Saturday, July 31, 2010

Straits Cup: TB beats Fujian in OT

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Chen Shih-nian scored 10 of Taiwan Beer's 12 points in the overtime as TB beat Fujian SBS 92-88 Friday in the 2010 Straits Cup invitational tournament. Lin Chih-chieh had 4 three-pointers in the 4th period for TB, which led by as many as 12 points earlier in the game.

The fifth edition of a cross-Taiwan Strait tournament is being held in Taiwan with four teams participating. The four teams are: Taiwan Beer, Fujian SBS Xunxin from Chinese League CBA, Hong Kong champion Nam Wah and Macau Fukien basketball team. The tourney is played at Taipei Municiple Arena and National Yilan University Stadium.

Hong Kong's Nam Wah routed Macau Fukien basketball team 104-56 Friday.

(Photo: UDN.com)

Taiwan's final roster for FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup

20 years-old forward Chou Po-chen was added to replace Chen Tsu-wei, who has to skip the tournament due to personal matters.

Taiwan is scheduled to meet Japan, Kazakhstan, Iraq and Iran in its Group A preliminary games from Aug. 7-11.

The 10-team tournament will be held in Beiruit, Lebanon from Aug. 7-15.

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 26
G Chen Shih-nian, Taiwan Beer, 180cm, 26
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Hong Chih-shan, Pure Youth, 176cm, 24
G Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT, 190cm, 25
G Jet Chang, BYU Hawaii, 190cm, 21
F Chien Chia-hong, Pure Youth, 196cm, 22
F James Mao, Pure Youth, 196cm, 27
F Lu Cheng-ju, Yulon, 192cm, 23
F Cheng jen-wei, KKL, 194cm, 23
F Chou Po-Chen, College, 196cm, 20
C Tseng Wen-ting, Yulon, 204cm, 26

Head Coach: Zhang Xuelei
Assistants: Chiu Tsun-chih, Chiu Chi-yi

Friday, July 30, 2010

Jeremy Lin in Taiwan

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Twenty-two years-old Jeremy Lin, who signed a two-year partially-guaranteed contract with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors last week, was back in Taiwan for a charity game and a children basketball camp.

All of these happened after a simple phone call from Yao Ming, who told Taiwan media that he was impressed with what Lin has accomplished and invited him to join Yao Foundation in Taiwan for its charity tour.

Less than 12 hours later, the Lin family -- including Lin’s father Lin Gieming, his mother Wu Hsinhsin and two brothers -- was on the plane back to Taiwan.

In case you’ve never heard of him by now, it’s not difficult to find him on the internet. (See Jeremy Lin on Wikipedia)Also make sure to watch these Youtube clips below. Lin became the first Harvard graduate in 57 years to make it the the NBA. He is also the first Taiwanese-American player to sign with a NBA team.

Jeremy Lin vs John Wall NBA Summer League Mavs vs Wizards Highlights

 

Jeremy Lin highlights at Harvard

 

Lin became the overnight sensation in Taiwan after his signing. He was everywhere from newspapers, magazines to television news. In fact, the news reporting in Taiwan did not lag far behind that in the U.S., where Lin has been featured constantly since March.

NBA Taiwan called a press conference for Lin on Wednesday, featuring him as “the first Taiwanese player in the NBA.” The press conference attracted tons of media. I personally counted there were more than 30 TV cameras and about 100 reporters at the Westin Hotel, where the press conference was held. (See Jeremy Lin attributes achievements to family, faith)

DSC09047Lin attributed much of his “success” to his family and religious faith -- he was a devout Christian who still envisions himself as a pastor some day.

He said he chose the Warriors because of many factors, including the size of the contract, the style of play, roster space and location -- the Lins live in the Bay area.

Being an Asian-American player out of Harvard was never an advantage, he also told the media, because of stereotypes that Asians are weaker than other players and that Ivy League graduates are better at academics than basketball.

About the possibility of representing Taiwan in international competition, Lin said he knew that many rumors "are flying around, " but "no decision has been made."

Meanwhile, religion has been a major part of life for Lin, who has said he would like to be a pastor someday and help underprivileged children in urban areas -- the reason he chose to major in economics and sociology at Harvard.

Lin, who idolized Michael Jordan growing up, said the transition from the college game to the NBA will require work on "almost everything, " from ball-handling to strength to a different shot- clock.

His goal for the upcoming season will initially be getting "in the rotation, " and then becoming the starting point guard. Longer term, he said he wants to win an NBA championship.

About the comparison between him and NBA standout Steve Nash, Lin said it’s been a honor to be compared with Nash, but all he could say was that both of them “are point guards, play with basketball IQs, and love to run the pick-and-roll.”

Lin has been very cautious and low-key in the question and answer session of the press conference. As a fan, I like that because he tries to keep everything in perspective and not to be big-headed. After all, the road ahead is long.

