After a jaw-dropping 2,189-day drought, Chinese hoops fans finally have a new NBA hero to cheer for! 🎉 22-year-old Cui Yongxi made his historic debut with the Brooklyn Nets during Sunday's home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks, marking the first time a Chinese player has stepped onto NBA courts since 2017.
🔥 The moment wasn't just symbolic – Cui sank his first NBA free throw during the final minutes, joining an elite club of just seven Chinese players to ever compete in the league. Talk about pressure? His second shot at the line swished through the net like a viral TikTok dance move 💃 – pure satisfaction for millions watching back home.
🏆 Cui now follows in the giant footsteps of legends like Yao Ming and Zhou Qi, whose last basket for the Houston Rockets in 2018 had been China's previous NBA scoring moment. With youth basketball participation surging 300% in China since Yao's era, this debut couldn't have come at a better time for Asia's basketball-loving generation.
