Reviewing Chinese Players’ NBA Draft History: Total Selected, Successful Landings

On June 27, Chinese prospect Cui Yongxi will represent Chinese athletes in the NBA draft, with the second round commencing at 4 AM on June 28. Let’s first take a look back at the Chinese players who have been drafted by NBA teams in the past!

Song Tao

Selected in the third round, 21st pick (67th overall) by the Atlanta Hawks in 1987 (didn’t play in the NBA)

Song Tao, standing at 2.08 meters tall, scored 28 points against Puerto Rico at the age of 20 during the 1986 FIBA World Championship, helping the Chinese national team secure their best-ever ninth-place finish. The Hawks noticed Song and picked him up in the third round, 67th overall, in the following year’s draft. However, just two months after signing an NBA contract, Song suffered a career-threatening knee fracture, preventing him from ever stepping onto an NBA court.

Wang Zhizhi

Picked 7th in the second round (36th overall) by the Dallas Mavericks in 1999

Played for the Mavericks, Clippers, and Heat, amassing a total of 137 games over six seasons with averages of 4.4 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

Yao Ming

Selected 1st overall in the first round by the Houston Rockets in 2002

Played 486 games, starting 476, averaging 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game.

Xue Yuyang

Picked 57th in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks, then traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2003 (never played in the NBA)

In October 2001, Xue was loaned from Henan to Jilin Northeast Tigers for his CBA debut. In the 2001-02 season, he played 24 regular-season games, averaging 28.5 minutes, 8.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. In the playoffs, he played eight games, averaging 20.0 minutes, 4.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists, earning him the CBA Best Rookie Award that season.

In 2003, Xue was selected by the Hong Kong Dragons in the inaugural CBA player draft and was later picked by the Mavericks in the second round, 57th overall, but ultimately did not make it to the NBA.

Yi Jianlian

Selected 6th in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007

Played 272 games, starting 163, averaging 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

Sun Yue

Picked 10th in the second round (40th overall) by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007

Averaged 0.6 points in 10 games with the Lakers.

Zhou Qi

Selected 13th in the second round (43rd overall) by the Houston Rockets in 2016

Played 19 games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Wang ZheLin

Picked 27th in the second round (57th overall) by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016 (has yet to play in the NBA)