DSC09099Lin scored 17 points in the charity game Wednesday night. The game featured a team of NBA active players against a mixed team of Taiwanese and Chinese players. It was like any other charity game or All-Star game which players showcased their one-on-one skills and dazzled the fans with highlight-reel dunks. Team NBA, consisted of Lin, Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Hasheem Thabeet of the Memphis Grizzlies, DaJuan Summers of the Detroit Pistons, Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors, Luke Babbit of the Portland Trail Blazers and a pair of Yao's Houston teammates, Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger, won by the score of 137-103.(See Jeremy Lin, Jennings catch fans’ eyes at Yao’s charity basketball game)

It was not a competitive game at all. But it seemed to me that Lin was more comfortable driving than shooting. In fact, Lin was able to do so because he was actually more athletic than people thought. From what I’ve seen, he has good shooting mechanics, so he will be able to develop his perimeter game in the NBA with no problem.

I agreed with Taiwanese player Chen Chih-chung’s observation that Lin knows very well how to protect the ball on his drives, which is very important for a slashing type of player. Fans were unable to witness Lin’s skill to run the offense as a point guard though, given the fact that it was a charity game and Lin was not familiar with his NBA teammates at all.

Sources told me that NIKE Taiwan is negotiating with Lin’s agent Roger Montgomery for a show deal, but it’s possible that NIKE global will take over if it finds Lin is worth it. Lin wore NIKE shoes at Harvard, which is sponsored by NIKE.

Lin wore Adidas shoes and apparels though when he appeared with Dwight Howard at a children basketball camp in Taipei Thursday morning, which is sponsored by Amway and is a project under the NBA’s Junior NBA program.

The Lins met with their relatives in Taiwan, including Lin’s grandmother whom he is very close with but hasn’t met for years, before flying back the the U.S. Thursday night. In between, Lin also met with Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou.

Lin is expected to fight for playing time at the point guard position with Stephen Curry and newly-signed Jannero Pargo at Golden State, but he should be able to enjoy Don Nelson’s fast-tempo offense and make solid contribution as a backup or third point guard in his rookie season.

No matter what happens, Taiwanese fans will be watching and giving support. At least two local newspapers have decided to send correspondents to the Bay area to cover Lin in the pre-season training camp as well as the regular season games.

As far as representing Taiwan in international competitions, I think Lin will be very carefully weighing that decision, especially at the most important time of his young NBA career. Personally, I think Lin’s agent will advise him against it because too much is at stake.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Where SBL games are played

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Before a new stadium that can house more than 5,000 is built in downtown Taipei city, it looks like the SBL games will have to be played -- like they have in the past season -- at Sinjhuang Stadium in Sinjhuang City, Taipei County, located on the outskirt of Taipei.

Most people think that a downtown arena is desperately needed to boost SBL attendance and, at the same time, make it convenient for fans to go to the games.

Anyway, before that happens, anyone interested in watching SBL games live will have to visit this venue -- Sinjhuang Stadium.

See below the screen shots of the Google Maps. The stadium is located in a sports park, which also has a baseball park, a outdoor stadium for track and field events and outdoor tennis courts.

sinjhuang-1

satellite-1


For direction and transportation information, please visit this link. The contents are all in mandarin but I don’t have time to translate them.

Stories on Jeremy Lin, Yao Ming's charity game in Taiwan

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All eyes on Yao, Lin in charity basketball game

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) All eyes were on Chinese star center Yao Ming and Taiwan' s newest hero Jeremy Lin, the first Taiwanese-American player to join the U.S. National Basketball Association, as a charity game got underway Wednesday night in Taiwan.

The 48-minute game, organized by the Yao Foundation as a part of a charity tour in Taiwan, was played between two teams composed of active NBA players and players from China and Taiwan. All proceeds will be donated to local charities.

Hometown favorite Jeremy Lin, who signed a two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors last week, drew a standing ovation when he took the court with 6:45 to go in the first quarter.

Lin was a late addition to the team, returning to Taiwan early Wednesday for a whirlwind two-day visit after he received a phone call from Yao.

With his parents and brothers watching on the sidelines, Lin shot a three-pointer late in the quarter but also committed a 24-second shot-clock violation, which showed that he still has to adjust to the professional game.

Yao Ming did not play in the game because he is still recovering from a foot injury. However, the 2.29-meter tall center was the reason the game took place.

The Yao Foundation, established in 2008, organized the charity tour during which Yao visited underprivileged children in southern Taiwan.

Team Love, which consisted of NBA players, matched up against Team Heart, which was made up of players from the Shanghai Sharks and an All-Star team in the local Super Basketball League. The Sharks played in the first and the final quarter, while the SBL All-Stars took the court in the remaining two quarters.

