Chang Chih-feng (???), the 40-year-old shooting guard dubbed the “Beast Master,” is expected to hit the hardwood with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 LEAGUE this weekend after coming out of retirement.
The club would not say how much he will play in the visiting Leopards’ games against the Taichung Wagor Suns on Sunday and the Tainan TSG GhostHawks on Monday, describing his playing time as game-time decisions.
The returning Chang said he hopes to act as a mentor to his younger teammates and help improve the Taoyuan side’s poor performance so far this season.
The Leopards are currently in last place in the league’s six-team standings with a 1-10 record.
Before his retirement as a player in 2018, Chang earned the nickname “Beast Master” because of his ability to defend “the Beast,” Lin Chih-chieh (???), one of Taiwan’s best players in the 2010s.
A household name to hardcore Taiwanese basketball fans, Chang is also the Super Basketball League’s (SBL) all-time single-game 3-pointer record holder.
Tyler Lamb joins TaiwanBeer: Thai-American player Tyler Lamb has joined the TaiwanBeer HeroBears in the T1 LEAGUE, according to the Taipei-based club Wednesday.
The 30-year-old 196-cm winger, who will count toward the HeroBears’ Asian import quota, may ring a bell to basketball fans in the region, having played for Thailand’s national team and for clubs in the ASEAN Basketball League.
Lamb is currently undergoing mandatory quarantine and will be the T1 LEAGUE’s second player of Thai heritage after Chanatip Jakrawan of the New Taipei CTBC DEA.
Bennett reports to Kaohsiung Steelers: Former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft Anthony Bennett reported to the Kaohsiung Steelers of basketball’s P. LEAGUE+ on Monday to help lift the team’s performance in the paint.
The 28-year-old 203-centimeter-tall Bennett was the talk of the NBA when he was selected first overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Canadian power forward failed to live up to expectations, however, drifting between four teams over four seasons before dropping out of the NBA entirely in 2017.
In addition to the Cavaliers, Bennett also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, and the Brooklyn Nets.
He appeared in a total of 151 games in the NBA, averaging 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 12.6 minutes per game.
In a recorded video, Bennett said he plans to bring his aggressive play on both sides of the ball to the team.
From watching online videos and clips of the team play, Bennett commended Steelers team captain Lu Cheng-ju (???) as a good shooter, while showing his confidence in his own game.
“I’m pretty sure our captain, I think No. 13, is our go-to-guy and I know he can shoot the ball but I can definitely shoot better,” Bennett said.
Lu is currently sidelined with a hand injury, so Bennett’s partnership with Lu on the court will have to wait.
T1 LEAGUE games: The HeroBears will be back at the University of Taipei’s Tianmu campus gym this week after temporarily relocating to Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium last week. They will take on the visiting New Taipei CTBC DEA on Friday and Kaohsiung Aquas on Saturday.
The Wagor Suns will also play two home games during the long weekend, hosting the Leopards on Saturday and the Aquas on Monday, while the GhostHawks will host the DEA on Sunday and the Leopards on Monday.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel