Zhou Qi

For other people named Zhou Qi, see Zhou Qi (disambiguation).

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhou (周).

Zhou Qi (Chinese: 周琦; pinyin: Zhōu Qí [ʈʂóʊ tɕʰǐ]; born 16 January 1996) is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He has been a regular member of the China men's national basketball team since 2014, winning a gold team medal in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2018 Asian Games.

Zhou Qi
周琦

Zhou in 2017
No. 26 – Guangdong Southern Tigers
Position	Center
League	CBA
Personal information
Born	(1996-01-16) 16 January 1996 (age 28) Xinxiang, Henan, China
Listed height	216 cm (7 ft 1 in)
Listed weight	96 kg (212 lb)
Career information
NBA draft	2016: 2nd round, 43rd overall pick
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career	2014–present
Career history
2014–2017	Xinjiang Flying Tigers
2017–2018	Houston Rockets
2017–2018	→Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2019–2021	Xinjiang Flying Tigers
2021–2022	South East Melbourne Phoenix
2023–present	Guangdong Southern Tigers
Career highlights and awards
CBA champion (2017) 3× CBA Best Defender (2016, 2017, 2020) 4× CBA All-Star (2015–2017, 2020, 2021) 2× CBA blocks leader (2015, 2016) FIBA Asia Champions Cup champion (2016) CBA Rookie of the Year Award (2015) All-CBA Second Team (2020) All-CBA First Team (2021) 2015 FIBA Asia Championship All-Star Team 2022 FIBA Asia Cup All-star Five 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification (Asia) 4th window MVP
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  China FIBA Asia Cup 2015 Changsha Asian Games 2018 Jakarta-Palembang

A center, Zhou started his professional career playing for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). In 2016, he entered the NBA draft and was selected 43rd overall by the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played a total of 19 games across two seasons with the Rockets before being waived in 2018. Zhou returned to the Flying Tigers of the CBA soon after. In 2021, he joined the South East Melbourne Phoenix in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).

Early career

Zhou Qi attended Fuxin Basketball School in 2005 in Fuxin, Liaoning, China.

Zhou first began appearing on scouting reports when he guided China to an unlikely youth team title in Turkey at the TBF International Under-16 Tournament in 2011. At age fifteen, Zhou put up 41 points, 28 rebounds, and 15 blocks in China's semifinal win over Germany, and then went for 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 blocks in the final against the host nation. A year later at the 2012 Albert Schweitzer Tournament, a traditional testing ground for the best teenage players in international basketball, Zhou reinforced his reputation as one to watch by averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.2 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game.^[1]

In January 2014, Zhou left his boyhood team, the Liaoning Jaguars, to join the Xinjiang Flying Tigers. However, he was unable to play for Xinjiang until the 2014–15 season due to being underaged.^[1]

Professional career

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2014–2017)

Although there were rumors that several U.S. college teams were courting him, the teenager decided to stay in China, and his move to the cash-flush Xinjiang team caused a firestorm of speculation within the local media. Initially, it was claimed Zhou had accepted a three-year, $744,000 deal that would have made him better paid than most of the Tigers' roster at the time, and the club was forced to publicly deny those stories.^[1]

In 2015–16, Xinjiang lost in the semifinals of the CBA playoffs. Zhou led the CBA in blocked shots in each of his first two seasons at 3.3 and 3.2 per game, respectively, while shooting 65 percent from two-point range in 73 total games.^[2]

In June 2016, Zhou reached an agreement with Xinjiang that would allow him to buy out his contract and join the NBA in 2017. After much back and forth, Zhou's representation in China and the U.S. secured a buyout that would allow him out of his contract after the 2016–17 season for the maximum league-mandated amount permitted, which is $675,000.^[2]

In 2016–17, Zhou averaged 16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 58.6% from the floor. He also ranked second in the CBA in blocks (2.3 bpg) and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Zhou hit 20 3-pointers in 2016–17 after having 10 in his first two seasons combined. He also helped Xinjiang win its first championship in 2016–17.^[3]

Houston Rockets (2017–2018)

After his second season with Xinjiang, Zhou declared for the 2016 NBA draft. He had the longest wingspan during the 2016 NBA Draft Combine at 7'7¾" (2.33 m).^[2][4] On 23 June 2016, he was selected with the 43rd overall pick by the Houston Rockets.^[5]