The NBA team, included active NBA players Lin, Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Hasheem Thabeet of the Memphis Grizzlies, DaJuan Summers of the Detroit Pistons, Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors, Luke Babbit of the Portland Trail Blazers and a pair of Yao's Houston teammates, Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger.

They opened the game against the Sharks with a 23-5 run and quickly established a 20-point lead.

Taiwan's All-Star team was unable to contain the stronger taller U.S. visitors, who scored in runs on easy baskets, in their designated two periods.

Team Love beat Team Heart 137-103.

 

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Jeremy Lin attributes achievements to family, faith

Taipei, July 28 (CNA) Jeremy Lin, the first player of Taiwanese descent to sign a regular season contract with a National Basketball Association (NBA) team, attributed his achievements to his passion for the game, support from his family and Christianity during a press conference in Taipei Wednesday.

The 21-year-old told about 100 reporters and more than 30 television cameras that he was thankful for the overwhelming support and attention he has received in Taiwan, where his parents lived before emigrating to the U.S. in the 1970s and where he still has many relatives.

Lin, who signed a partially guaranteed two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors worth approximately US$500,000 last week, arrived in Taiwan early Wednesday with his family to participate in a charity game hosted by Chinese star player Yao Ming.

He will also attend a children's basketball camp Thursday -- part of the Junior NBA program sponsored by Amway -- before flying back to California to prepare for the upcoming season.

Lin burst onto the scene this past year as he was named Ivy League Player of the Year, averaging 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks. He was passed over in the NBA Draft in June, but his strong performance in the summer league caught the attention of several teams.

The Warriors signed him on July 21, making him the first Harvard graduate in 57 years to formally sign with an NBA team.

He said he chose the Warriors because of many factors, including the size of the contract, the style of play, roster space and location -- the Lins live in the Bay area.

Being an Asian-American player out of Harvard was never an advantage, he said, because of stereotypes that Asians are weaker than other players and that Ivy League graduates are better at academics than basketball.

About the possibility of representing Taiwan in international competition, Lin said he knew that many rumors "are flying around, " but "no decision has been made."

Meanwhile, religion has been a major part of life for Lin, who has said he would like to be a pastor someday and help underprivileged children in urban areas -- the reason he chose to major in economics and sociology at Harvard.

Lin, who idolized Michael Jordan growing up, said the transition from the college game to the NBA will require work on "almost everything, " from ball-handling to strength to a different shot- clock.

His goal for the upcoming season will initially be getting "in the rotation, " and then becoming the starting point guard. Longer term, he said he wants to win an NBA championship.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Yao Ming charms Taiwanese fans

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Chinese basketball center Yao Ming entertained a local audience Tuesday with his famous one-liners during the first press conference of his charity tour and his first visit to Taiwan since 2007.

When asked about his financial plans, the 2.29-meter National Basketball Association All-Star said, "Give all my salary to my wife."

Asked about changes in his personal life between 2007 and 2010, during which he got married, became a father and bought the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanghai Sharks, Yao quipped: "I'm driving much slower now (because of a child in car)."

Yao's quick wit is one of the few things that have not changed since his first visit to Taiwan in 1997, when he was an unknown and unusually tall teenager player who did not even get the chance to play for the visiting Sharks.

Entering the NBA in 2002 as the top pick in the draft, he is now a symbol of Chinese basketball, a seven-time NBA All-Star and is in the middle of a five-year, US$76 million contract with the Houston Rockets.

The 30-year-old, who sat out last season due to a foot injury, said that his rehabilitation has gone well and that he is excited to be able to participate in scrimmages in the Rockets training camp to prepare for the new season.

He will not play, however, in a charity game Wednesday that will see NBA players including Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Hasheem Thabeet of the Memphis Grizzlies, DaJuan Summers of the Detroit Pistons and Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors meet a mixed team of Taiwanese and Chinese players at the Taipei Arena.

The game is part of a charity tour organized by the Yao Ming Foundation, which the star center established in 2008 as the "headquarters" of his philanthropic work. In addition to his quick wit, Yao's agent Bill Duffy said the player's humanity has been one of his most consistent characteristics.

A total of 4,000 tickets to the charity game will be donated to disadvantaged children and various social organizations.

Yao said he was always happy to be involved in charity events. The deadly Sichuan earthquake in May 2008 expedited the establishment of the Yao Ming Foundation, which lists its first priority as child education.

"Education is the best gift we can give to children, " said Yao, adding that the foundation plans to use donations to establish elementary schools, offer scholarships and focus on schoolchildren's nutrition.

Yao told the crowd he still wants to accomplish great things on the basketball court, devote as much time and energy as possible to his charity work and take care of his family -- enough to keep him pretty busy.

Yao gave a parting shot when he answered a question about his personal plans beyond basketball, saying: "Forget television commercials. I know I'm not as good-looking as David Beckham."

