Gaines signs contract with Chinese NBL team
Former Georgia basketball guard Kenny Gaines has signed a contract with the Chinese National Basketball League's Heibei Xianglan.
The Telegraph's Brandon Sudge reported Gaines will start playing with his new team as soon as he gets to China. The league operates in the summertime and is already in progress.
Source: Former Georgia guard Kenny Gaines has signed a contract with Heibei Xianglan out of the Chinese NBL league.
— Brandon Sudge (@brandonsudge) July 18, 2017
NBL league lasts through the Summer, and is in progress. Gaines will start playing as soon as he arrives in China.
— Brandon Sudge (@brandonsudge) July 18, 2017
The signing has no bearing on where Gaines will land this upcoming season or in future.
— Brandon Sudge (@brandonsudge) July 18, 2017
Gaines' contract with the Antibes (France) Sharks ran through last season, so he may be in search of a new destination.
— Brandon Sudge (@brandonsudge) July 18, 2017
Before signing with Heibei Xianglan, Gaines spent his first professional season with the Antibes Sharks in the LNB Pro-A league in France. Gaines averaged 8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game as a rookie. His contract was only for one year so Gaines may be looking for a new team after his time with Heibei Xianglan runs out.
While the summer Chinese NBL season is considered the country's second division, it has attracted a lot of media attention over the summer. Former Louisville guard Russ Smith has participated in the league this summer and has posted eye-popping numbers, including going for 81 points in a game.
This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 1:05 PM with the headline "Gaines signs contract with Chinese NBL team ."