Zhou Qi

Zhou Qi
周琦

No. 9 – Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Position	Center
League	Chinese Basketball Association
Personal information
Born	(1996-01-16) 16 January 1996 Xinxiang, Henan, China
Nationality	Chinese
Listed height	7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)
Listed weight	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
Playing career	2014–present
Career history
2014–present	Xinjiang Flying Tigers
Career highlights and awards
2x CBA blocks leader (2015, 2016)
Medals Men's basketball Representing China FIBA Asia Championship 2015 Changsha Team

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Zhou (周).

Zhou Qi (Chinese: 周琦; pinyin: Zhōu Qí, pronounced [ʈʂóu̯ tɕʰǐ], joe chee; born January 16, 1996) is a Chinese basketball player who currently plays for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. He is currently projected to be a first round talent in the 2016 NBA draft.

Early life

Zhou first gained international notice during the 2011 FIBA U-16 World Championship in Turkey, where he first recorded a considerably unprecedented triple-double of 41 points, 28 rebounds, and 15 blocks in a 94-90 semifinals victory against Germany. He then followed up that performance with a showing of 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 blocks in a close 67-66 victory against the host nation in the championship round. A year later, Zhou would participate with the Chinese national team in the 2012 Albert Schweitzer Tournament. During the event, Zhou would average 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks in 28.2 minutes of action per game. He would also participate in the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Lithuania, the 2013 FIBA U-19 World Championship in the Czech Republic, and the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit.

CBA career

Before beginning his CBA career, Zhou was scouted by multiple U.S. universities as a potential center for their teams. However, he would end up signing a three-year deal worth $744,000 to play for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. Early on his rookie year with Xinjiang, he was coming off the bench for starter Tang Zhengdong. Later on, Zhou ended up taking the starting center role from Tang. In his rookie season, he led the entire league in blocks, averaging 3.29 per game. He also averaged 14.06 points on 69.6% shooting and 6.97 rebounds with 29.1 minutes of play.

NBA

After his second season with Xinjiang, wherein he averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and a league-high 3.5 blocks per game in 42 total games, Zhou declared for the 2016 NBA draft. He was the first Chinese player in over a decade to be invited for the NBA draft combine. During the draft combine, he measured over 7'1.25" without shoes (7'2.25" with shoes) and had the longest wingspan at 7'7.75" and standing reach at 9'4.5". Zhou's wingspan was the second-longest recorded in draft combine history, behind only Rudy Gobert, who stood at 7'8½".

International career

Zhou made his debut with the Chinese national team during the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea. He returned for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China. Zhou would prove himself as a valuable contributor for the Chinese national team, as he lead China to a close 76-73 victory over South Korea in the first round with team high 21 points and added 8 rebounds. Zhou also helped China secure the championship against the Philippine team with a 16-point and 14-rebound performance as they went on to finish the tourney undefeated. He was the second-best shot blocker throughout the tournament averaging 2 blocks a game. He was one of the three Chinese players that were named onto the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship All-Star team and earned the honor as the best center in the tournament.

External links

• NBA Draft profile
• DraftExpress profile