Wang ZhiZhi Sighting

by Wes Cox on Mar 19, 2007 10:40 PM CDT in News

Where's Wang?

via TrueHoop

There were a bunch of NBA scouts in China over the weekend to look at future top ten pick Yi Jianlian. The scouts were there to see Yi's Guangdon Tigers take on the Bayi Rockets in the Chinese Basketball Association championship, but the 19 year old Yi (24 points, 8 rebounds) wasn't the player who made an impression.

True NBA fans know Wang Zhizhi, who played 5 forgettable seasons with the Mavericks, Clippers and Heat and became the first Chinese player ever to play in the NBA. He has since returned to China and coincidentally, played in Sunday's game. And played quite well. The 7-footer shot 10-12 for 22 points and 8 boards to help the Bayi Rockets steal Game 1 on the road. Since his return to China, the 29 year-old is turning heads once again back at his former place of employment, the NBA.

ZhiZhi played in 60 games for the Mavericks from 2000-2002. His 01-02 season with Dallas, when he averaged 5.6pts and 2reb in 10 mpg, was his most successful in the NBA.

I'll always remember him most for disappearing after the 2002 season. Wang dropped off the face of the Earth in the offseason and Mavs officials were completely unable to contact him. There were even rumors he was trying to defect from China. The real story was far less interesting -- he'd just been hanging out in LA all summer, but before he was found the "Where's Wang" jokes provided tons of entertainment.

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29...

Riiiiiiight.

How is Danny Almonte doing, by the way?

by BrodyV on Mar 20, 2007 12:54 AM CDT 0 recs

Ha ha...

I was thinking the same thing...29?!?

The saddest part is that the Mavs picked twice in that second round passing a skinny Argentinian fellow named Manu Ginobili.

Man, those past draft lists just make you sick.....

by DitchThePlaybook on Mar 20, 2007 11:03 AM CDT up 0 recs

I thought he did defect

in fact, i'm sure of it. the mavs had to basically sever ties with wang to appease china because wang refused to play for the national team.

i wonder what kind of boot licking wang had to do to get back into the country - and i wonder if they'll ever let him leave again.

by ab03 on Mar 20, 2007 8:48 AM CDT 0 recs

I'm pretty sure he never officially defected.

He just pissed off China by not showing up for a few national team games.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/nba/stories/2002-06-07-wang.htm

by Wes Cox on Mar 20, 2007 11:23 AM CDT up 0 recs

My best ZhiZhi memory

Just wanted to share this..

It was garbage time VS the PHX Suns - final regular season game of the 01-02 season. Thunder Dan Majerle was playing his final game and the PHX fans wanted to see him hit some final 3pt shots.

Nellie seemed content to let it happen as Majerle was allowed to fire away uncontested. Poor Wang was the only guy on the floor fiercly contesting Majerles 3's - people were yelling "no!" But the guy didn't understand English. That's probably the funniest thing I remember about Wang.

by ja on Mar 20, 2007 12:55 PM CDT 0 recs

Gong

I liked the gong on the sound system when he came into the game or hit a 3. That was cute. I can't imagine trying to learn a system while not understanding the language. I guess the gong was his que to hit the floor?

by MavsFanInCA on Mar 20, 2007 4:13 PM CDT 0 recs