Chinese Nets fans praise Jacky Cui report, thank ‘Boss Tsai’
Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images
Chinese Nets fans aren’t that different from those here. So, when word came that their favorite team had signed their favorite player, they celebrated on line. Hupu.com is the big Chinese sports commentary and news site, sort of a sports “Twitter.” Each team has its own “zone” and until last Thursday, the “Nets zone” was a pretty lonely place ... at least by Chinese standards.
Then, Sijia Xue, a reporter in Shanghai, broke the news that the Nets were “close” to signing Yongxi “Jacky” Cui, the youngest player on the Chinese national team, to a two-way deal. As one Chinese fan, Tony Leung, posted when the news broke, “there will be more fans coming to your zone!” Another, using the moniker, Just a troll who trolls trolls, added, “The four moderators will have a hard time next!” (All the comments here are machine translated.)
That is definitely the case. Since the news broke that Cui, a 6’8” shooting guard, is headed to the Brooklyn Nets and Long Island Nets, fans have flocked to Hupu to talk up the team, pledge their loyalty, praise Joe Tsai, aka “Boss Tsai.” So many in fact that the last week reportedly broke viewership records that go back to the “Big Three” era and had the Nets outpacing popular teams like the Warriors and Rockets....
The response was typical for any fan site, whether American, Chinese or anywhere in-between. There was a lot of cheering for the fans’ favorite team signing the local product, a lot of speculation about how much he might play and who he resembles, from “the handsome Jalen Wilson” to Paul George, as well as a few conspiracy theories. Can’t escape them!
There were new fans as well. “I have to support the Nets,” posted one. “When I saw the news that Cui Yongyuan joined the Nets, I shouted ‘WTF’” said another.
One of the most popular posts asked this question, “How to buy Cui Yongyuan’s jersey? Will it be available in China?” (In Cui’s case, they will be two, Brooklyn and Long Island.) Another asked “Do any of you have a high-definition computer wallpaper of the Brooklyn Nets?” and a third boldly, and no doubt accurately predicted, “The popularity of several Nets players in China will explode in the future.”
The single most popular post though was praise for Tsai not so much for reportedly signing Cui but for rescuing the Chinese national team, which after its heyday with Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian more than a decade ago has fallen on hard times. “Boss Tsai is actually supporting the Chinese men’s basketball team.” Wrote Hupu JR0781019906:
The national team is now lifeless, and there are too few players who have reached the level of international competitions. It is in urgent need of a high-level player to emerge as a leader, show some confidence, and move forward. Look at the notebook, it’s different to have one or two high-level players leading the team. If Cui Yongyuan can stay and play in the rotation, it will be a good thing for him and the Chinese men’s basketball team.
One recurring conspiracy theory, not backed up by any evidence, is that Tsai was ordered to sign Cui by Chinese sports authorities fed up with the Chinese national team’s failures. Multiple fans, some in response to that theory, posted a recent video in which Tsai told Chinese fans that he would not bring in a Chinese player unless they are ready...
“If I bring in a Chinese player, it is meaningless if he doesn’t have the ability to play,” Tsai said via a machine translation. “If he can’t play, I will be criticized. If he can play, it will be meaningful.”
Most recently logging a 39-game season with the Guangzhou Long Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, Cui averaged averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and shot 46.1% overall, 35.6% from deep in the recent CBA season. The 21-year-old’s best game came this past January, when he finished with 31 points, 10 dimes, and 10 boards.
The news also had Nets fans talking about the possibility of signing Jimmy Butler, their favorite Nets team uniforms, Ben Simmons Brooklyn pad, complete with Chinese subtitles, the team’s history with Chinese (Yi Jianlian) and Chinese-American (Jeremy Lin) players and prospects for next summer when the Nets are projected to have anywhere between $44 million and $65 million in cap space and six draft picks. The last time the Nets had that kind of flexibility, came during those Lin and Jianlian years when they certainly flexed their artistic muscles .
Hupu is only one of several big Chinese social media sites. The reported signing was also talked up on other big Chinese language sites. No word yet from the Nets on Cui’s status but when he signs, expect more celebration.
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