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A game Chinese hoopsters are bound to lose

Updated: 2013-08-20 01:12

By Sun Xiaochen and Lei Lei ( China Daily)

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A game Chinese hoopsters are bound to lose

Sun Yue (left) and other members of the Chinese mainland basketball team leave the court after being beaten 96-78 by Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Asia Championship quarterfinals on Aug 9, 2013. [ROUELLE UMALI / XINHUA]

Archaic training system, bureaucratic management cited as cause for failure

Chinese basketball has found itself in hot water after a humiliating loss by the national team at the recent Asian Championship in Manila and reports about management chaos.

What they say about the bad performance of the national men's basketball team recently

Wang Zhizhi, 36-year-old forward and China's first NBA player, who was with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat

On the allegation that Hu Jiashi encouraged players to disobey coach Giannakis' orders

"After the two defeats at the group stage, the whole team felt a lot of pressure, and some young players were too nervous to play. Team leaders (including Hu) summoned some veterans to a meeting and encouraged us to take more shots without hesitation. That's it."

Yi Jianlian, Team China's current backbone, who returned to the CBA from the NBA last year

On China's current level in Asia

"We have to clearly realize the fact that Chinese basketball's pace of improvement has been slower than our opponents. We are no longer the dominating force in Asia, and we have to make a greater effort to regain the top position. Chinese basketball is struggling, but I remain confident about the future."

Li Jinsheng, vice-president of the CBA

On the CBA's responsibility for the defeat

"Leaders of the basketball association all felt so sad and regretful about the result this time. The lesson we learned is profound, and the CBA should take the major responsibility for the loss. We can't blame the foreign coach for everything."

Carl Men Ky Ching, former FIBA president (2002-06)

On problems of Team China

"The shortage of reserve talent is a big concern. There are few key players in their prime on the team as the veterans have entered the twilight of their careers. Yi Jianlian is a good player but not a legitimate leader. I will try to help China apply for a wild card to play in next year's World Cup."

The situation is reminding fans of the disgraceful scene in Chinese soccer.

Vowing to defend its title in Asia, the national squad ended up with its worst result since 1975, finishing fifth and conceding an unexpected defeat to Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals.

The game's shrinking talent pool - a result of poor grassroots development - should take the blame, said former NBA all star Yao Ming.

"School basketball and professional basketball are two parallel lines in our country," Yao told China Daily at a recent charity program. "Relying only on resources in the closed State-run system, we can't produce enough talented players at the bottom."

According to the International Basketball Federation, the United States has almost 25 million registered basketball players.

In comparison, China has only 1,000 in national and youth teams registered with the Chinese Basketball Association.

Young people aged 14 to 17 in the US get to play more than 100 organized amateur games a year, while those of the same age in China only get to play 20.

Although youngsters dribbling basketballs are seen everywhere in China, that doesn't necessarily translate into reserves of talent.

"They have very little chance of being drafted into the system," Yao said.

A roster reshuffle, which was supposed to take place after the last Asian Championship in 2011, was postponed twice — at the London Olympics and the Manila tournament - due to the governing body favoring veterans.

Promising young guns like center Wang Zhelin and Li Muhao were cut before the London Games and lost the chance to hone their skills on the bigger stage.

"Lack of experience is always the excuse for cutting them, but how can they gain that experience without playing major events?" renowned basketball commentator Xu Jicheng said.

"It's not the time for Team China to reap results, so why not just keep your hands off and let the youngsters play and grow."

Xu also said the CBA, which relies heavily on foreign players to take leading roles, should take some responsibility because young Chinese players rarely see enough time on the court.

Highlights on defending champion China's FIBA Asia Championship tour:
Opening match: Lost to South Korea, 59-63	Second defeat: Lost to Iran, 51-70
Second round win: Won over Kazakhstan, 73-67	Back-to-back win: Defeated India, 79-45
Yi back from injury: Crashed Bahrain, 88-66	Elimination: Lost to Chinese Taipei, 78-96
Worst result since 1975 - Fifth rank: Won over Qatar, 96-85

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A game Chinese hoopsters are bound to lose

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