By CGTN's Zhu Mandan
Zhou Qi is the first Chinese basketball player in five years to join the NBA.
He has played three Summer League games with the Houston Rockets and his journey has involved surprises and compromises.
With the hope of boosting Chinese players' profiles in the NBA, Zhou signed with the Houston Rockets last Thursday.
Zhou Qi (R) of the Houston Rockets shoots against Malcolm Thomas of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017 Summer League at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, July 8, 2017. /VCG Photo
After a solid start that saw him score 17 points in the Summer League opener last Friday, the Chinese had only two and three points in the next two games on Saturday and Monday.
Zhou passed on shots on offense and contributed more on defense. The former Xinjiang center had three blocks in the third game against Phoenix, but converted only one of six shots from the field.
"The distance from the NBA's three-point line is different than the CBA. For me, training and competing are completely different matters. I will need time to adapt to the distance and to shooting under such high physical pressure." Zhou told CGTN Sports Scene.
According to Chinese media, the 21-year-old agreed to a contract worth over five million dollars for four years with 800,000 dollars guaranteed in the first year.
Zhou was one of the highest paid players in the CBA, but his NBA contract is the lowest for a rookie.
Zhou Qi (R) of the Houston Rockets and Anthony Gill of the Cleveland Cavaliers get battle for position on a rebound during the 2017 Summer League at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, July 8, 2017. /VCG Photo
Zhou is now working hard to prove his ability in a brand new environment.
"Zhou's biggest advantages are his height and long arms which can pressure an opponent. Also, I think he has been doing well in stretching the opposition's defense from the three-point line," said one fan.
Zhou has hopes that he can follow in the footsteps of his Houston predecessor Yao Ming, but those are giant shoes to fill and the young center has a lot of hard work ahead.
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