G League Elite Camp attendee Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui has followed an interesting development pathway leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft. He aims to become the first Chinese prospect drafted since Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin in 2016. Cui just completed his second season in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), where he posted averages of 15.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg on 46.1 FG% and 36.5 3P%.
Before joining the CBA and becoming one of China’s top prospects, he attended the NBA Global Academy in Australia. Chris Ebersole, the Head of International Basketball Development at the NBA, worked directly with Jacky Cui during his time in Australia. He shared his experience coaching and working with Cui with HoopsHype.
“He was really, truly like cracking jokes,” Ebersole said about Cui’s personality. “I just thought he was so impressive, willing to make mistakes and take risks. Everybody, from our staff to all his teammates, thinks so highly of him because of that.”
Ebersole emphasized that Cui has always prioritized making the right play but now understands his skill level and realizes that to impact winning, he needs to focus on expanding his offensive game.
“He’s got really good feet and plays super hard,” Ebersole said about Cui’s best skill being defense. “Those ingredients, for both on-ball defense and off-ball positioning, serve him well.”