“Magician!” China admires the Swede and hopes his authority will attract former NBA stars

“Magician!” China admires the Swede and hopes his authority will attract former NBA stars

Vitaly Vesely December 23, 2023, 09:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

Alexey has only been in China for two months and fans are already going crazy for him.

In October of this year, Russian guard Alexey Shved signed a contract with the Chinese club Shanxi Lungs. Not to say that the news was completely unexpected. In the summer, talk began about Alexei’s departure from CSKA, and when it became clear that the Swede would no longer play for the military team, various options began to circulate in the press. Some sent the Russian star player to Serbian Red Star, others believed that the point guard would remain in the VTB United League. They talked about Spain. But the Swede ended up in the Middle Kingdom.

Why the Swede did not stay in Russia:

Exclusive

VTB United League clubs dropped Alexey Shved due to high salary demands

In the new place, Alexey was warmly received and the basketball player reciprocated. In his debut game in the local league, the Russian scored 20 points, to which he added 15 assists, two rebounds and a steal, spending 32 minutes on the court. What is not a source of pride? The only moment that overshadowed the Russian’s double-double was the loss to Shanxi. The team lost 114:117.

Just half a month later, Shved was named player of the week at the Chinese Championship. Thanks to his playing qualities and charisma, Alexey immediately attracted the attention of local fans. As his agent Obrad Fimich said, after a match the Russian signed autographs for 40 minutes.

Kirilenko’s opinion:

Andrey Kirilenko commented on Alexey Shved’s debut in Shanxi Lungs

It wasn’t long before articles appeared in Chinese media about the newcomer from Russia. Local journalists immediately noted the high level of the point guard, highlighting the fact that Alexey’s arrival at the Chinese championship was an event with a capital “E”.

“The Shanxi team recently signed a contract with Alexey Shved from Russia, which is undoubtedly great news. The Swede is a very talented and respected player with experience in the NBA. Many people know him as the European magician. The talent and skill of the Russian newcomer “Shanxi” are simply undeniable,” wrote the author of the article on the 163.com website.

Alexey Shved

Photo: Shanxi Lungs social media

Many users did not hide their sympathy for Shved in the comments. Someone modestly called Alexey a great player, while others allowed themselves a bolder statement, saying that, unlike “some undersized foreigners who work for themselves, the Swede plays for the benefit of the team, raising the level of the team.” league”.

The part about undersized foreigners can be skipped, but it will be interesting to consider in more detail the Swede’s game for the benefit of the team. In Russia, Alexey regularly received criticism for his selfishness and desire to complete episodes at his expense. In China, it seems, there are no such conversations regarding Swedish. And it is not surprising if we pay attention to his statistics. Compared to the last season of EL VTB, the European magician began to score more (18.1 on average per game in China compared to 16.6 in the United League in the 2022/2023 season) and rebound more frequently (5 .6 versus 3.5). And, most importantly, make more passes (10.3 assists vs. 7.8).

Alexey Shved was congratulated on his birthday at Shanxi Lungs:

The statistics speak for themselves. And, apparently, the Celestial Empire was more than satisfied with the money invested. Yes, people in China have been accustomed to spending large sums of money for a long time, but counting them is also an ancient Chinese tradition that has not disappeared. In addition, money for Shved, as Chinese analysts believe, can become an investment (and not only in the team, but in the entire league).

According to information from the same publication 163.com, the Slovenian Dragici brothers, Goran and Zoran, turned their attention to China. But where is Slovenia and where is China? The author rightly points out that former NBA players (Zoran’s experience in the North American league is not the same as his older brother’s, but he has it too) may not be willing to change their record. And here Shved’s experience comes in handy.

Where else could the Swede go?

Stories

“I’m ready to come.” Alexey Shved spoke about his transfer to a new club

“The Dragici brothers are thinking about coming to China and they have the Swede’s successful experience before their eyes. The Russian star shows good results. In an interview with Russian media, Shved said that the level of our championship is not low, the team is very attentive to requests, and the fans are full of enthusiasm and love it very much. Shved’s ability to adapt to the game in the CBA (in the Chinese league. – “Championship” note) will give more confidence to the Dragic brothers,” the article says.

Whether the Dragici come to China or not is not really that important. Something else is more important. In the Celeste, the Swede now has a high level of confidence, the affection of the fans and the attention of the media. The main thing is not to lose everything.