Former Tokyo Apache and NBA big man Jeremy Tyler is returning to China.
Tyler will play for Fujian Sturgeons of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to published reports.
The CBA season is already underway, and Fujian is 4-4 in the 20-team circuit as of press time on Thursday night.
Tyler, 24, suited up for the now-defunt Apache, playing for ex-NBA bench boss Bob Hill, during the 2010-11 bj-league campaign. He began his pro career in 2009 with Maccabi Haifa, an Israeli squad, after deciding to skip his senior year at San Diego High School. His stint in Israel lasted only 10 games.
Since being selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the 39th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft — he was acquired by the Golden State Warriors in exchange for cash — Tyler has bounced around the NBA (Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks; overall, he's appeared in 80 NBA games) and the NBA Development League (Dakota Wizards, Santa Cruz Warriors, Erie BayHawks)
The 208-cm Tyler spent last season with the CBA's Shanxi Zhongyu squad, averaging 22 points and 11.2 rebounds in 41 games.
In late September, he was picked up by the Houston Rockets after a productive stint (11.8 points and 8.3 rebounds) with the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. But the Rockets cut Tyler after two preseason games.