Jeremy Lin to visit Taiwan for Yao's charity game

Central News Agency reported that Jeremy Lin is returning to Taiwan to attend a charity game hosted by Yao Ming's foundation.

First Taiwanese-American NBA player to return for charity game
2010/07/27 11:24:10
San Francisco/Taipei July 27 (CNA) Jeremy Lin, the first Taiwanese-American player to join the ranks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) , will arrive in Taiwan early Wednesday morning to play in a charity game featuring NBA players.

It will be Lin's first game in the public eye since he signed a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on July 21.

The 21-year-old, whose parents emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in 1971, talked about his trip to Taipei while attending a summer basketball camp in the San Francisco area Monday.

Lin said he received a phone call from Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, who organized Wednesday's charity event at Taipei Arena, inviting him to play in the game.

"I was surprised and excited to receive the invitation," said the point guard who will became the first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA in 57 years if he makes the Warriors final roster, which is considered highly likely.

Yao, the first Chinese to play in the NBA and a seven-time NBA All-Star, is currently on a charity tour in Taiwan.

NBA China CEO Tim Chen said he and Yao had been in touch with Lin for a few days before finalizing arrangements on Monday.

Aside from playing in Wednesday's charity game, Lin is also scheduled to coach young players at a basketball camp at Nanshan High School in the Taipei suburb of Jhonghe on Thursday, Chen confirmed.

Lin, who has not visited Taiwan for more than seven years, said he has many fond memories of Taiwan. Both of his parents hail from central Taiwan's Changhua County.

Though he says his life has not changed much since realizing his dream of joining an NBA team, Lin is likely to develop a strong fan base in Taiwan and has already become a celebrity in the Bay Area with its large Asian population.

He vowed to continue working hard to improve his skills and athleticism in pursuit of his immediate goal to become the Warriors' starting point guard. Down the road, he said, he hopes to win an NBA championship.

Lin drew rave reviews for his play at Harvard, where he became the first player in Ivy League history to record at least 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals.

After being spurned in the NBA draft, Lin played with the Dallas Mavericks' summer league team and drew the attention of scouts by holding his own against top NBA draft pick John Wall.

Though he had many suitors, the Bay Area native and long-time Warriors fan opted in the end to sign with his home team. (By Leaf Jiang and Sofia Wu) enditem/ls

Monday, July 26, 2010

Yao, Howard arrive in Taiwan for charity events

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Yao Ming and Dwight Howard, star centers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) , arrived in Taiwan Monday for separate charity events.

Howard, a 2.11-meter four-time All-Star selection who plays for the Orlando Magic, returned to Taiwan for the first time since 2005 and met fans Monday in downtown Taipei before heading a children's basketball camp from July 27-30.

"I miss you guys. It's been five years, " Howard told more than 300 screaming fans in a meet-the-fan event held in the plaza outside Vieshow Cinemas in eastern Taipei.

He also pleased the crowd by promising to persuade NBA commissioner David Stern to bring a regular season NBA game to Taipei.

Howard is visiting Taiwan as an ambassador of the 2010 Junior NBA Challenge, which is a part of the NBA-initiated charity program NBA Cares.

He is scheduled to personally train 60 schoolchildren aged 7-12 at a four-day camp, sponsored by Amway, before selecting six children for a special prize. The selected children will play two games with teams from China in August for a free trip to the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

614753810Yao, a 2.29-meter center who was the first Chinese player in the NBA and currently plays for the Houston Rockets, is visiting Taiwan for the first time since 2007 to play in a charity game at Taipei Arena on July 28 as part of his Yao Foundation Charity Tour.

After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, the 29-year-old seven-time NBA All-Star headed directly to Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan by high speed railway to meet with a group of children who suffered from the devastation of Typhoon Morakot.

The typhoon, which pummeled much of southern Taiwan last August, left more than 450 people dead and more than 190 others missing.

Yao shared his expertise at a basketball clinic and offered words of encouragement to the children, whose homes were wiped out by the worst typhoon to impact Taiwan in half a century.

Yao will be joined in the charity game by six active NBA players -- Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Hasheem Thabeet of the Memphis Grizzlies, DaJuan Summers of the Detroit Pistons, Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors and a pair of Yao's Houston teammates, Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger.

Also participating in the event will be 14 players from the Shanghai Sharks, a team in China's professional league owned by Yao, and Taiwanese entertainers, including popular singer Jay Chou.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Howard, Yao to visit Taiwan for charity events

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Chinese basketball star Yao Ming will be among a group of players from the National Basketball Association (NBA) who will visit Taiwan next week for various charity events.

Yao, a 223-centimeter who was the first Chinese player in the NBA and currently plays for the Houston Rockets, is scheduled to arrive in Taipei for a July 28 charity game in Taipei Arena as part of his Yao Foundation Charity Tour.

