Zhou Qi Arrives in South East Melbourne

Chinese mega star Zhou Qi arrived at the State Basketball Centre in South East Melbourne today to join Phoenix training for the first time.

Zhou spent the last week in hotel quarantine in Melbourne after flying in from China.

The 7’1 former Houston Rocket met his new teammates and coaches before undertaking physical testing and doing some light shooting.

“Everyone was very welcoming. I enjoy the team and the vibe of the club,” Zhou said.

“I am happy to be out of quarantine and am looking forward to being with the boys on court for the start of the season. I think a lot of fans will be watching our games back in China.”

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Zhou will make his official NBL debut on December 4 at John Cain Arena against the Illawarra Hawks. He is also likely to feature in the pre-season ‘NBL Blitz’ tournament, tipping off on November 13.

Zhou is expected to start at centre for the Phoenix and be one of the premier players in the NBL.

His impact is already making a huge impact in Australia, with Chinese basketball fans here and abroad flooding social media with excitement since the announcement of his signature in September.

Phoenix forward Mitch Creek recently named Zhou as his favourite player on the club’s social media. Zhou is so popular in his homeland that Creek’s selection was picked up on the nightly news in China.

Phoenix CEO Tommy Greer expects the Chinese megastar to make a big impact in the NBL.

“We are confident he will fit in well — he looks like a fun guy,” Greer said.

ZHOU'S FIRST DAY

Phoenix Media (01/11/2021)