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Joe Young Returns From His Trip To China

By Ben Gibson

Oct 3, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Joseph Young (1) dribbles the ball in the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pelicans beat the Pacers, 110-105. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Joseph Young (1) dribbles the ball in the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pelicans beat the Pacers, 110-105. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Joe Young returned from a trip to China where he played in an exhibition game to raise money for the Yao Ming Foundation.

Yao Ming is retired, but basketball is as big as ever in China where Indiana Pacers point guard Joe Young visited last month.

Young was there for a number of events, including clinics at the Nike Rise Academy, playing in a charity game for the Yao Ming Foundation, and throwing down dunks with Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon.

According to China Pacers’ Holick Lee, playing in China for Yao’s foundation was part of Joe’s life coming full circle as Young grew up in Houston watching the hall of famer play.

He also disclosed that after hurting his back in the Orlando Summer League, he took time off to rehab in Oregon before returning to Indianapolis.

Perhaps to make up for that missed time, Young is putting in extra work this offseason with three-a-day practices that start at 4:30 a.m.

With Aaron Brooks and Monta Ellis ahead of him on the depth chart, it sounds like Young is doing his best to make coach Nate McMillian give him more than garbage time this season.

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Young wasn’t the only familiar face is China this summer, either.

Though he’s no longer with the Indiana Pacers, it is worth noting George Hill was there as part of a promotional tour according to the Wall Street Journal.

"“What Yao Ming is doing here in China is awesome,” said George Hill, a lanky guard recently traded by the NBA’s Indiana Pacers to the Utah Jazz. “He’s putting in the time to help kids and his country. He’s the greatest.”Mr. Hill spent two weeks in China on a promotional tour with Peak, a shoe company that sponsors him and the Yao Foundation. “We always try to get outside big cities, to the places other companies don’t go. It’s important, and you seen it in all the faces,” he added."

And in case you thought we were done with Pacers-China related things, you were wrong. The Pacemates also visited China this summer, too.

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