The past, present, and future of Chinese Players in the NBL
August 4, 2022
Liu Chuanxing
- Nationality: CHN
- Date of Birth: 30/07/99
- Place of Birth: Puyang (China)
- Position: CTR
- Height (CM): 225
- Weight (KG): 130
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: None
- NBL DEBUT: 3/12/21
- AGE AT DEBUT: 22
- LAST NBL GAME: 23/04/22
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 22
- NBL History: Brisbane 2022
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Liu Chuanxing was born in Puyang (China).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Liu Chuanxing made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 22 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
On September 7, 2021, Liu signed a two-year deal with Brisbane as a Special Restricted Player. He became the tallest player in league history, surpassing Sam Harris who was measured at 7 ft 5 in (2.25 m). He joined a Bullets team who had just announced that Andrej Lemanis would vacate his role as head coach after five seasons. After considering assistant coach and former Bullets player CJ Bruton for the role, they instead brought in former Sydney Kings assistant James Duncan as the team’s new head coach.
The Bullets were also forced to re-tool their roster, making several changes to key personnel. While import Lamar Patterson returned, the Bullets lost Vic Law to Perth, and with BJ Johnson signing a NBA deal with Orlando, they were unable to retain him either. Local bigs Matt Hodgson (to Perth), Harry Froling (to Illawarra) and development player Callum Dalton (to Melbourne) all headed elsewhere, looking for better opportunities.
Brisbane re-signed Tyrell Harrison (two-year deal) and Jason Cadee (two-year deal) and filled the remaining gaps with international flavour, signing Chuanxing Liu (China), Jack Salt (New Zealand), Deng Deng (South Sudan), Next Star Tom Digbeu (France) and import Robert Franks (USA).
In the opening game of the season, the Bullets fell short against the JackJumpers in Tasmania (74-83). While the overtime loss didn’t end the team’s season, it set the tone for the Bullets, who saw single-digit losses pile up against the league’s top team’s all season.
As the competition hit the halfway mark, Brisbane’s record was 5-9, and with injuries to Harrison (elbow) and star guard Nathan Sobey (knee), Brisbane struggled to find any rhythm during the second half of the season with the duo missing 11 and 16 games respectively.
Robert Franks (18.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists) was the Bullets high scorer in 13 games, and leading vote getter for the Leroy Loggins MVP Award (Club MVP). While leading the team in scoring, he shot 50% from the field and 76% from the free-throw line and finished fifth in the league for points per game.
Patterson (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals), Sobey (16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists), and Jason Cadee (10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists) were the only other players scoring in double figures.
This season new head coach James Duncan wanted the Bullets to be better defensively, at the start of the season the 44-year-old would have been impressed with how his team was playing defensively. However, Brisbane wasn’t able to maintain it, and its defence fluctuated throughout the year, it finished the year as the worst defensive team, conceding 89.3 points per game and finishing first for turnovers, averaging 14.6 per game.
Although the Bullets did show small glimpses of potential under the reigns of new coach Duncan, Brisbane would miss the finals for the third straight year, finishing in eighth place (10-18). Liu would appear in 23 games for the Bullets, averaging 2.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists.
Liu Chuanxing played one season in the NBL. He averaged 2.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 23 NBL games.
HIGHLIGHTS:
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 22 | Brisbane | 10-18 (8) | 23 | 137.1 | 67 | 40 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 25 | 25 | 45 | 56% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 17 | 24 | 71% | 59% | 56% | 10 | Totals | 23 | 137 | 67 | 40 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 25 | 25 | 45 | 55.6% | 0 | 1 | 0.0% | 17 | 24 | 70.8% | 60% | 56% | 10 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 22 | Brisbane | 10-18 (8) | 23 | 6.0 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 56% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.7 | 1.0 | 71% | 59% | 56% | 10 | Total | 23 | 6.0 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 55.6% | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.0 | 70.8% | 60% | 56% | 10 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
FIBA EXPERIENCE
Liu made his international debut for China at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. In a game against Chinese Taipei, he logged 16 points and nine rebounds.
The following month, Liu suited up for the national team at the 2020 FIBA Mens Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, where he only played in one game.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- China - Qingdao Eagles (2018–2021), Shanxi Loongs (2024–present) | Hong Kong - Bay Area Dragons (2022–2023), Hong Kong Bulls (2024) | Japan - Altiri Chiba (2023–2024)
Chuanxing joined Qingdao Eagles for the 2018–19 Chinese Basketball Association season, playing his first professional season in China, and he appeared in four games while averaging 0.5 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks.
Liu remained with Qingdao for the 2019–20 CBA season and averaged 7.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks across 43 games while starting 28 times.
Liu stayed with Qingdao for the 2020–21 CBA season and averaged 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 51 games while shooting 66.8 percent from the field.
Liu joined the Bay Area Dragons for the 2022–23 season with the Hong Kong-based club, and he averaged 6.9 points and 6.5 rebounds across 26 games in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup and EASL Champions Week.
Liu joined Altiri Chiba for the 2023–24 B2 League season in Japan after signing in November 2023, and the move was noted as making him the tallest player in B.League history.
Liu signed with the Hong Kong Bulls for the 2024 National Basketball League season in China in May 2024 as the club prepared for a season that began on 15 June 2024.
Liu returned to the Chinese Basketball Association with the Shanxi Loongs for the 2024–25 season after his Hong Kong and Japan stints.
Related
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