Joining Yao, who will be coming to Taiwan for the first time since 2007, will be sis NBA players --  Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks, Hasheem Thabeet of the Memphis Grizzlies, DaJuan Summers of the Detroit Pistons, Amir Johnson of the Toronto Raptors and a pair of Yao's Houston teammates -- Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger, organizer Bros Sports Marketing announced.

Baron Davis of the Los Angeles Clippers cancelled his visit at the last minute. Bros Sports said it's talking with Jason Richardson of the Phienix Suns as a replacement player.

It was announced that eight players from Taiwan's Super Basketball League, including Chen Hsin-an, Lin Chih-chieh and Tien Lei, and popular singer Jay Chou, will also be involved in the charity event. However, Chen Hsin-an and Tseng Wen-ting also pulled out.

Fourteen players from the Shanghai Sharks, a team owned by Yao in China's professional league, will play in the game as well, said Bros Sports spokesman Chen Han-chuan.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard will visit Taiwan separately from July 26-30 for an Amway-sponsored event to select six children aged 7-12 in a basketball training camp for a special prize.

The selected children will play two games with teams from China in August for a free trip to the 2011 NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

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Budinger and Jennings

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Summers and Johnson

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Brooks and Thabeet

(Photos: NBA.com)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Taiwan's 12-man roster for FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup set

Taiwan NT head coach Zhang Xuelei announced his 12-man roster for the upcoming FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup tournament with center Tseng Wen-ting back in the mix to boost up the thin frontline.

The tournament will be held in Lebanon from Aug. 7-15 as a qualification tourney for the 2011 Asian Championship, which incidentally will also take place in Lebanon.

It will be also important for Taiwan to participate in this tournament and finish in the top five, which will win seeds for five subzones under FIBA Asia. Since the East Asia zone is granted two seeds in the next Asian Championship, if Taiwan fails to finish in the top five, it will have to vie for the two East Asian seeds with China and Japan, who will not send their teams to Lebanon next month, in the next East Asian Basketball Championship that also serves as a qualifying tournament.

Zhang will welcome back Tseng Wen-ting, who has been in the U.S. for individual training, after Taiwan NT’s miserable 2-4 record and the 5th-place finish in the 2010 Jones Cup. Entering the Jones Cup without a true center, Taiwan NT was outmatched in the paint defensively and could only rely on their perimeter game.

The addition of Tseng may not be probably enough though as most of Taiwan’s core players are still under rehab of their injuries. Tien Lei, Wu Tai-hao and Lin Chih-chieh will once again skip the Stankovic Cup. The health of Chen Hsin-an, who is now playing for China’s Dongguan, is also unclear. Chen was not selected to the national team partially because he did not play in Taiwan at all last year.

Po., Name, Ht., Age
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Yulon, 175cm, 26
G Chen Shih-nian, Taiwan Beer, 180cm, 26
G Yang Ching-min, TB, 188cm, 25
G Hong Chih-shan, Pure Youth, 176cm, 24
G Chen Shun-hsiang, BOT, 190cm, 25
G Jet Chang, BYU Hawaii, 190cm, 21
F Chien Chia-hong, Pure Youth, 196cm, 22
F James Mao, Pure Youth, 196cm, 27
F Lu Cheng-ju, Yulon, 192cm, 23
F Cheng jen-wei, KKL, 194cm, 23
F Chen Tse-wei, Dacin, 200cm, 24
C Tseng Wen-ting, Yulon, 204cm, 26

Head Coach: Zhang Xuelei
Assistants: Chiu Tsun-chih, Chiu Chi-yi

Cross-Strait tournament
The fifth edition of a cross-Taiwan Strait tournament will be held in Taiwan in the end of the month with four teams participating, local media reported. The four teams are: Taiwan Beer, Fujian SBS Xunxin from Chinese League CBA, Hong Kong champion Nam Wah and Macau Fukien basketball team. The tourney will be played at Taipei Municiple Arena and National Yilan University Stadium.

Jeremy Lin becomes first Taiwanese-American player in NBA

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Warriors sign undrafted free agent Jeremy Lin
Jul 21, 6:46 pm EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Jeremy Lin took a seat in a small room in front of an array of television crews, photographers and print media on Wednesday afternoon. He’d never seen anything like that at Harvard.

“This is unbelievable,” Lin said after the Golden State Warriors signed the undrafted free agent guard. “I’ve never been part of something like this.”

He became the first Asian-American player signed by the Warriors since 1947. In an area with a large Asian population, Lin becomes an instant celebrity.

“I consider myself a basketball player more than an Asian-American,” said the Bay Area native. “I’m ready to play at this level and I appreciate the support of the Asian community. This is a dream come true. I always wanted to be in the NBA and now I get to do it with the Warriors, the team I grew up watching.”

