In a 10-minute video produced by the G League, Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui, rehabbing in New York, talks about his injury and his desire to play again in the NBA.
Yongxi “Jacky” Cui is back in New York. After his left knee ACL surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in December, he was waived by the Brooklyn Nets and returned home to China for a brief time, then it was back to the rehab grind in New York.
Just this week, the G League released a nearly 10 minute interview that touched on his status and his plan to return to the NBA, not the Chinese Basketball Association, when fully recovered. He didn’t mention the Nets but as he has in the past, Cui spoke positively of his time in Brooklyn in the interview as well as his prospects in On The Grind.
“In social media, a lot of people thought I’m done,” Cui told an unseen interviewer, referring to China’s active sports media space. “But a lot of people, like 70 to 80%, think I will get back to the NBA.”
The 6’8” wing who was on a two-way earlier this season said he’s focused on another number, the one given him by his HSS surgeon, that there’s a 99% success rate for the surgery.
“A lot of people tell me and my doctor tell me this knee can be fixed 99% regular,” he said, adding that gave him confidence. “Okay, I’m fine!” The injury was however something new for him. It was the first major injury for the 21-year-old and he admits he was depressed early on in his recovery. Then, he hit on an inspiration: his idol, Kobe Bryant.
“Kobe torn his achilles. I tore my ACL. Every time I look bad, I say what would Kobe do,” he added. “Did he give up?”
“I can’t forget you,’ he said of Bryant. “I can still take your mentality to keep playing in the NBA.
Cut said while he’s feeling better, he’s got to continue his rehab. The load, he said, has been lightened by his newfound love for New York City and a particular pool hall in Flushing, Queens, one of the city’s Chinese enclaves. Billiards, he said, is popular among basketball players and a good way to relax.
“I got to keep doing my rehab, but I got to enjoy the time,” he said. “I try to do good things for (my life) because I didn’t have a lot of time to see New York. I was just focused on training and focused on the game.”
The product of Basketball without Borders and the NBA’s Global Academy in Australia spoke about the pride he took in his Nets jersey.
“When I wear the jersey, when I got a chance to play on the court, I played my ass off,” said Cui who became the seventh Chinese player to enter an NBA game on October 27. The experience he said was different from the times when growing up in China he played in a Kobe Bryant jersey or Kevin Durant jersey. “It’s my jersey!” he said.
He spoke as well about how aggressive Brooklyn was in signing him. He had played some Summer League with the Portland Trail Blazers last July but while he was waited for Portland to call about training camp, the Nets swooped in and offered him a two-way.
“Of course, I said yes.” he laughed.
Could he and the Nets have a reunion? When Brooklyn waived him, they lost both his NBA rights and his G League rights. He’s now an unrestricted free agent, open to sign with anyone. He didn’t mention that possibility in the interview but not long after he got hurt, Cui posted some reflections from his brief rookie season in the NBA, and had the following message (translated from Mandarin) for the Brooklyn Nets … and Joe Tsai:
I really thank the Brooklyn Nets for giving me the opportunity to let an ignorant teenager with the dream of NBA truly stand on the highest level of world basketball. After I was injured, they provided me with meticulous care and concern, so that I never felt lonely and helpless in the United States.
Tsai, he said, had visited him in the hospital.
I also want to thank the Nets owner Mr. Joe Tsai. He took out precious time from his busy schedule to visit me in person. He gave me a lot of encouragement and advice, which made me more determined to overcome the injury and return to the court. Injury is unfortunate, but the warm care of Mr. Tsai made me feel real happiness.
There would be impediments of course starting with the status of his rehab and the Nets likely logjam of a roster, particularly if they use all five of their draft picks in June. He is training in New York, but not at the Nets training center. He admits that there is a lot of pressure in the NBA and agrees with what Yao Ming and former Net Yi Jianlian told him, “NBA competition. It’s hard.”
That said, the Nets open preseason in Macao, China, vs. the Phoenix Suns on October 10. That’s only a four-hour train ride from his hometown of Nanning. Stranger roster moves have taken place.