The new NBA season gets underway later this week and Cui Yongxi is hoping to become just the seventh Chinese player to feature in the world’s top basketball league.
The 21 year-old has signed for the Brooklyn Nets.
CGTN’s Dan Williams reports.
#NBA #Basketball #China #BrooklynNets #Nets
The 21 year-old has signed for the Brooklyn Nets.
CGTN’s Dan Williams reports.
#NBA #Basketball #China #BrooklynNets #Nets
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NewsTranscript
00:00A new NBA season and some new faces for the Brooklyn Nets.
00:05China's Sui Yongxi recently signed for the Nets on a two-year contract
00:09that will allow him to play in the NBA for the Brooklyn Nets,
00:12as well as its developmental G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.
00:17Sui played two seasons with the Guangzhou Lions in the China Basketball Association, or the CBA,
00:23and he's determined to make the most of the opportunity.
00:27It's a big turn from my life. It's my first career from the CBA,
00:34and it's my second career start from the NBA.
00:38I mean, it's a big dream come true. It's a time change.
00:42At the Open Media Day, there was plenty of media interest in the Nets' new signing,
00:47and the Nets players are excited to have Sui on board.
00:50Yeah, Jackie's great. Over the few weeks I've been around,
00:54he's continued to get better and better and more confident and more comfortable.
00:59But he's great. Great person. Works hard in the gym, so I'm excited to see his growth.
01:05Sui, who also goes by the name Jackie, arrives in Brooklyn
01:09after spending time with the Portland Trailblazers in the NBA Summer League.
01:13If he plays in the NBA, he will become the seventh player from mainland China to do so,
01:18following in the footsteps of Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian,
01:22who was with the Nets for two seasons from 2008.
01:25Try your best to never get too high or too low, right?
01:28It's 82 game seasons, a lot of games and a lot of travel,
01:32and it could definitely wear on the body, physical and mentally.
01:36So not really any expectations, so don't get too hard on yourself if you have one bad day,
01:40or don't think, you know, you've got the world figured out if you have one good game, you know.
01:45The hard work for Sui Yong-Hsi begins now.
01:48He knows that getting playing time in the NBA will be difficult.
01:51But if he can continue the upward curve in his basketball career,
01:55then he hopes that will help inspire other players from China and around the world
02:00to follow in his footsteps.
02:02I don't have a lot because my family is not that rich.
02:06My dad is like a street basketball player,
02:10so I work from young when I play basketball until I got this.
02:15If you want to play basketball, you just play,
02:18and step by step you will make it.
02:21Sui says he is mentally prepared for the challenge ahead
02:25and ready to make the most of his opportunity.
02:28Dan Williams, CGTN, Brooklyn, New York.