CBA stories: Bass thriving in China since departure from NBA

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05:53

Liaoning's exit in the semi-finals of the CBA Playoffs means the Flying Leopards will not repeat as champions.

However, their fans won't forget last spring anytime soon, and one of the biggest contributors to the team's first league title was American power forward Brandon Bass, who told CGTN's Damion Jones why they won't be satisfied without winning another trophy, in this season's second episode of CBA Stories.

The journey that took Brandon Bass to China was not something the American forward anticipated while playing 12 seasons in the NBA.

Bass said he thought he would have a long NBA career and playing overseas did not cross his mind, but when his agency told him that Liaoning was also a good team, he decided to give a stint abroad a shot.

The impact of Bass moving to the CBA was immense for Liaoning, as he proved to be the missing ingredient for the Flying Leopards, helping them finally claim a long-elusive league championship. Bass said it was really a great experience to win the championship in his first CBA season.

A wrist injury knocked Liaoning center Han Dejun out of action late in the regular season, meaning Bass needed to shoulder even more responsibility for the Flying Leopards during the 2019 CBA Playoffs. When it came to stepping up in the face of adversity, he had no issue thanks to his NBA tenure.

The 33-year-old said he dedicated his life to basketball, and trains every day to keep his abilities in tip-top shape. Also, Bass said he doesn't want to be away from family too long and hoped he could go back home to continue his career in the future.