Chapter 9 Chinese Coolies
The next day, on the 25th, the Suns announced the signing of Wang Tiejun to a short-term contract.
“Damn it!”
After receiving the news, Mark West, who was already preparing for a comeback, was very angry, but there was nothing he could do and he could only be angry on his own.
"My hunch finally worked. I didn't expect the management to have this idea. Damn it, since they chose me, why did they pick a Chinese guy to come in?"
There was also someone who was even angrier than Mark West, and that was rookie Oliver Miller.
However, these two players are very low in the Suns team and cannot affect Wang Tiejun, so let's not talk about it.
In less than half a day, because of his Chinese identity, the news immediately spread throughout the media and sparked widespread heated discussion.
Even in New York, some reporters rushed to Chinatown and dug out all his information.
Illegal worker, Chinese coolie, sleeping in the sewers, homeless, violently beating bosses, etc., became his labels.
At the same time, many reporters went to the Suns' training base and headquarters to interview the Suns' management and players.
Intimidated by Colangelo's prestige, the Suns didn't say much and dealt with the media with an official attitude.
The Knicks arrived in Phoenix at 4 p.m., checked into the hotel at 5 p.m., and held a press conference.
"Patrick, what do you think of the Suns' signing?" asked a local reporter in Phoenix.
Ewing treated the media like lepers. He hated reporters the most, so he said in a very blunt and cold manner: "That's their choice."
"So do you think a Chinese is qualified to join the NBA?" the reporter asked again.
"I've met him. He brags about being the No. 1 center and is a big mouth."
At this point, Ewing became a little more talkative: "In fact, I can't imagine what it would be like for a Chinese laborer to walk into the NBA court, just because he has a lot of strength? That's ridiculous. Why not find a strongman who can deadlift 1,000 pounds or more?"
"What? A Chinese man actually calls himself the best center in the world?"
The reporter on the other side was obviously shocked, and then asked: "So in the game tomorrow night, if that Chinese player has the opportunity to play, what will you do to him?" the reporter asked.
"Oh, do you think he has a chance to play?" Ewing asked in surprise.
"No, I mean if," the reporter explained.
"If so, I would tell Mr. Colangelo, I'm sorry, you made the wrong signing decision," Ewing said.
December 26th, Christmas War.
On this day, many media outlets were making various sarcastic comments about the Suns, characterizing the signing as the stupidest signing of the season.
Of course, Wang Tiejun is the first target of media ridicule. Big mouth, paranoid, Chinese coolie, waste, and Chinatown's number one center are all labels given to him by the media.
At this moment, a person from the Chinese basketball community paid attention to the news about Wang Tiejun. He was Comrade Zhang Heli, a former member of the national men's basketball team, a famous Asian power forward, and former national team coach.
Zhang Heli came to the United States in 1988. Because his ex-wife was studying abroad at the University of Chicago, he also worked as a trainer for the University of Chicago men's basketball team. In fact, he was just a handyman. Last year, he was hired as a staff member in the school's finance department .
Their Zhang family is a famous family. Their ancestors were disciples of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao. Their maternal grandfather's family is also a famous family. Their mother and six aunts are all doctors and professors. They have three aunts in the United States. The family conditions are very good.
The main reason he came to the United States was because he failed in the competition for the head coach of the national team. He originally wanted to continue his basketball career in the United States, but unfortunately it was too difficult to start from scratch here. His three aunts had some connections in the education field, but they had no connections in the sports world and could not help him. He now basically has nothing to do with basketball. He just resigned and is making the next step in his life plan.
He was so shocked when he saw the news about Wang Tiejun.
Yes, it was shocking.
He is a former national player and one of the best power forwards in Asia, but he still has no way to continue his basketball career in the United States. But now a little laborer can actually enter an NBA team, which has to shock him.
"Wang Tiejun, 19 years old, 215 cm tall, no one in the domestic basketball world has ever heard of this person!" He thought hard but could not find any information about Wang Tiejun in his head.
"He came from China and worked as a laborer in Chinatown for almost five months. Perhaps, at his age, he just graduated from a sports school and came to the United States because he had no chance to play basketball in China?"
After repeated consideration, he decided to meet with Wang Tiejun in person. It was the first time in the world that a domestic player could join the NBA, even if it was just a short ten-day contract. It was impossible for him not to get to know such an important person.
And it just so happened that he and his ex-wife were planning to go to the University of San Diego to visit his former sister-in-law who was studying there. Tucson is only 200 kilometers away from Phoenix, so it was just along the way.
But before that, he still made a phone call back home to contact Liu Yumin first, hoping he could learn something about Wang Tiejun from her.
He and Liu Yumin were national players of the same period. Now Liu Yumin has become the deputy director of the Basketball Department of the Sports Commission and has developed much better than him.
“Ding ding…”
At ten o'clock in the evening, in a single room on the third floor of a tube-shaped building belonging to the National Sports Commission, Liu Yumin was preparing to take a rest when the phone suddenly rang.
"Hello, who are you?" she quickly went over and picked up the phone and asked.
"Director Liu, I'm Zhang Heli."
"Oh, Lao Zhang, you have been in the United States for several years. Are you returning to China?" she said in surprise.
"No, I'm still in the United States. Director Liu, this is what I want to find out about someone..." Zhang Heli said on the other end.
"Oh, go ahead." International calls are very expensive, so Liu Yumin didn't waste any words and spoke directly.
"Wang Tiejun, he is only 19 years old this year and plays basketball. He should be from a sports school in China. Do you know him?" Zhang Heli asked.
"Wang Tiejun? How do you know him?"
Liu Yumin was stunned. She actually knew the young man's name.
Zhang Heli explained: "He has joined an NBA team in the United States now, I think..."
"What?" Liu Yumin was shocked.
"Director Liu, do you know him?" Zhang Heli asked quickly.
"Yes, of course I know."
Liu Yumin sighed and explained, "He is from Cangzhou Sports School. He has very good physical condition, especially his arm span is very good and his strength is also very strong. He can be said to be the best center seedling in the country after Mu Tiezhu. He was selected into the National Youth Team in October 1990, but before he even got in, he was imprisoned for a year for causing injury in a fight..."
"What?"
When Zhang Heli heard this, he immediately understood why Wang Tiejun appeared in the United States.
After this experience in China, let alone getting into the system, he can’t even play in the A and B leagues. Who would dare to let a prisoner play in the game?
"Because the nature of the incident was quite bad, I also learned about his case. I heard that he never admitted to fighting from beginning to end. He said that he fought with those hooligans to save a girl. However, the public security department could not find the girl, and he could not provide any clues, so..."
"What a pity!"
Zhang Hexian sighed.
After chatting briefly for a few more sentences, the two ended the call.
Zhang Heli still decided to meet Wang Tiejun. After all, he was the first Chinese to get an NBA contract, and now that he had resigned, he had nothing to do for the time being.
