What the Chinese government – which is what really runs the Chinese Basketball Association – did not want was teams to rent an NBA player during the lockout. So they only allowed their teams to sign NBA free agents and no opt-out clause for when the lockout ended.

But even as seemingly half the Denver Nuggets signed in China – Wilson Chandler, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith – there was speculation they would be back when the NBA season eventually started.

China has the highest turnover of foreign players of any league in the world, and already this year Earl Clark has been released by his Chinese team.

Not only is the basketball different, it’s a huge culture change with the language, food and customs. Last season only a couple of teams in the Chinese league didn’t have player turnover.