Former NBA center Monk Bateer Monday was officially announced to
be transferred to Xinjiang Guanghui for the upcoming 2007-08 season
of the Chinese Basketball Association League (CBA).
Bateer, 32, who took one year off after playing for the Beijing
Ducks in the 2005-06 season, signed a one-year contract with
Guanghui this summer which was reportedly worth of 4.2 million RMB
(about US$555,556).
The Ducks claimed the priority right for signing Bateer, who
joined club in 1988 when he was only 13 years old, but the league
office said that Bateer is a free player one year after the
expiration of his contract with the club, according to the
transferring and contract rules.
"The league office registers Bateer as a Xinjiang Guanghui's
player for the new season according to the rules. His move to
Xinjiang Guanghui is legal," said Chai Wensheng, official of the
office at a news conference.
The office also registered former national head coach Jiang
Xingquan as Guanghui's head coach, instead of Zhejiang Cyclones',
Chai announced.
Jiang has one year left on his contract with the Cyclones, but
claimed he didn't receive salaries after the end of the 2006-07
season, which forced him to sign another two-year contract with
Guanghui.
"It's a legal affair if coach Jiang was involved in any contract
breach with the Cyclones," Chai said.
The office denied Beijing Aoshen's return after two-year absence
as the club insisted to move the home court to Macao of China.
CBA banned Aoshen in 2005 as the club refused to send his
players to play for the national teams.
In another dissension involving lawsuit, former Henan Renhe's
forward Wang Lei was transferred to Bayi Fubang, as the office
announced.
(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2007)