Thursday, October 11, 2001

SINA Prepares for China Debut

SINA Lions basketball team, the first team from Taiwan to join the Chinese CBA league, begins their pre-season training camp in Suchou, China on October 8th. SINA president Daniel Jiang sets his goal high, wishing his team finish in the top 3 in the league.

Two days after arriving in Suchou, SINA starts their two-a-day practices on October 8th under head coach Chiu Da-tsun. Guest coach Don Casey, who coached NBA's New Jersey Nets and specializes in various zone defenses, will join the team on October 15th. Chiu says he prefers a fast-tempo offense and trapping defense, utilizing SINA's advantage in quickness to compensate their lack of height.

■SINA Roster
Head Coach - Chiu Da-tsun

Taiwanese Players
Center - Liu Yi-shian(200cm), Lai Kuo-hong(197cm)

Forward - Huang Chun-hsiung(200cm), Chang Ya-tang(190cm), Hsu Yong-yi(190cm), Hsiung Jen-jen(190cm)

Guard - Chou Jun-san(175cm), Lo Shin-liang(180cm), Chun Wei-kuo(176cm)

Chinese Players - Chang Kuo-dong, (To be decided)
Import Players - Andre Owens(200cm), Eric Taylor(204cm)

■SINA 01-02 Schedule
(H) - home game

Dec.8 SINA - Beijing(H)
Dec.12 Liaoning - SINA
Dec.16 Jilin - SINA
Dec.19 SINA-Guangdong(H)
Dec.23 SINA-Shenzen(H)
Dec.26 Shanshi - SINA
Dec.29 SINA - Shanghai(H)
Jan.2 Jiangsu - SINA
Jan.6 Shangdong - SINA
Jan.13 SINA - Zhejiang(H)
Jan.16 SINA - Bayi(H)
Jan.20 Aoshen - SINA
Jan.24 Beijing - SINA
Jan.27 SINA - Liaoning(H)
Jan 30 SINA - Jilin(H)
Feb.3 Guangdong - SINA
Feb.6 Shenzen - SINA
Feb.10 SINA - Shanshi(H)
Feb.20 Shanghai - SINA
Feb.23 SINA - Jiangsu(H)
Feb.27 SINA - Shandong(H)
Mar.6 Zhejiang - SINA
Mar.10 Bayi - SINA
Mar.13 SINA - Aoshen(H)

SINA Lions 2001-02 Imports

Andre Owens 200cm/95kg, 1971
Team player, great in defense, athletic and physical, can play the 1/2/3. Too unselfish at times.Transferred from Lousiana State to Oklahoma State in college. When playing for LSU in 1993 he started 14 games at the point guard, 10 games at the shooting guard and 2 at the small forward spot which is an indication of how all round Owens game is. Will play all three positions,very quick feet,get him free often,excellent going to the hoop or from three.

93-94: LSU (NCAA)
94-95: Oklahoma St. (NCAA): 7.6ppg, 3.4rpg
95-96: Oklahoma St. (NCAA) Big8 2nd Team -Pre96
96: Gaiteros (VEN) - URU
96-97: Ortakoy (TUR): was released during the season by Ortakoy (TUR) and signed with Deportivo Roca (ARG)
97-98: Villeurbanne (FRA): 35,000FF/month, injured in Nov.'97, did not play till Apr.'98 : 11.7ppg, 4.2rpg
98-99: Chalon (FRA): 4.3apg, 13.7ppg, 3.4rpg
99-00: Chalon (FRA): in Aug.'99 underwent shoulder surgery and did not play for 2 months


Eric Taylor 204cm/109kg, 1976
Made a name for himself at St. Francis (PA) for his remarkable rebounding ability. Finishing second in the country in rebounding, Taylor is somewhat of a specialist, though he can score a bit too.

94-95: St.Francis, PA (NCAA): 7.9ppg, 6.3rpg Northeastern Conference All-Newcomer Team 1995.
95-96: St.Francis, PA (NCAA): 8ppg, 6.6rpg
96-97: St.Francis, PA (NCAA): 14.6ppg, RebNCAA-6(11.3) First Team All-NEC 1997
97-98: St.Francis, PA (NCAA):17.6ppg, RebNCAA-2(11.9) First Team All-NEC 1998
98: Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
98-99: Gravelines (FRA): was released in Aug.'98 and signed the same month by Maurienne (FRA2): 11games: 9.1ppg, 7.8rpg, in Nov.'98 got injured
99-00: Nov. '99 Training Camp with Cincinnati S. (IBL)
99-00: Independiente (ARG), in Nov.'99 signed by Cincinnati S. (IBL)

(Thanks to Massimo Bertele)

Monday, October 01, 2001

SINA Pulls Out of Taiwan

"SINA basketball team and ESV will pull out of Taiwan immediately. And for the foreseeable future, SINA will no longer be a member of the Taiwanese basketball family", SINA basketball team and E-ternational Sports Ventures President Daniel Jiang announced last Friday (Sep. 28) after the negotiation involving team name dispute with NSC (National Sports Council) and CTBA (Chinese Taipei Basketball Association) fell through. It's certain that SINA will head for China's CBA no matter what happens.

Due to the special political situation between Taiwan and China, NSC and CTBA opposed SINA's intention to join the CBA under the name of "Taiwan-Suchou SINA Lions Basketball Team". According to the "China-Taiwan Citizens Relations Act", SINA players will face a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 NTD (3125 to 15625 USD) per day, if they actually join the Chinese league. However, Daniel Jiang insists SINA breaks no rule in joining the Chinese league.

NSC and CTBA claim that SINA can play in the Chinese league, as long as they don't put "Taiwan" in their team name. If they do, it will assure everyone that Taiwan is a province of China, which is against the Taiwanese government policy and Taiwanese Constitution.

It's believed that SINA use the name in exchange of Chinese basketball authorities' special treatment: directly join the Division I-A in their first year. Under the Chinese basketball format, a basketball team will have to finish in the top 2 in Division B before they can be promoted to Division I-B. After that, they will have to finish in the top 2 before advancing to Division I-A, which has 12 teams before SINA's arrival.

NSC, the highest governing body of national sports affairs, says that it will keep the dialogue and negotiation with SINA to look for a more appropriate team name and a solution that keeps both sides happy. NSC insists that it is not against SINA joining the Chinese league. But the key point is the appropriate team name.

SINA is the first sports team that joins a Chinese sports organization. Before that, Taiwanese basketball players like Cheng Chih-lung and Chu Chih-chin played for different Chinese basketball teams as individual. Their applications were all approved by the CTBA.