Chinese NBA recruit Cui Yongxi vows to return to top-level basketball after knee injury
The 21-year-old, who was cut by the Brooklyn Nets after a season-ending ACL injury, now back in New York after recuperating in his hometown
Jacky Cui Yongxi, one of the few Chinese players to break into the NBA, has vowed to return to top-level basketball when he recovers from a knee injury that saw him waived by the Brooklyn Nets.
Cui joined the Nets on a two-way, two-year contract in September but saw his time in the United States cut short when he suffered a season-ending ACL injury while playing for G League affiliate Long Island in December.
The 21-year-old went back to his hometown in Yulin in China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, following surgery on his left knee but is now back in New York, hoping to revive his career.
“[On] social media, a lot of people thought I’m done,” Cui told NBA G League.
“[But] a lot of people, like 70 to 80 per cent, think I will get back to the NBA. And the doctor told me this knee can be fixed 99 per cent [of the time].”
The 6ft 5in (1.96-metre) guard said he “heard a pop” when he landed while challenging for the ball against the Maine Celtics, which led to his devastating injury.