During the 2011 NBA shutdown, a number of NBA players came to China in search of new opportunities, including three Nuggets players – Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler. This period of time is called"**Fishing period", and their arrival has undoubtedly given a fresh vitality to the Chinese basketball community. It is worth mentioning that the latter two foreign players played a full season in the CBA, while Kenyon Martin left a short and regrettable mark on his journey in China, and left in a hurry after only 12 games, leaving the Chinese Basketball Association very wronged!
On September 22, 2011, Martin signed a one-year, $2.65 million contract with Xinjiang. Amid the uncertainty of the NBA resumption, CBA teams have added a special clause when signing these NBA foreign players: even if the NBA shutdown ends, players cannot leave the team at will to return to the United States to play, but must wait until the end of the CBA season before they can consider other league options as free agents.
As the champion of the NBA, Martin stepped on the CBA arena with enthusiasm and confidently said that he would help the Xinjiang team win the championship. However, while Wilson Chandler chipped in a staggering 43 points and 22 rebounds in his CBA career debut, Martin contributed only 16 points in 40 minutes on the field, shooting less than 50 percent from the field, which led to a crushing loss to Shanxi in the Xinjiang team. This game became an embarrassing starting point for Martin's CBA career, and it also made him deeply aware of the fierce competition in Chinese basketball.
Since then, Martin's performance has been consistently unexpected, playing in 12 games and averaging just 13 points per game9 points, 97 rebounds, 18 assists, 08 steals, and 06 caps. Shooting just 484%, a far cry from his style in the NBA. In stark contrast, J.R. Smith averaged 34 hits per game over the same period4 points, 74 rebounds, 41 assist, 25 steals and a shooting percentage of 495%。Wilson Chandler also showed great individual ability, averaging 26 per game6 points, 116 rebounds, 23 assists, 14 steals, and 08 caps. Such a contrast makes people sigh that there is no harm without contrast.
In the NBA, Martin is known as the best insider, with outstanding physical qualities and passion. However, his performance in the CBA did not attract much attention, despite being 34 years old at the time. Even in the NBA, he was able to contribute 8. in 25 minutes per game6 points and 62 rebounds and a whopping 51 percent from the field1%。In the CBA, while he may be entering the late stages of his career, most interior players still struggle to match him. However, it's worth noting that his performance in the CBA seems to lack some aggressive attitude and doesn't seem to be in a hurry to put in more effort.
With the end of the NBA shutdown, many NBA players who came to play in China faced the urge to return to the United States to play. However, due to contract constraints, some players choose to work tirelessly to complete the entire CBA season and do their best for the team. However, there are also some players, such as Martin, who are not fully committed to the experience. They may be in Cao Ying's heart and Han, reserving their stamina to ensure that they can perform their best when they return to the NBA. The situation has raised doubts among fans about the professional attitude of these players, and has also raised questions about the balance between different leagues.
After 12 struggling games, Martin did not hesitate to ask for a termination from the Xinjiang team. Its poor performance left the Xinjiang team with no choice but to agree to change foreign players. However, his previously signed contract clearly stated that he would not be allowed to play in other leagues this season unless he could obtain a clarification letter from the Chinese Basketball Association.
In order to protect the rights and interests of the CBA team, the Chinese Basketball Association naturally refused to issue a clarification letter for him. They are well aware that if this situation is allowed to develop, it will trigger other foreign aid to follow suit, which will lead to the situation in the CBA getting out of control. Therefore, the Chinese Basketball Association did not move to Martin's request.
However, Martin and his agent did not stop and decided to bypass the Chinese Basketball Association and apply directly to FIBA. More insidiously, they chose to apply during the Chinese New Year in an attempt to confuse the public.
Their ruse succeeded. FIBA forwarded Martin's application to the Chinese Basketball Association, and at that time, the Chinese Basketball Association personnel were returning to their hometowns for the Chinese New Year, and there was no reply for seven days. This made FIBA mistakenly believe that the Chinese Basketball Association acquiesced in Martin's application, so the contract restrictions were automatically lifted, and Martin was able to return to the NBA.
He then quickly signed a $2.5 million mid-level contract with the Clippers and managed to earn two salaries in one season. This move angered other foreign players who are still playing in China, and they have offered to leave the team, and the club has submitted to the Chinese Basketball Association**, causing the CBA to fall into chaos.
In order to alleviate the strong public dissatisfaction, the Chinese Basketball Association decided to file a formal complaint with the International Basketball Federation. They quickly submitted an official statement to FIBA and the NBA with Martin's autograph, in which Martin pledged not to play in the NBA until the end of the Xinjiang team's season. The Chinese Basketball Association hopes that this agreement will be valued and recognized by FIBA and the NBA to settle the matter. However, this effort seemed to sink into the sea, without causing any waves, and the Chinese Basketball Association finally had no choice but to accept this silent fact, as if it had never happened.
Regarding Martin's behavior, it can be said that it is quite disgraceful. The Xinjiang team offered him a contract with an annual salary of up to $2.65 million, which is the highest compensation he can receive after his big contract with the Denver Nuggets, showing the team's great respect and generosity towards him. In this case, it is a basic work ethic to accept financial support, fulfill the responsibility of the contract and play with all your might, however, the path he chose was extremely disappointing, and such an act of foreign aid was rightfully met with a stern response from the CBA.