Warriors Lin BasketballThe 21-year-old Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game as a senior at Harvard. The season was highlighted by a 30-point, nine-rebound performance against Connecticut.

Lin is from nearby Palo Alto. He led Palo Alto High School to a state championship in 2006.

“This has not sunk in yet,” he said. “I’ve had a lot to think about the last 12 hours and I still can’t get my head around it. Growing up I had my Latrell Sprewell poster and Joe Smith(notes) jersey.”

Lin became a prospect during his final year with the Crimson and furthered his worth playing with the Dallas Mavericks’ summer league team in Las Vegas.

Mavericks president of basketball operations Donn Nelson called Lin before the NBA draft and offered him the opportunity to play in the league. He was originally scheduled to play in the San Francisco Pro-Am League.

“Donn Nelson took care of me,” Lin said. “He invited me to July 4th festivities, brought me to Dallas for a 10-day training camp and went out of his way.”

Lin became the first Ivy League player to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. He finished his college career as Harvard’s all-time leader in games played (115) and fifth in points with 1,483 points.

“I understand there are not many Asians in the NBA and there are not many Ivy Leaguers in the NBA,” Lin said. “Maybe I can help break the stereotype.”

Related links:

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

2010 FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup: Taiwan in Group A

Draw_3rd FA Stankovic Cup

Taiwan was bracketed in Group A with Iran, Iraq, Japan and Kazakhstan in the 2010 FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup. At first glance, it looks like a better group to be in than Group B, where all five teams are pretty competitive.

The tournament will be important for Taiwan. If Taiwan finishes among the top five in the tournament, it will secure a berth in the 2011 Asian Championship without going through the East Asian Championship, which also serves as a qualifying event for the Asian Championship, like two years ago.

Group A: Taiwan, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan
Group B: Jordan, Lebanon, Philippines, Qatar, Syria

Story from FIBA Asia:

Draw completed for 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup
image001BEIRUT, Lebanon (3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup): FIBA Asia champions Iran were drawn in Group A and hosts Lebanon in Group B for the forthcoming 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup to be played in Beirut from Aug 7-15.

The draw was completed at Ghazir Sporting Club, Beirut the venue for the competition on Monday.

Joining Iran in Group A are fellow West Asian team Iraq who will make a comeback to FIBA Asia men’s National Team competitions after a gap of almost a quarter of a century. Iraq had last played in the 14th edition of FIBA Asia Championship, when it was hosted by Bangkok in 1987.

East Asian duo Chinese Taipei and Japan and Middle Asia’s Kazakhstan are the other teams in Group A.

Jordan complete the fray

Group B will witness stiff competition between hosts Lebanon and Jordan who have both qualified to represent FIBA Asia in the 2010 FIBA World Championship to be played in Turkey from Aug 28-Sept 12.

Jordan, who won the bronze medal at the 25th FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin last year to qualify for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, were given a wildcard entry. Jordan, in fact, will enter the fray as the defending champions of the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup, having won the gold medal in the 2008 edition at Kuwait.

Former FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup champions and top GCC team Qatar, South East Asia’s Philippines and West Asia’s Syria are the other teams in Group B.

Commenting on the draw FIBA Asia Deputy Secretary General Hagop Khajirian, who was present at the draw ceremony said: “The fray for the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup is the most competitive in all the three editions of this event.”

“My opinion is that the draw, which is rather well balanced, only augurs well for the high-pitched battles basketball fans of Lebanon are expecting from this competition,” Khajirian.

Explaining the entry of Jordan into the competition, Khajirian, who is also the Chairman of the FIBA Asia Media and Marketing Committee said: “It is logical, isn’t it? We had one slot vacant. It was obvious that a team representing FIBA Asia in the FIBA World Championship deserves to get that slot more than any other team. And let’s not forget Jordan will defend their title when they play in this competition.”

FIBA Asia president Sheikh Saud bin Ali Al-Thani said: “Three teams in this competition are heading to Turkey for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. It can’t get more exciting for the basketball fans in Asia in general, and Lebanon in particular.”

FIBA Asia Secretary General Dato Yeoh Choo Hock said: “Along with teams preparing for the FIBA World Championship, this is also the qualifying tournament for next year’s FIBA Asia Championship, which also will be hosted by Lebanon in Beirut.”

“Therefore, in more than one sense, the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup is a very good dress rehearsal for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship next year, which will qualify FIBA Asia’s representative to the 2012 London Olympics.”

About 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup

The 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup is the qualifying event for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in 2011, incidentally also to be hosted at Beirut, which in turn will be the qualifying event for 2012 London Olympics.

The winners of the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup will automatically qualify for the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in 2011. The top five teams at the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup will earn additional berths for their respective FIBA Asia sub zones.

