Announced! Officially signed and joining! The first Chinese professional player in the NCAA

Here he comes.

Lin Wei officially brings his talent to the University of Oregon.

The official photos are out, no turning back now.

Domestic media have followed up reporting,Lin Wei will continue to wear jersey number 23 at the University of Oregon, has the coach’s guarantee for playing time, and under the NIL policy qualifies to earn a salary on par with a CBA contract, making him the first Chinese player to enter the NCAA as a professional athlete.

The so-called NIL policy refers to the rights for signed brands to use these students’ Names, Images, and Likenesses.

After going undrafted in the NBA this summer, Lin Wei was picked 8th overall in the G League International Draft by the Texas Legends, a Dallas Mavericks affiliate, but as mentioned, he chose to play in the NCAA because of better team tactics, greater exposure, and higher income—why not?

Of course, at this stage, the most important thing for Lin Wei is to improve himself to prepare for another attempt at the world’s top basketball stage. Performing well in the NCAA will greatly increase his chances of attracting NBA teams’ attention.

Born on December 25, 2003, Lin Wei is only 21 years old, a 1.91m versatile guard. Last season in the CBA with the Tongxi team, he became the top domestic scorer, averaging 21 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in the regular season, with shooting percentages of 41.3%, 34.9%, and 87.6%; in the playoffs, he averaged 30.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 43.5%, 26.3%, and 94.1%.

With Lin Wei joining, the new NCAA season will feature several rising Chinese stars, such as Wang Junjie and Zhao Weilen, both playing for the University of San Francisco. These overseas dream chasers have already shown strong readiness to compete, enough to earn spots on the national team.

By the way, China’s men’s basketball head coach Guo Shiqiang is visiting the US; it’s unclear if he will visit Lin Wei. The two seemed to have had some minor disagreements before, but it shouldn’t be a big deal.