Back from China safe and sound, former KU forward Julian Wright begins new career
Julian Wright arrived in Tianjin, China, population 16 million, on Dec. 12, 2019, eager to continue his 13-year pro basketball career playing forward for the Tianjin Pioneers of the Chinese Basketball Association.
The 6-foot-8, 32-year-old former University of Kansas standout returned to the United States 45 days later on Jan. 26, a day after Chinese New Year.
“I felt like I was escaping it all,” Wright said of COVID-19 coronavirus. The disease had originated in Wuhan, China (600 miles from Tianjin) but not yet surfaced as a problem in the United States, where it’s now shut down cities all across the country, including Charlotte, North Carolina. That’s where Wright lives with his wife and three children while embarking on a new business venture called A.D.A.P.T. Basketball.
His basketball training program for youths is designed to “provide live-streams and video on-demand solutions to people all throughout the world, similar to Peloton and other fitness-based apps,” Wright explained.
Just before Wright’s hasty departure from China, he had been traveling with the Pioneers on road trips to practice with the team and get in tip-top playing shape, but had not yet played in any games.
He figured it was time to exit China when talks of travel restrictions in worldwide response to the virus caught his attention.
“They (people in China) tried to not talk about it. My team did not have a lot of information about it. When it got to be bad, I caught whiff of it. I had a bad vibe about it,” Wright told The Star Wednesday in a phone interview from Charlotte.
“I asked my agent for a termination letter so I could terminate my contract. I came back the very next day,” Wright added.
Leaving China at the start of the New Year — normally a festive occasion but not this year — was surreal.
“I was living in Tianjin — 16 million people live there. Beijing is like an hour and a half away, 25 million people, and nobody was on the street (in either place). Imagine New York City and nobody is on the street,” Wright said.
“The airport was packed. Everybody had masks on. It was like a movie getting myself out of there. It really blew everybody out of the water with this coronavirus.”
Wright since returning to the U.S. has been enjoying quality family time while working on his business venture.
In a nutshell, it involves Wright serving as a player development coach for young people. That includes youngsters who will gather in person at his new 5,000 square foot facility to open May 1 in Fort Mill, South Carolina (15 miles from Charlotte) — as well as youths who will be taught by Wright online. There will be interactive lessons, chat sessions, videos — lots of instructional videos.
“I call it Athletic Development All Purpose Training — A.D.A.P.T,” Wright said. “Obviously with the coronavirus it has put a pause on people (training with Wright) in person. I had already started to develop my online live-streaming solution for coaching prior to the coronavirus situation.”
Wright figures he’s well-equipped to teach fundamentals, considering he’s played all five positions in his hoops career going back to high school, when he was a tall point guard.
“I will host videos on Vimeo,” he said. “I will be using Zoom for video-conferencing. I can do active coaching. Some segments I pre-record. They (players) can watch the example used and I can watch them. With Bluetooth earphones and/or bluetooth speakers they can follow along — from Kansas where we know basketball is big, Chicago, overseas (anywhere).”
“I’ll say, ‘Let’s huddle up,’ and we’ll show clips. ‘This is how LeBron (James) is able to shoot his shot.’ I am going to be interactive, innovative. With A.D.A.P.T Basketball TV I will have diverse programs going on.”
Once the coronavirus restrictions for personal contact are relaxed, his new facility will be the site for training sessions with youths in the area.
“For the afternoon most of the year I’ll have an academy called ‘Carolina Academy,’’’ Wright said. “It will be curriculum-based training, 10 week terms. They (attendees) will have access to things here in our building. It’s not too big, not too small. We have two NBA arcs (for threes). I’m able to cram eight rims in there.”
As far as his own basketball playing future, Wright, who played two seasons at KU (2005-07) has decided to retire after completing three years in the NBA and 10 seasons overseas in such places as Israel, Russia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Italy and China.
“As of now I have retired. Many people obviously come out of retirement,” Wright said.
In fact, he’s planning on competing in the BIG 3 for a second consecutive summer if there is a 3-on-3 halfcourt league this year.
“I didn’t go out like a legend. That’s OK,” Wright said. “I look at my family. They are happy. In two or three weeks my new facility will be complete. I’m mentally excited about my new venture. I love basketball so much. I have to do what makes sense for me.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Back from China safe and sound, former KU forward Julian Wright begins new career."