System of competition

The 10 teams are drawn into two Groups of five each for the Preliminary Round. Each team will play all the others in their respective Groups. The top four from each Group will advance to the knockout Quarterfinals. The teams finishing fifth in the groups will play off for the 9th place.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Bahrami named 2010 Jones Cup men's MVP

MVP: Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Iran

MVP伊朗巴赫拉米

Best Five:
F Marcus Douthit, Philippines
F Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Iran
F Takuya Kawamura, Japan
G Lee Hsueh-lin, Taiwan
G Yuta Tabuse, Japan

最佳五人
(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

2010 Jones Cup: Iran wins back-to-back men's title

冠軍伊朗Iran

Iran beat Taiwan 92-82 Tuesday to go undefeated and retain the championship in the 2010 R. Williams Jones Cup basketball tournament, further solidifying its position as an Asian basketball powerhouse.

The West Asian country also won back-to-back champions in the 2007 and 2009 Asian Men's Basketball Championship, which was in the past traditionally dominated by China and South Korea.

Trailing at one point by as many as 14 points, Iran rallied from 11 points down at half-time and used a 54-33 run in the second half and its height advantage in the paint to turn the game around, finishing the single round robin men's competition with a perfect 6-0 record.

Lebanon beat the Philippines 73-62 and finished runner-up with five wins and one loss, while Japan came third with four wins and two losses after an 83-67 win over the Taiwan University All-Stars.

Taiwan's national team and the Taiwan University All-Stars finished the tournament, Taiwan's most popular annual international competition, 2-4 and 1-5, respectively.

The Philippines (3-3) and the Crocodiles from Australia (0-6) ranked fourth and seventh in the men's group.

South Korea's Sinsegae Coolcats beat the Taiwan women's national team 80-68 to win the women's competition a day earlier.

Final men's placing:

1. Iran 6-0
2. Lebanon 5-1
3. Japan 4-2
4. Philippines 3-3
5. Taiwan 2-4
6. Taiwan University All-Stars 1-5
7. Australia Crocs 0-6

亞軍黎巴嫩

Lebanon

第三名日本

Japan

菲律賓多希特(左)

Marcus Douthit, Philippines

中華隊李學林(左)

Lee Hsueh-lin, Taiwan

大專明星周柏臣(右)

Chou Po-chen, Taiwan University

黎巴嫩艾斯特芬(左)

E. Estaphan, Lebanon
(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Korea’s Sinsegae wins 2010 Jones Cup women’s competition

MVP韓國新世界金拏延Kim Na-youn, Korea

Tournament MVP Kim Na-youn had 21 points and 6 rebounds as Korea’s Sinsegae Coolcat beat Taiwan NT 80-68 to win the 2010 William Jones Cup tournament women’s title Monday.

Taiwan finished runner-up and Taiwan University All-Stars, which routed Kazakhstan 118-39 in the third-place game, ranked third in the 4-team competition.

Nothing went right for Taiwan after a 7-0 opening run. Korea quickly turned the game around and led by double-digit in most of the second half. Kim Ji-youn added 17 points.

Liu Chun-yi led Taiwan with 18 points and Chang Shih-chieh had 12. Wen Chi and Chiang Feng-chun had 10 points each.

Tournament Best Five:
F Liu Chun-yi, Taiwan
F Kim Na-youn, Korea
F Darya Li, Kazakhstan
G Wen Chi, Taiwan
G Park Ha-na, Korea


Final Ranking:
1. Sinsegae Coolcat, Korea
2. Taiwan NT
3. Taiwan University All-Stars
4. Kazakhstan NT

最佳五人

Tourney best five

中華隊劉君儀(右)

Liu Chun-yi, Taiwan

中華隊姜鳳君(右)

Chiang Feng-chun, Taiwan

韓國新世界金志胤(左)

Kim Ji-youn, Korea

(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

2010 Jones Cup Day 6: Japan beat weary Philippines

日本田臥勇太(中)Yuta Tabuse, Japan

Resting less than 15 hours after the overtime win over Taiwan Sunday night, the Philippines fell in the hands of Japan, 84-74, Monday in the 2010 William Jones Cup basketball tournament.

The result could be crucial to the final ranking for both teams, which are now tied at 3-2. Japan is scheduled to meet Taiwan University All-Stars Tuesday in a game that heavily favors the Japanese while the Philippines will take on Lebanon, which is now 4-1, in a tough battle.

菲律賓貝拉卡爾(右)If Lebanon wins, it will lock up the No. 2 with a 5-1 record and the Philippines finished 3-3. If the Philippines pulls out a win, Philippines, Lebanon and Japan could be in a three-way tie at 4-2.

Back to the game, Japan enjoy an advantage of having a "bye" day on Sunday over the tired Philippine team. A 7-0 run early in the 4th quarter increased Japan's lead to double-digit before the Philippines managed to pull within four, but that's the best they could do.

