Chinese basketball team Shanxi Zhongyu has sacked superstar import Bonzi Wells after the former NBA bad boy failed to return from a holiday in his native US, his club said yesterday.
Wells, 32, dubbed by the local media the best player to have ever graced the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after joining Zhongyu in December, had his contract terminated late last week, an employee at the club said.
A statement posted on Zhongyu’s Web site over the weekend said Wells went home for a holiday last month. He was meant to come back last Tuesday, but asked for a two-day extension to “attend to some personal matters.”
PHOTO: AFP
On Thursday he asked for another extension, which the club agreed to as long as he came back in time for a weekend match.
Wells, however, still failed to return, prompting the cancellation of his one-year contract.
“After friendly talks between the club and Wells and his agents, we unanimously agreed to terminate the contract,” the statement said.
Wells admitted in earlier comments to finding it difficult in China, despite averaging 34 points in his 14 games with Zhongyu.
“It was a big cultural shock to me for the first few weeks,” he said. “Since I have been here it has been all business and I haven’t had any fun yet, so I am looking for some fun.”
Wells had helped lift Zhongyu, who finished last in the 2007-2008 season, into the top half of the CBA league. However, they got thumped 89-110 by 10th-placed Changchun on Sunday without Wells.
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