Zhou Qi

Zhou Qi
Zhou Qi in October 2017
No. 9 – Houston Rockets
Position Power forward / Center
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1996-01-16) January 16, 1996
Xinxiang, Henan, China
Nationality Chinese
Listed height 7 ft 1.5 in (2.17 m)
Listed weight 240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
NBA draft 2016 / Round: 2 / Pick: 46th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career 2014–present
Career history
2014–2017 Xinjiang Flying Tigers
2017–present Houston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  China
FIBA Asia Championship
2015 Changsha
Asian Games
2018 Jakarta-Palembang

Zhou Qi (Chinese: 周琦; pinyin: Zhōu Qí [ʈʂóu tɕʰǐ]; born January 16, 1996) is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously spent his professional career with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Early career

Zhou first began appearing on scouting reports when he guided China to an unlikely youth team title in Turkey at the TBF International Under-16 Tournament in 2011. At age fifteen, Zhou put up 41 points, 28 rebounds, and 15 blocks in China's semifinal win over Germany, and then went for 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 blocks in the final against the host nation. A year later at the 2012 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, a traditional testing ground for the best teenage players in international basketball, Zhou reinforced his reputation as one to watch by averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game.[1]

In January 2014, Zhou left his boyhood team, the Liaoning Jaguars, to join the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. However, he was unable to play for Xinjiang until the 2014–15 season due to being underaged.[1]

Professional career

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2014–2017)

Although there were rumors that several U.S. college teams were courting him, the teenager decided to stay in China, and his move to the cash-flush Xinjiang team caused a firestorm of speculation within the local media. Initially, it was claimed Zhou had accepted a three-year, $744,000 deal that would have made him better paid than most of the Tigers' roster at the time, and the club was forced to publicly deny those stories.[1]

In 2015–16, Xinjiang lost in the semifinals of the CBA playoffs. Zhou led the CBA in blocked shots in each of his first two seasons at 3.3 and 3.2 per game, respectively, while shooting 65 percent from two-point range in 73 total games.[2]

In June 2016, Zhou reached an agreement with Xinjiang that would allow him to buy out his contract and join the NBA in 2017. After much back and forth, Zhou's representation in China and the U.S. secured a buyout that would allow him out of his contract at the conclusion of the 2016–17 season for the maximum league mandated amount permitted, which is $675,000.[2]

In 2016–17, Zhou averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 58.6% from the floor. He also ranked second in the CBA in blocks (2.3 bpg) and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Zhou hit 20 3-pointers in 2016–17 after having 10 his first two seasons combined. He also helped Xinjiang win its first championship in 2016–17.[3]

Houston Rockets (2017–present)

After his second season with Xinjiang, Zhou declared for the 2016 NBA draft. He had the longest wingspan during the 2016 NBA Draft Combine at 7'7¾" (2.33 m).[2][4] On June 23, 2016, he was selected with the 43rd overall pick by the Houston Rockets.[5] However, Zhou was reportedly disappointed by his draft result, which led to a decline in his performance in the Rio Olympic Games and other events.

On July 6, 2017, Zhou signed with the Houston Rockets.[3] He made his NBA debut on October 21, 2017, playing seven minutes in the fourth quarter of the Rockets' 107–91 win over the Dallas Mavericks and posting three rebounds and one block.[6] On November 1, 2017, Zhou scored his first NBA points, finishing with three points against the New York Knicks.[7] During his rookie season, Zhou has had multiple assignments to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League.[8]

National team career

Zhou made his debut with the senior Chinese national team during the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. He returned for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China, where he helped China win the championship with a win over the Philippines in the final. Zhou had 16 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game.[9] He was subsequently named to the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship All-Star Five.[10] Zhou later competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics with the Chinese national team.

Career statistics

NBA

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 Houston 1806.9.188.105.6671.2.1.1.81.2
Career 1806.9.188.105.6671.2.1.1.81.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018 Houston 302.01.000--.3.0.0.0.7
Career 302.01.000--.3.0.0.0.7

References

  1. 1 2 3 Crawford, Andrew (January 7, 2014). "Zhou Qi forgoes U.S. to join Xinjiang Tigers". oneworldsports.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Givony, Jonathan (June 10, 2016). "Potential Chinese sensation reaches buyout agreement". Yahoo.com. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Rockets Sign Zhou Qi". NBA.com. July 6, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  4. ↑ Casciaro, Joseph (May 12, 2016). "Zhou Qi's insane wingspan steals spotlight at draft combine". theScore.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Rockets Select Chinanu Onuaku and Zhou Qi in 2016 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 24, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  6. ↑ "James Harden leads Rockets past Mavericks, 107-91". ESPN.com. October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Zhou Qi 2017-18 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  8. ↑ "2017-18 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  9. ↑ "China vs Philippines". FIBA.com. October 3, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Yi Jianlian named 2015 FIBA Asia Championship MVP, headlines All-Star Five". FIBA.com. October 3, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
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