Steve Francis Joins Allen Iverson As Latest Player Thinking of Playing in China

Allen Iverson recently expressed interest in joining the Chinese basketball team Foshan and is having conversations with the team.  Apparently, Allen Iverson is not the only former NBA player interested in playing in China.  Steve Francis recently indicated that he would welcome such an opportunity if the price is right.

Steve Francis has not played a game in the NBA since the 2007-2008 NBA season where he had a 10 game stint with the team that made him a star, the Houston Rockets.  After two years of battling lingering injuries, the former NBA point guard is expressing interesting in joining a Chinese basketball league.

In an interview with Xinhua, Francis mentioned that he loves China and his fans there.  While it might sound like a surprise, Steve Francis is actually still very popular in China, according to former Chinese teammate Yao Ming. 

Yao Ming supports Steve Francis in his interest of playing in China and expressed that the addition of Francis to his team, the Shanghai Sharks, would make the team a contender in the Chinese league.  That means a lot from a superstar NBA player who once considered Steve Francis his mentor and tutor during the start of his career.

Will Steve Francis achieve his goal of playing in China?  The real question should really be, would he be successful?  The simple answer to this question is obviously yes.  And there is clear evidence why.  He would not be the first to do it and be successful. Stephon Marbury surprised many NBA fans by moving to China and was extremely successful, both financially with his shoe deal as well as on the court.

On the court he led his team with 22.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.  He also went on to win the all-star game MVP award.  Can Francis replicate this?  Probably not, but he can be a very good player considering that he is also a shoot first point guard with long range shooting ability.  Oddly enough, that is not the only thing the players share in common.

Back in 2007, Steve Francis endorsed the Chinese shoe and apparel company, Atna.  His popularity in China, mainly due to teammate Yao, allowed Francis to become the first ever American to endorse the product.

In conclusion, there is much to gain and little to lose for the former NBA highest paid player.  Playing in China offers Francis the chance to develop a new fan base he once sparked, and have fun while doing so.