During the 2011 NBA shutdown, a number of NBA players flocked to China in search of financial gain, including three Nuggets players – Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler. Smith and Chandler spent an entire season in the CBA, while Martin left after just 12 games, a move that caused displeasure in the Chinese Basketball Association.
On September 22, 2011, Martin signed a one-year, $2.65 million contract with the Xinjiang team. Due to concerns about the possible return of players after the NBA resumes, CBA teams have included a clause in their contracts with these NBA foreign players: even if the NBA shutdown ends, players cannot leave the team in the middle of the season to return to the United States, and must wait until the end of the CBA season before transferring to other leagues as free agents.
As one of the top players in the NBA, Martin embarked on the journey of the CBA with confidence. When he first joined the Xinjiang team, he said that he would help the team win the championship. However, when Chandler scored 43 points and 22 rebounds in his debut at the CBA, Martin's performance was bleak. He scored only 16 points in 40 minutes on the court, shooting less than 50 percent, resulting in the Xinjiang team being defeated by the Shanxi team by a large score.
Martin's performance in the CBA contrasts with his brilliance in the NBA. In the NBA, he was known as an inside lineman and was highly skilled, but in the CBA he was overshadowed. Even though he's 34 years old, his NBA stats are impressive, averaging 86 points 62 rebounds and a whopping 51 percent from the field1%。
Such a performance should be stress-free in the CBA, but Martin seems to lack motivation and is unwilling to give it his all. His situation represents the plight of many NBA players in the CBA. Some of the players who have had to stay in China due to contract restrictions are still giving it their all, but there are also those who are attached to the NBA and don't want to spend too much energy in the CBA, with a desire to stay healthy.
Negative sabotage led to the termination of Martin's contract with the Xinjiang team, and due to his poor performance, the Xinjiang team had to agree to change foreign players. However, the original contract stipulated that Martin would not play in other leagues this season unless he received a letter of clarification from the Chinese Basketball Association. In order to protect the rights and interests of the CBA team, the Chinese Basketball Association will certainly not provide him with a clarification letter, so as not to trigger other foreign aid to follow suit and cause the CBA to fall into chaos.
After being rejected by the Chinese Basketball Association, Martin and his agent took the very strategic action of submitting their application directly to FIBA. They cleverly chose to apply during the Chinese New Year in an attempt to confuse the public during this interregnum. Their plot succeeded, and FIBA conveyed Martin's application to the Chinese Basketball Association. Because the personnel of the Chinese Basketball Association were all on vacation to go home for the New Year, they did not reply to FIBA's request for 7 days. FIBA therefore mistakenly believed that the Chinese Basketball Association acquiesced in Martin's application, which led to the automatic lifting of the contract restrictions, allowing Martin to successfully return to the NBA.
Subsequently, he signed a one-year, $2.5 million mid-range contract with the Clippers, successfully doing both in one season. This angered the other foreign players who still play in China, and they offered to leave the team. Clubs have proposed to the Chinese Basketball Association, which has plunged the CBA into chaos.
The Chinese Basketball Association had hoped to quell public anger by appealing to FIBA and the NBA, but their efforts came to naught. They issued a statement signed by Martin promising not to return to the NBA until the end of the season. However, the contract failed to gain recognition and respect from FIBA and the NBA, and was ultimately put aside without any positive response. The Chinese Basketball Association had to choose to swallow this sulking breath and silently endure this neglected situation as if nothing had happened.
Martin's behavior is simply unacceptable. The Xinjiang team gave him a salary of $2.65 million a year, which is already the highest annual salary he can receive after ending his contract with the Nuggets. This is not only a respect for him, but also a reward for his generous treatment. According to common sense, if you take the money, you have to do things, which is a matter of course. Even if he misses the NBA arena again, he should fulfill his contract, play for the team with all his might, and be responsible for his salary. However, he has chosen a much-criticized path, and such foreign aid is really not worthy of the CBA's continued trust.