The Chinese men's national basketball team will leave for Zunyi,
Guizhou Province on June 22 to take on the US All-Star Team,
comprising several former NBA celebs, in five friendly matches.
It's a tournament that China is taking seriously and it needs all
the good players it can get its hands on, like Sun Yue.
Hu Jiashi, deputy director of the Basketball Administration
Center of China's General Administration of Sports, said that they
have tried in vain to contact the player's club, Aoshen, and Sun
since the new roster for the national team was released in
mid-June. "If he doesn't show up by June 21, the deadline for
redistributing the players, he will be given up by the national
team."
So, just who is Sun Yue and, more important, where is he
now?
Twenty-year-old Sun is 2.05 m tall and plays the point guard (PG)
position for Beijing club Aoshen.
"He's big for this position, good for fast breaks and he can
make some jump shots," commented Jonas Kauslauskas, national team
head coach. He added: "Everybody who has potential must be on the
national team. For sure I think this young boy wants to be here,
maybe somebody is making it difficult for him."
Kauslauskas believes that Sun's placement in the national team
is important as it currently lacks a strong PG. China has to work
hard to train tall and quick PG so as to be able to compete with
taller and faster European and American rivals.
Aoshen holding Sun "to ransom"
On June 17, Zang Changhong, deputy general manager of Aoshen
Club went to the basketball administration "to negotiate".
Zang admitted that there was "no mistake" about the team's
delayed response. Zang added that Sun would only be allowed to play
with the national team on condition that Aoshen be reinstated in
the CBA League this year. Zang also issued a statement urging the
authority to publicize its profit and loss figures. The basketball
center said that the deadline for Sun's registration could be
postponed and they hoped to see the player sooner rather than
later.
This is not the first time that the club and the center have
locked horns. In May 2004, Aoshen was barred by the CBA from
competing in the Chinese first-division basketball league for the
2004-05 season after the club refused to release Sun to the Chinese
U-20 squad. As a result of Aoshen's suspension, the Yunnan Bulls
were lifted into the premiere division to take its place.
Kauslauskas said he couldn't understand the club's behavior. In
his opinion, Aoshen should release the player with no strings
attached. This would not be acceptable in any other country.
Jonas Kauslauskas, national team head coach
Aoshen was only a mid-ranking team in the CBA
league, its best position being fourth place during the 1998-99
season.
But the club's private ownership makes it a club to be reckoned
with, beyond the authority's jurisdiction.
Prior to the CBA's reform in 1995, the basketball center
performed its official functions as a governmental organ
administrating the teams, most of which were affiliated to local
sports bureaus. With the further development of the league,
privately owned teams came into being. Established in 1997, Aoshen
Club is funded by the Dongjing real estate company. The club
applies for admission to the league annually, but the basketball
administration center has no right to interfere with contracts
between the club and its players. When the CBA called up Sun last
year to play for the national team, the club thought the move might
weaken the strength of the team. It therefore declined on account
of Sun's "Achilles tendon". Their refusal to let Sun play for the
national team was what led to their suspension in the first
place.
It would be interesting to see how this drama pans out. But, in
the final analysis, this incident is a clear indication that the
CBA is still far from professional. More needs to be done to cement
the basketball administration's authority, and to develop more
reasonable and flexible contracts for players.
(China.org.cn by Li Xiao, June 21, 2005)
