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Why NBA players' stats in China aren't as crazy as they look

"I didn't put no crazy stats up," Michael Beasley said. ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images

If there's one thing American fans know about the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), it's the big per-game numbers that imported players put up in China.

Last season, little-known international veteran Jonathan Gibson led the CBA by averaging 42 points per game. Five other players, including former No. 2 pick of the NBA draft Michael Beasley, averaged at least 30.

Obviously, those performances don't translate directly to similar NBA performance. Take Alan Williams, who led the CBA with 15.4 rebounds per game. After signing with the Phoenix Suns at the conclusion of the Chinese season, Williams played just 6.8 minutes a night in the NBA.

So, with Chinese star Yi Jianlian headed to the Lakers, how can we understand the numbers players put up in the CBA?