, Shanghai Sports Technical Institute, Shanghai Media Group and Hongqiao Airport, none of them were interested in taking care of players’ paychecks after Xiyang Group pulled back from its sponsorship plan.

“As a renowned international basketball player, Yao Ming has become a symbol of Chinese basketball and even Chinese sport. His affection to his mother team (a Chinese way of describing the first club a player played for), his achievement and his experiences and visions brought by seven years of playing in the NBA, made us think that Yao Ming is the most suitable person to take over the team…”

Above is a statement made by Yu Chen, the Shanghai Sports Bureau chief, and it’s published noticeably on the Bureau’s website this morning. Being rich is not enough to steer a CBA team, you need to be welcomed by your bureau friends. As a national hero, Yao no doubt qualifies in the department and, the new Sharks boss will enjoy the reinforced warmth and intimacy with Chinese bureaucrats.

3. Satisfaction

Seven seasons in the NBA still without a championship ring. Yao is not as lucky as Mengke Bateer and Sun Yue, who received their shiny rings respectively with the Spurs and Lakers, without even playing in the finals. Yet Yao’s fortune allows him to do something his national teammates have never dreamed of, buying his former CBA team, a team that he began to play for since 15, a jersey his father also used to wear. The pioneering buyout in China’s sports world means much more than just business to Yao and his family.

The RMB 20m acquisition of Shanghai Sharks will pave the way for whatever business Yao is planning in China. I wouldn’t be surprised if he launch his own sportswear brand in the  future. The only question left is when.

Links and Sources:

• Shanghaiist: Yao Ming buys Shanghai Sharks
• Shanghai Daily: Yao signs agreement to buy Sharks
• Time: China Fears Yao Ming Injury Could End His Career

Previously:

• Shanghai Sharks Is Struggling without Sponsor

Picture:  hoopCHINA

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Shanghai Sharks (上海大鲨鱼), the CBA team that developed the country’s most famous player Yao Ming, is now struggling after Xiyang Group (西洋集团), their only sponsor, pulled back from its five-year sponsorship plan. The Liaoning-based fertilizer manufacturer has been supporting Shanghai basketball since 2007 with 15 million RMB ($ 2.2 mln USD) injection a year into both of its women’s and men’s teams. While the company pays all the bills, the club is co-owned by Shanghai Sports Bureau and Shanghai Media Group, a state-owned media company.

Last November, Cong Xuedi, head coach of Shanghai Women’s Basketball Team, secretively allowed five of their first-team players to play for East China Normal University(华东师范大学) in the 7th National University Games after the club turned down the university request to borrow their players, a common practice for almost all universities that participated in the Games. Xiyang Group decided to fire Cong for disobeying their authority. But the coach was saved by Shanghai Technical Sports Institute (STSI, 上海体育职业学院,) a school under Shanghai Sports Bureau, as they hoped the women’s team can perform better in this year’s National Games under the coaching of her.

“It’s agreed that we’re responsible for managing the club,” Wang Bo, Xiyang’s representitive in Shanghai, told press last November, “things have been running on the contrary so far. We’ve talked with STSI and may stop sponsoring the team should the coach is kept at her post.” They did. And so with the men’s team after the regular season ended this March. A lowest paid player that used to make 10,000 RMB ($ 1,500 USD) a month at the Sharks can now receive only about 1,500 RMB ($ 220 USD) from the local sports bureau. It’s reportedly that some of the players can’t even pay their mortgage. “The reason we quited is that we don’t have the club ownership and managing right,” Qiu Guangchun, vice president of Xiwang Group told a Shanghai paper, “they should know why we quited.”

“CBA is not a professional league,” said Yang Yi, deputy editor-in-chief of Titan Sports to China Sports Review, “You wound’t expect to have a team like Bayi Rockets (八一火箭) in a professional league[CSR: the Bayi Rockets are an army team and is the only team with no foreign players in CBA.] Teams in a pro league should first be privately-held. CBA belongs to the government and it’s at most a half-professional league. And at least four CBA teams belong to local sports bureaus.”

“Xiyang’s withdrawal has nothing to do with the economic crisis. Shanghai Sharks is governed by the local sports bureau. The team had been neglected [by the sports bueau guys] since Yao Ming left for NBA. The leaders at the bureau turned their focus to volleyball as they thought the basketball team had no chance of winning the title without Yao,” Yang noted, “It’s not because of Shanghai’s team was bad or had no promising young players. The sport just lost their attention there. And to the sports bureau leaders, a businessman has only the right to sponsor the team but not to make any decision.”

Xiyang left Shanghai. But they’re planning on a comeback in Anshan, Liaoning Province. The Anshan Xiyang Basketball Club (鞍山西洋男篮) was established in 2006 and has been playing in NBL, the secondary league to CBA, for two seasons. The team recruited some good players from Shanghai Sharks’ youth team in 2007 and Xiyang hoped it can be promoted into CBA one day. “Eighteen teams are already too many for CBA,” said Yang, “I don’t think there will be any addition to the league. Rather, the basketball association might consider to cut some teams off.”

Previously:

• The Battle Between Fenglu Club And The Chinese Basketball Association
• Former NBA Player Bonzi Wells Released by Shanxi Zhongyu Club
• CBA Players and the Myth about the Ages Of Chinese Women Gymnasts

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