China has been a popular destination for washed-up NBA players in recent years, so much so that the meme “You better start learning Chinese, buddy” has been used on social media many times whenever a player falters. However, declining hoopers may want to think twice about the Chinese Basketball Association after Noah Vonleh's recent experience.
Vonleh detailed his horrific experience this past season with the Shanghai Sharks on Friday, via his Instagram story.
“The general manager tells the hotel to send people to my room to force me out of there. There’s six people coming to my room trying to break in and grab me out the room,” he wrote. “They using weapons to try and break in and threatening me saying all kind of things.”
This event allegedly happened after the 6-foot-1o forward attended the CBA's All-Star Game in March. The team was abusive to Vonleh after he got injured. He even posted a picture of an instrument the men used to break into his hotel room.
However, this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Noah Vonleh's horror story exposes the CBA's cartoonish level of corruption
The team essentially treated Vonleh like an object, tossing him in the trash the minute he wasn't available to give his labor.
“The Sharks tried to rush me back many times and told team doctors and doctors outside of the team to lie to me and tell me I’m ok to play,” Vonleh continued. “I sent my MRI results to doctors in the States and they had different opinions and confirmed I wasn’t ready to return to play.”
After the mafia-style attack didn't work, the 28-year-old's contract was tossed out, via the New York Post's Bradley Locker.
“As a result, Vonleh asserts that his fully guaranteed contract was voided on Feb. 26, but that he continued to try to fight for his full earnings,” Locker wrote.
Contracts usually have terms that the player must follow to get paid, even when it is fully guaranteed. They usually include showing up to all practices and games unless there's an excused reason, which Vonleh claims he did.
“The league saw based off of security footage they were wrong and should [have] never terminated the contract. I was present at practice every day,” Vonleh said.
This story, while hard to fathom, is a reminder that even wealthy athletes aren't immune to organizations treating workers like pieces of meat. It's hard to understand how a professional basketball organization could commit this level of malpractice, but Vonleh has plenty of reasons to take them to court. Former NBA players may want to consider the many other professional leagues around the world that take injuries seriously.
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