On October 7th, in an NBA preseason game, the Guangzhou men's basketball team suffered a heavy 88-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Despite some key players missing from the Spurs lineup, including Fox, Sohan, Kessler, Olynyk, Vassell, and Harper, and Wembanyama playing only 16 minutes, the gap between a CBA-level team and an NBA-level team was evident. Guangzhou’s brightest star in the game was Chen Guohao.
Chen Guohao returned to Guangzhou this summer through a three-way trade between Guangzhou, Guangdong, and Beikong. In exchange for Chen, Guangdong sent Bo Qiao and Xu Xin’s signing rights, as well as Zhang Huafei. After the trade, Chen, who is a local player, signed a three-year B contract with Guangzhou, reportedly worth 5.5 million yuan annually.
In the first half of the game, Chen didn’t contribute offensively, scoring no points in his first 10 minutes. However, he played strong defense alongside Li Xiangbo and Liu Yancheng, helping to limit Wembanyama, who committed five turnovers in the first quarter and six in total by halftime.
Chen started to find his rhythm in the third quarter, hitting a three-pointer from the corner followed by a mid-range shot over a defender, scoring 10 points in that period to help Guangzhou close the gap. In the final quarter, he added four more points from free throws, bringing his total to 14 points in the second half.
For the entire game, Chen played 22 minutes, shooting 3-for-6 from the field, including 1-for-1 from three-point range and 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. He finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds shooting rate of 100%. His performance demonstrated his strong physicality, and at his height, he could potentially fit into an NBA power forward position despite his smaller size.
A Guangdong media person, Mai Suifeng, commented, “The most surprising player was Chen Guohao. In 22 minutes, he scored 14 points and 3 rebounds, making him the only domestic player to reach double digits in the game. His performance was impeccable, showcasing his rebounding anticipation, paint presence, and long-range shooting.”
