Song Tao
Encyclopedia
Song Tao is a retired Chinese
basketball
player and coach
. 6'10" with impressive mobility, he was the first player from Asia
drafted by an NBA team when the Atlanta Hawks
selected him in the 3rd round of the 1987 NBA draft
, although he never went to training camp due to serious knee
injuries
.
Song competed at 1988 Seoul Olympic Games
and was the flag bearer of the Chinese Olympic Team. He retired from China men's national basketball team in 1991 and became a coach/player on the Shandong provincial team. In 1993, Song went to study in San Francisco, California
and then moved to Taiwan
to compete in the professional Chinese Basketball Alliance
until he retired there around the turn of the century. He coached the National Chiao Tung University
varsity team in the ensuing years.
Song returned to mainland China
in 2003, and has since lived in Suzhou
, Jiangsu Province where he became a businessperson
. His wife
, Peng Ping (彭萍), was also a famed basketball player.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and coach
Coach (basketball)
Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behaviour of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as well as overall physical conditioning.Coaching is...
. 6'10" with impressive mobility, he was the first player from Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
drafted by an NBA team when the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
selected him in the 3rd round of the 1987 NBA draft
1987 NBA Draft
The 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
, although he never went to training camp due to serious knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injuries
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
.
Song competed at 1988 Seoul Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
and was the flag bearer of the Chinese Olympic Team. He retired from China men's national basketball team in 1991 and became a coach/player on the Shandong provincial team. In 1993, Song went to study in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and then moved to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
to compete in the professional Chinese Basketball Alliance
Chinese Basketball Alliance
The Chinese Basketball Alliance was a men's professional basketball league in Taiwan that existed from 1995 to 1999. Also abbreviated as "CBA", the defunct organization based in Taiwan was distinct from the Chinese Basketball Association of the People's Republic of China and was also not to be...
until he retired there around the turn of the century. He coached the National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University is a public university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious and selective universities in Taiwan and is renowned for its research and teaching excellence in electrical engineering, computer science, engineering, management, and...
varsity team in the ensuing years.
Song returned to mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
in 2003, and has since lived in Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Jiangsu Province where he became a businessperson
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
. His wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
, Peng Ping (彭萍), was also a famed basketball player.