Nets rookie earns hilarious bench reaction, nickname after home debut
10/15/2024 12:20 PM
Several Brooklyn Nets players performed well during Monday’s 139-92 preseason win over the Washington Wizards. However, the highlight of the night came from an unlikely candidate: rookie Cui Yongxi.
The Chinese prospect, who signed a two-way contract with the Nets before training camp, drained back-to-back buckets upon checking in late in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn’s bench erupted after the sequence.
"Everybody was lit," Cam Thomas said. "He hit the three and everybody got lit. And then he called for the iso and everybody just went crazy. So it’s definitely good for everyone to see we all like each other. I feel like that all helps us as a team. We all like each other, and we all want to see each other succeed, no matter who it is.”
“That’s really one of the things [head] coach [Jordi Fernandez] has been preaching to us. Just being connected, being together as a team, and being happy for each other’s success. I feel like that’s really helping us build relationships with each other. So it was really good, definitely fun to see.”
https://t.co/MLtY1JXDNrpic.twitter.com/s6zML5WzDS
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) October 15, 2024
Cui Yongxi turns heads during brief minutes in Nets debut
Cui is the first Chinese player to join the Nets since owner Joe Tsai took over the team. Despite several Chinese fans attending the game to see him play, the 21-year-old said he wasn’t feeling pressure during his Brooklyn debut.
"I had nothing in my mind,” he said. ‘When I'm open, I just shoot straight to the hoop. Score or not, it didn't matter because I was focused on the game with my teammates on defense. When I have a shot I can take, of course I take it.”
Cui also drew rave reviews in the locker room for his outfit, a traditional black Chinese suit, which he said he wore for luck. The style choice earned him the nickname “GQ Jackie” from his Nets teammates.
Jacky Cui broke out the Chinese suit tonight and got a new nickname from his Nets teammates:
"GQ Jackie"
Said he'd hook Jalen Wilson up with one. pic.twitter.com/zraA2FjZqx
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) October 15, 2024
Cui played his last two seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 14.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 45/36/81 shooting splits over 99 appearances. After turning heads at the G-League scouting combine, the 6-foot-6 wing played for the Portland Trail Blazers at Summer League. He passed on an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland over the summer, eventually landing a two-way deal with the Nets.
Cui should spend time in the NBA and G-League this season alongside fellow two-way signing Jaylen Martin. The first-year Net is the ninth Chinese player to play in the NBA, according to RealGM. He and Kyle Anderson are the league’s only active Chinese players.
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