The Beijing Ducks, three-time CBA champions, are gearing up for the new Chinese Basketball Association season, set to begin on October 12. After an early exit in last season's playoffs, the team has undergone significant changes in their playing roster and coaching staff in pursuit of their first title in a decade.
Former Chinese women's national team coach Xu Limin has been appointed to lead the team, bringing his experience to rebuild the Ducks. In an effort to strengthen the squad, the Ducks have recruited American forward Richard Solomon, known for his performances in the G-League, who joined the team for warm-up games in September.
The Ducks also welcomed former Qingdao and Fujian guard Eugene German and South Sudan international forward Noo-nee O-mot, with official announcements of their signings expected later this week. Additionally, Chinese center Zhou Qi transferred to the Ducks from Guangdong during the summer. The 28-year-old former NBA player aims to elevate his new team back into title contention and is set to make his pre-season debut against Guangsha on Tuesday.
Expressing his enthusiasm, Zhou Qi shared, \"I've known Ducks captain Zhai Xiaochuan for a long time, as we were roommates during some of China's international games. I also played with Fan Ziming when we were younger. I have known a lot of my teammates for some time, so it is easy to settle in and make adjustments.\"
Richard Solomon added, \"Me and Eugene talked but we mainly talk about our goals for the season. We've talked about our goal of winning the championship. It will not be an easy road. But we'll beat it together and we'll have each other's backs. We're going to fight and bring as much energy as we can to build a championship-winning environment.\"
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
