Playing Basketball in China: An Insider's View

Basketball in China has always been a mystery to me.  There's no doubt it is one of the most popular sports here and yet there seems to be no system in which to learn to play.  Take for instance the CBA, China's professional basketball league that has produced the likes of Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian.  How did they get drafted to play, I wonder?  No college teams exist from which to scout new talent and there are no high school teams who play for province championships.  I have been determined to crack this "mystery of the invisible basketball system" since arriving here in China and this year I am finally getting a tiny insider's glimpse.

Last week I was invited to play in this month's city-wide tournament featuring this area's top basketball talent - not because I'm the best basketball player they've ever seen but because I'm the only white guy in the city and I play basketball well enough.  That's fine with me...my ego's not too big to fit that role.  Heck, how much pride can a 6 foot tall (1.88m) guy who can't dunk have?

To make things even more interesting, I will not only be allowed access to this city's finest competition and newest, most beautiful gyms but I'm also getting paid to do so!  I accepted the invitation to play before realizing I would get paid, so don't ask me how much because I don't know yet.  All I know is that over the next week or so I'll be showing you a little behind the scenes of playing basketball in China.

Playing Basketball in China: The Beginning

I'm still learning about the basketball system here in China, but I'll quickly recount for you the steps that have brought me to this tournament.  Think of it as my "humble beginnings":

1. The Outdoor Basketball Court:  In American terms we call this "street ball".  It's basically basketball on a concrete surface playing on a rim that rarely has a net.  Two years ago I went to the local college and started playing with the students there.  Like I said, I'm not a great ball player but I could run circles around most of these students, so after about 6 months of playing I was "noticed" by some of the phys. ed faculty and promoted to...
2. The Indoor Basketball Court:  Most every good high school in China now has a very modern looking basketball court.  It's the cool thing to do now, I guess.  Anyway, I was promoted to the indoor court and allowed to play with stiffer competition although the gym was only open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.  After another few months of proving myself as not only a decent player but also a fun foreigner I was eventually invited to participate in their...
3. Company Competition:  A company sometimes decides to hold their own tournament with the different departments making up the teams.  Benefits of playing in these tournaments include free jerseys and a monetary prize for each team's MVP.  One tournament I was involved in was actually a cooperation amongst a couple of related companies, which isn't all uncommon.  It was through relationships that I developed in these competitions that I was invited to participate in...
4. City or Independently Sponsored Tournaments:  This is where I find myself right now.  The competition I am involved with, called the "Heathy Cup", is actually independently organized but I think partially financed by the city.  Each team has its own sponsor and a coach whose players can either be recruited or part of a company group.  As I find out more about how this works I'll let you know.

The tournament starts this week but we'll be practicing for a few days beforehand.  I'm interested to see how good my teammates will be.  Games will take place every night for the next 12 days and I've already been told that the team goes out to eat every night after the games.  We'll see how that goes.  My Chinese is improving every day, but I'm afraid I won't be able to hold my own during any fast-moving conversation.  I'll keep you posted as all this fun unfolds!