Just read from the news that former NBA player Bonzi “Bad Boy” Wells is playing in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He joined Shanxi Zhongyu in December 2008. Arguably the best former NBA player ever played in the CBA, Bonzi Wells made an immediate impact upon his arrival. In his CBA debut on 20 Dec, he scored 48 pts, shooting 17-37 FG, hit 5 3-pters, grabbed 11 reb and had 7 stls as the Shanxi Zhongyu beat Tianjin Ronggang 107-106. On Dec 28, he had a season high of 52 pts (also 14 rebs) and led the Shanxi Zhongyu to beat Fujian SBS in OT. He’s averaging 32.6 pts and 9.4 reb so far this season. He immediately became a fan favorite. The Shanxi fans even chanted “hallelujah” whenever he made a slam dunk at home, meaning that Wells is their “savior” who resurrects the team. Since his arrival, the team has won 6 of the 10 games he played.
According to news, Bonzi Wells gained his fame in China while playing with Yao in Houston.
More on Shanxi Zhongyu: Based in Taiyuan, Shanxi, the team finished dead last (16th) in the CBA last season and are now comfortably at 6th with a 14-11 record. They made some huge investment during the off season, hired former Sonics head coach Bob Weiss as the new head coach, and acquired another ex-NBA player, Olumide Oyedeji , a 6’10” center from Nigeria who was with Sonics and Magic in the early 2000s. The presence of Oyedeji and Weiss certainly made Wells’ transition from NBA to CBA much easier.
Seems like the CBA is quite a viable option for ex-NBA players. As of now, there are quite a number of ex-NBA players playing in the NBA, including:
According to news, Bonzi Wells gained his fame in China while playing with Yao in Houston.
More on Shanxi Zhongyu: Based in Taiyuan, Shanxi, the team finished dead last (16th) in the CBA last season and are now comfortably at 6th with a 14-11 record. They made some huge investment during the off season, hired former Sonics head coach Bob Weiss as the new head coach, and acquired another ex-NBA player, Olumide Oyedeji , a 6’10” center from Nigeria who was with Sonics and Magic in the early 2000s. The presence of Oyedeji and Weiss certainly made Wells’ transition from NBA to CBA much easier.
Seems like the CBA is quite a viable option for ex-NBA players. As of now, there are quite a number of ex-NBA players playing in the NBA, including:
- SG Kirk Snyder (Jazz, Hornets, Rockets), now with Zhejian Horses
- C David Harrison (Pacers), now with Beijing Ducks
- SF Mike Harris (Rockets), now with Dongguan New Century
- PF Chris Porter (Warriors), now with Fujian SBS
The latest news is that former NBA journeyman, PG Smush Parker (Cavs, Pistons, Suns, Lakers, Heat, Clippers) has signed with the CBA defending champion Guangdong Hongyuan, Yi’s former team, and will join the team this month. He was one of the better known foreign players in CBA mainly because he once played with Kobe in LA.
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