On Thursday, NBA journeyman Noah Vonleh shed light on a disturbing first year with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanghai Sharks.
Vonleh relayed a story in which he claims the team’s general manager attempted to have him removed from his hotel room after attending a Sharks game shortly after the CBA’s All-Star Game in March.
“The general manager tells the hotel to send people to my room to force me out of there. There’s six people coming to my room trying to break in and grab me out the room,” the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram. “They using weapons to try and break in and threatening me saying all kind of things.”
Vonleh also provided a photo of some type of instrument that such officials were seemingly using to access his room’s peephole.
The 6-foot-10 forward outlined that the root of his troubles with the team stemmed from an injury and his recovery.
“The Sharks tried to rush me back many times and told team doctors and doctors outside of the team to lie to me and tell me I’m ok to play,” Vonleh said. “I sent my MRI results to doctors in the States and they had different opinions and confirmed I wasn’t ready to return to play.”
As a result, Vonleh asserts that his fully guaranteed contract was voided on Feb. 26, but that he continued to try to fight for his full earnings.
Vonleh added that the Sharks reported to his agents that he was not attending practices but that the league’s review didn’t align with what the team was communicating.
“The league saw based off of security footage they were wrong and should [have] never terminated the contract. I was present at practice every day,” Vonleh said.
Altogether, the former Trail Blazer, Knick and Raptor called Shanghai “by far worst organization l’ve ever been a part of…Very unprofessional,” with Vonleh apparently still yet to receive his outgoing salary or playoff bonus.
Vonleh played 12 seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for the Boston Celtics in 2022-23.
His best year came in New York in 2018-19, making 57 starts while averaging 8.4 points and 7.8 assists — all of which were career-bests.
During the 2023-24 season, Vonleh suited up in only 14 games for the Sharks, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Powered by former NBA guards Eric Bledsoe and Dwayne Bacon, Shanghai went 32-20 before falling in the quarterfinals of the league’s postseason.
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