根據亞籃網(Asia-basket.com)的中國籃球專欄作家Arthur Volbert所報導，今年CBA一共有22位球員，其生日跟去年申報的有所不同。
22 CBA Players Change Birth Years - Nov 14, 2008 (by Arthur Volbert)
The birth years of 22 CBA players changed between this year and last year. Jiangsu and Liaoning appear to have corrected the ages of a whole group of players, and in doing so called attention to three intriguing prospects.
For Jiangsu, Tang Zhengdong went from being born in 1984 to 1982, confirming longtime rumors than he was older than his listed age. Others who became older were Han Shuo, Yi Li, Hu Xuefeng, Meng Da and Fang ***.
But we can now believe that young center Jiang Liyang (215-C-88) was born in 1988, as listed. Jiang is from a rural area, where basketball is not emphasized as it is in the cities. He joined the navy when he was 6-7 and was not considered a basketball prospect.
Being so tall he may have listed his age as being two years older than he actually was as he was originally listed as being born in 1986. A couple of years ago, Jiang won an award at a sneaker camp for his work ethic. Jiang came late to basketball but like Hakeem Olajuwon and Rik Smits, who also were late to the sport, his work ethic enables him to learn the game quickly.
He has the navy discipline of David Robinson, another late bloomer. Jiang should be watched closely this season.
For Liaoning, National Team member Zhang Qingpeng went from being born in 1985 to being born in 1981. Yang Ming, Gu Liye, Lu Wei and Liu Xiangtao also became older.
But Li Xiaoxu (204-C-90) remained listed as being born in 1990. Since there is now additional reason to believe he is indeed 18, he becomes a true NBA prospect.
Li is 204 cm or 205 cm in his stocking feet, but his basketball height is more like 207 cm or 208 cm. He was listed as 210 cm at the Asian Junior championships and a team picture indicated he might even be that tall. He was taller and considerably wider than Dong Hanlin of Guangdong, who is listed as being 207 cm. Li is listed as being 94 kg, and Dong is listed as 95 kg, but the picture shows that Li must be considerably heavier than Dong.
Li does not currently have a three-point shot, but at his real height and weight he can play inside even at the NBA level and he does not need a great outside shot. Li is a player that the NBA should watch.
Another Liaoning player to closely watch is Han Dejun (215-C-89). Han is 7-1 and 320 pounds, Shaquille O'Neal's size. He is listed as being born in 1989 but when he attended the USBA camp in Oregon a couple of years ago he was listed as born in 1987.
Han is a late-developer who was only 208 cm in 2005. He was not tremendously promising as a basketball player a couple of years ago. So being a big kid, he likely lied that he was older to get something that was available to older kids but not to younger ones. People adjust their ages for all sorts of reasons in China as sloppy record-keeping makes this easy to do.
Since Han is a center who depends on strength rather than finesse he is very likely to improve as he gets older. Players can get significantly stronger through their early twenties, if they work at it. So Han too may some day play in the NBA.
For other teams, there are the normal ups and downs with ages that happens in China. Guangdong's Du Feng, a member of the National Team, went from being born in 1981 to being born in 1982. He keeps switching from one to the other and back, for some unfathomable reason.
Beijing's Zhang Yunsong, a former member of the National Team, went from being born in 1977 to being born in 1981. He too keeps switching back and forth between the two birth years. Again the logic of this is unknown.
Below is the name, club, old birth year and new birth year of the 22 players whose birth years changed.
1. Tang Zhengdong Jiangsu 1984 1982
2. Hu Xuefeng Jiangsu 1982 1980
3. Yi Li Jiangsu 1987 1985
4. Han Shuo Jiangsu 1989 1986
5. Fang *** Jiangsu 1986 1982
6. Meng Da Jiangsu 1984 1982
7. Lu Wei Liaoning 1987 1985
8. Gu Liye Liaoning 1986 1985
9. Yang Ming Liaoning 1987 1985
10.Zhang Qingpeng Liaoning 1985 1981
11.Liu Xiangtao Liaoning 1983 1980
12.Xu Guochong Xinjiang 1983 1981
13.Mai Wulan Xinjiang 1983 1984
14.Lu Yan Jilin 1984 1981
15.Tian Yu Shaanxi 1980 1983
16.Yu Junkai Zhejiang Guangsha 1977 1976
17.Du Feng Guangdong 1981 1982
18.Zhang Bo Bayi 1986 1988
19.Men Wei Beijing 1987 1984
20.Zhang Yunsong Beijing 1977 1981
21.Ji Zhe Beijing 1986 1989
22.Li Yiding Qingdao 1984 1981
我曾經與Volbert通過信，他說他「絕不相信中國球員所謂的官方年齡」，並建議我永遠對此保持懷疑的態度。
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