Greece Investment Immigration focus on life in Greece: Yesterday, Shang Ping, who played for the Qingdao basketball team last season, signed with Panathinaikos in Greece, becoming the first Chinese basketball player in history to join a European league.
Shang Ping was born in 1984 to parents who were both basketball players. During his studies in the United States, he represented prestigious institutions such as Illinois Central College and the University of Nebraska, competing in the NCAA for several years. In 2009, Shang Ping returned to China to join the Beijing basketball team and subsequently played for the Shanxi and Qingdao teams. Last season with Qingdao, Shang Ping played in only 7 games, averaging less than 9 minutes per game, and became a free agent after the season ended.
Panathinaikos is a top-tier European basketball powerhouse, having won the EuroLeague championship six times in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011. Shang Ping has signed a 1+1+1 contract with Panathinaikos, with the latter two years being team options. "By going to play in Europe this time, I hope to provide some experience for other Chinese players to join European leagues in the future," Shang Ping said in an interview yesterday.