On 6 July 2017, Zhou signed with the Houston Rockets.^[3] He made his NBA debut on 21 October 2017, playing eight minutes in the fourth quarter of the Rockets' 107–91 win over the Dallas Mavericks, posting three rebounds and one block.^[6] On 1 November 2017, Zhou scored his first NBA points, finishing with three points against the New York Knicks.^[7] During his rookie season, Zhou had multiple assignments to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League.^[8]

On 17 December 2018, the Rockets waived Zhou.^[9]

Return to the Flying Tigers (2019–2021)

In August 2019, Zhou returned to the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.^{[citation needed]}

South East Melbourne Phoenix (2021–2022)

On 8 September 2021, Zhou signed a two-year deal with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) as a Special Restricted Player, with the second year being a player option.^[10][11]

On 27 September 2022, Zhou recommitted to the Phoenix for the 2022–23 NBL season.^[12] On 19 December 2022, he left the team and returned to China for family reasons.^[13]

Back to CBA for another championship (2023)

On the evening of August 19th, Zhou Qi was traded to Guangdong Dongguan Bank for Zhao Rui.

National team career

Zhou made his debut with the senior Chinese national team during the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. He returned for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China, where he helped China win the championship with a win over the Philippines in the final. Zhou had 16 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game.^[14] He was subsequently named to the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship All-Star Five.^[15] Zhou later competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics with the Chinese national team.

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2017–18	Houston	18	0	6.9	.188	.105	.667	1.2	.1	.1	.8	1.2
2018–19	Houston	1	0	1.0	1.000	—	—	.0	.0	.0	.0	2.0
Career		19	0	6.6	21.2	10.5	66.7	1.2	.1	.1	.7	1.3

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2018	Houston	3	0	2.0	1.000	—	—	.3	.0	.0	.0	.7
Career		3	0	2.0	1.000	—	—	.3	.0	.0	.0	.7

CBA

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2014–15	Xinjiang	31	20	29.1	.696	.100	.740	6.9	.7	.8	3.2	14.0
2015–16	Xinjiang	42	40	34.2	.603	.600	.758	9.7	1.5	1.1	3.1	15.8
2016–17	Xinjiang	44	41	32.8	.558	.364	.717	9.9	1.1	1.0	2.3	15.9
2019–20	Xinjiang	44	44	33.1	.534	.311	.694	13.1	1.9	1.2	2.2	21.9
2020–21	Xinjiang	44	38	32.7	.517	.291	.590	11.8	2.7	1.0	2.2	20.7
Career		205	183	32.5	.561	.317	.690	10.5	1.6	1.0	2.6	17.9

NBL

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2021–22	Phoenix	24	23	21.1	.636	.000	.604	6.6	0.5	0.4	1.8	11.6
2022–23	Phoenix	9	0	13.5	.656	.000	.538	4.4	0.2	0.2	0.2	6.2
Career		33	23	19.0	.639	.000	.589	6.0	0.4	0.3	1.4	10.1

References

1. Crawford, Andrew (7 January 2014). . oneworldsports.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014.
2. Givony, Jonathan (10 June 2016). "Potential Chinese sensation reaches buyout agreement". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
3. "Rockets Sign Zhou Qi". NBA.com. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
4. Casciaro, Joseph (12 May 2016). "Zhou Qi's insane wingspan steals spotlight at draft combine". theScore.com. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
5. "Rockets Select Chinanu Onuaku and Zhou Qi in 2016 NBA Draft". NBA.com. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
6. "James Harden leads Rockets past Mavericks, 107-91". ESPN.com. 21 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
7. "Zhou Qi 2017-18 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
8. "2017-18 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
9. "Rockets Waive Zhou Qi". NBA.com. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
10. "Phoenix Add 7'1 Team China Star Zhou Qi". NBL.com.au. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
11. "SEM Phoenix Sign 7'1 Chinese Star". semphoenix.com.au. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
12. "He's Back". semphoenix.com.au. 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
13. "Zhou Qi To Return Home". NBL. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
14. "China vs Philippines". FIBA.com. 3 October 2015. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
15. "Yi Jianlian named 2015 FIBA Asia Championship MVP, headlines All-Star Five". FIBA.com. 3 October 2015. from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2017.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
• Zhou Qi at nbl.com.au
• Zhou Qi at cbaleague.com
• Zhou Qi at archive.fiba.com
• NBA Draft profile
• DraftExpress profile