As a major offseason acquisition for the Guangdong Southern Tigers last year, few could have predicted that Cui Yongxi, a former NBA player, would end up backing up Zhang Haojia. In Game 2 of the playoff series, where Guangdong edged out Beijing with a buzzer-beater to force a decisive Game 3, Cui was benched in the second half, paving the way for Zhang Haojia’s game-winning shot in overtime.
Cui played just eight minutes in the first half, missing all four of his field goal attempts and scoring zero points. He was pulled after just over a minute in the third quarter and never returned to the court.
In total, Cui logged 9 minutes and 28 seconds, finishing with 0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist. His performance played no part in the victory.
With the team’s forward rotation thin, head coach Du Feng had to rely on Wang Shaojie and Du Runwang, both more natural power forwards, to fill in at the three spot. In the fourth quarter, Du turned to Zhang Haojia, who had been ineffective on both ends, but in overtime, point guard Xu Jie trusted Zhang with the ball, and Zhang hit a contested three-pointer over Zhou Qi to seal the win. Fans quickly commented, “Cui Yongxi deserves to be Zhang’s backup.”
Despite Cui’s NBA credentials giving him a reputation in Guangdong, his performance since returning to the CBA has been subpar. His earlier remark, “I’m not used to the CBA; I prefer shooting from a longer three-point line,” has become a source of ridicule. Once praised as a “chaser of dreams,” Cui now seems distracted, frequently posting his few highlights on social media as if he were a superstar, while contributing far less than the often-criticized Zhang Haojia.
Throughout the regular season, Cui averaged just 7.4 points on a dismal 39.8% shooting. In the playoffs, his numbers dropped to 3.4 points per game, with a shooting percentage of 35% and 21.4% from three-point range. In the first round against his former team, Guangzhou, his highest scoring output was just six points. He appears to be living solely in his own highlight reel.
Regardless of how far Guangdong advances this season, Cui must take the offseason to reflect and refocus. While injuries have played a role in his struggles, they cannot excuse his poor performances. A true player rises above adversity. If Cui wants to prove he can be a core player or even return to the national team, he needs to shed his sense of entitlement and dedicate himself to refining his skills.