Chinese basketball has offered different experiences for American imports. (Photo : Getty Images)
Not everyone can feel like a superstar akin to the NBA's current duopoly of LeBron James and Stephen Curry. But in China, American imports are always the subject of both raw adulation and heavy expectation, thanks to the country's experience with Stephon Marbury.
Up-and-coming players in the NBA would not even give the CBA a shot while at the peak of their careers, what with the grand stage provided by the world's best basketball league by a mile. Although China is not a place to achieve global basketball fame, it's certainly a place where the game is greatly appreciated.
Enter Marbury - the point guard who once graced the likes of Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics. Albeit relatively above-average by NBA standards, his decision to ply his trade to the Far East earned him a different experience as far as being idolized in the hoops game is concerned.
Marbury's natural hunger that drove him to success in the NBA has taken an entirely new form in China, what with his six highly successful years with capital team Beijing Ducks. Such was the reverence he enjoys among Chinese fans that he now has a statue, postage stamp, and documentary all made in his honor.
With Starbury's legacy now serving as a blueprint for foreign players taking on the Chinese challenge, several of them in the CBA who once came from the NBA now have interesting stories to share about their Far East experience. For many of them, it's the league's quality that continue to defy shallow expectations.
Ex-Atlanta Hawks Randolph Morris proved that the CBA is not something ex-NBA players should take for granted. His experience playing alongside Marbury with the Ducks proves that China is no place for easy points galore, with his 25-point average in his CBA career being a testament to the league's quality.
Jordan Crawford, whose last stint with the Golden State Warriors earned him the opportunity to play alongside greats Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, noted at how his "royal" status in China--headlined by his 72-point feat for Tianjin Ronggang Gold Lions, reflects how the Chinese view American players.
By any measure, Chinese basketball has benefited from Americans who played at the NBA, judging by their advanced ways of reading the game. But the CBA's continuous improvement means that it's no longer merely a place for pre-retirement paychecks, as it now requires players to step up.