Marcus Douthit once again led the Philippines with 20 points to go with 21 rebounds. Marnel Baracael had 24 points. Japeth Aguilar and Japan's Takuya Kawamura both sat out the game.

"There's no enough time for us to rest and be in game condition after the game wnet into overtime last night, " said Philippines head coach Rajko Toroman. japans head coach Thomas Wisman also admitted that his team was able to pull it off in the final period because of better stamina.

In other games, Iran defeated Taiwan University All-Stars, 97-65, with no problem. Lebanon routed Crocs 81-52 with Jackson Vroman sitting out the game.

Standings:
Iran 5-0
Lebanon 4-1
Philippines 3-2
Japan 3-2
Taiwan 2-3
Taiwan University All-Stars 1-4
Crocs 0-6

大專明星林韋翰(中)

Lin Wei-han, Taiwan University

伊朗巴赫拉米(中)

Nikkhah Bahrami, Iran

(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

2010 Jones Cup Day 5: Philippines edges Taiwan in overtime

菲律賓多西特(中)中華隊陳順詳(左)

Let’s just say Marcus Douthit almost single-handedly took the Philippines to a 96-93 overtime victory over host Taiwan NT Sunday before Joseph Casio stripped the potential game-tying shot away from Lee Hsueh-lin. But both sides agreed that refs suck in this game.

Douthit was a man among boys, tallying 33 points, 22 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 4 blocks. However, the Philippines almost let the win slip away. Led by 12 points with four minutes to go in regulation, Philippines failed to hold the lead as the game went into overtime.

菲律賓阿奇拉(左)多西特It showed mental lapses again in the extra session. Taiwan again made it a two-point game with 3.9 seconds to go in overtime. After a timeout, Lee Hsueh-lin dribbled to the right corner and was ready to launch a game-winning three. Casio stripped the ball away with no call from the referees.

Casio, thinking that the game was over, grabbed the ball and walked away with the clock still running. It was supposed to be a walking violation. Taiwan protested to no avail.

Give Taiwan sharp shooter Chen Shun-hsiang credit for taking his team on his shoulder when needed. Chen made crucial shots again and again in the final quarter and overtime. He made the last of his game-high sex three-pointers with 17 seconds to go in regulation to tie the score at 80 and scored four points to cut the deficit to 89-88 in overtime.

Chen finished with 32 points, making 6 of 8 three-pointers.

The Philippines led 73-62 with four minutes to go in regulation before Taiwan made four threes in the final rally.


(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

2010 Jones Cup Day 5 results

黎巴嫩隊艾斯特芬(左)E. Estaphan, Lebanon

Lebanon 96-66 Taiwan University All-Stars
Lebanon: E. Estaphan 14p
Taiwan University: Chou Po-chen 11p, Liu Cheng 11p

伊朗達佛迪(右)澳洲鱷魚馬達斯(左)

J. Davari, Iran (L) and Crocs' D. Matacz (R)

Iran 84-54 Crocs
Iran: S. Darvarpanah Fard Karekani 28p, R. Arghavan 17p, I. Zani Mashhady 16p
Crocs: B. Stanely 11

Philippines 96-93 (OT) Taiwan
Philippines: M. Douthit 33p+22rb+5a+5s+4blk, M. Baracael 14p, J. P. Aguilar 11p
Taiwan: Chen Shun-hsiang 32p, Chen Tzu-wei 16p, Lee Hsueh-lin 13p

Standings:
Iran 4-0
Lebanon 3-1
Philippines 3-1
Japan 2-2
Taiwan 2-3
Taiwan University All-Stars 1-3
Crocs 0-5

2010 Jones Cup: Taiwan, South Korea to meet in women’s final

中華隊馬怡鴻(中)Ma Yi-hung, Taiwan

This result is expected but it’s now official: Taiwan NT will meet South Korea’s Sinsegae Coolcat in the women’s final of the 2010 William Jones Cup tournament.

In the Sunday cross-over semifinals, Korea thumped Kazakhstan 106-33 and Taiwan also showed no mercy against Taiwan University All-Stars with a 103-38 rout.

Korea’s Youn Yun-ah tallied 40 points and 16 rebounds and Kim Ji-hyun was even better with a triple-double -- 28 points, 10 boards and 10 assists. Park Ha-na added 23 points and 9 rebounds.

Ma Yi-hung led Taiwan NT with 16 points while Liu Chun-yi, who only had two points against Korea in the Saturday loss, had 15. Liu Chia-wei was the only player on Taiwan University All-Stars to score in double-digit, finishing the game with 19 points.

中華隊劉君儀(左)

Liu Chun-yi, Taiwan

(Photos: ESPN Taiwan)