D’Angelo Russell’s NBA career has taken an unexpected turn. The former All-Star guard is leaving the NBA for the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after signing with the Shanghai Sharks for the 2026-27 season. The move came only days after the Memphis Grizzlies waived him. It ended a difficult period in which Russell moved between several NBA teams.

Russell’s decision has started a bigger discussion about NBA players who continue their careers overseas. But Russell is not facing that discussion alone. Several former NBA players have now supported him and other players who choose to play outside the NBA.

Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady and Quinn Cook have all used X to defend players who choose China or other overseas leagues. They also pushed back against the idea that playing overseas automatically means a player has taken a step backward.

Dwight Howard was one of the first big names to support Russell. The former NBA superstar also has experience playing basketball outside the United States.

Howard wrote on X, “Let’s go, D’Angelo! Idk why people think playing overseas is bad; it’s actually more fun than the NBA”

Howard questioned why people see overseas basketball as a bad thing. He also said that playing overseas can actually be more fun than playing in the NBA.

Howard knows what he is talking about. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he had already considered playing overseas if the NBA season did not happen.

He later became one of the biggest NBA names to play outside the United States. Howard spent the 2022-23 season with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan.

Because of that experience, Howard sees an overseas move differently. For him, leaving the NBA does not mean that a player’s basketball career has ended. It can simply mean that the player has started a new part of his career somewhere else.

Tracy McGrady also joined the discussion on X. The Hall of Famer has a strong connection to this topic because he played in China after his NBA career.

McGrady wrote, “Let them hate lil bro.. China has a great league for boys to go play and feed their families good! I loved playing there for that 1 season. The NBA ain’t for everyone!”

McGrady made two main points in his message. First, he said the CBA gives players a good chance to continue playing basketball and earning money. Second, he used his own experience to explain why players should not feel bad about playing in China.

McGrady played for the Qingdao Eagles during the 2012-13 CBA season. The bigger point is clear. McGrady was already a major NBA star when he went to China. He had already built a successful NBA career. He still chose to play in the CBA and experience a different basketball environment.

Quinn Cook also defended players who choose to play in China. His message focused more on the financial side of the decision.

Cook wrote on X, “I never understood people making fun of NBA players going to China… literally getting paid the bag !!!!! It’s not quite top tier or middle tier NBA money, but it’s still unbelievable money, and you still get to play the game you love !! Salute to my dawgs that’s still pushing!!”

Cook said people should not only compare CBA money with NBA money.

He accepted that CBA salaries may not match the biggest NBA contracts. But he said players can still earn good money while continuing to play the sport they love.

That point also matters in Russell’s case.

The 30-year-old already has a strong NBA resume. Russell was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He became an All-Star with the Brooklyn Nets in 2018-19. He also played 655 NBA games.

Russell finished his NBA career with averages of 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. His most recent NBA season was not as strong statistically. He played 26 games for the Dallas Mavericks in 2025-26 and averaged 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Now, instead of looking for another NBA opportunity, Russell will continue his career in China.

Russell’s move comes at a time when several other players with NBA experience are also playing in the CBA.

Edmond Sumner is continuing with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Lindy Waters III recently signed with the Beijing Ducks after spending time in the NBA. He played 40 regular-season games for the San Antonio Spurs in 2025-26. He averaged 2.4 points in 7.1 minutes per game.

Another familiar name is Harry Giles III, who plays for the Beijing Royal Fighters. There is also Brandon Goodwin, who has become an important player for the Shanghai Sharks.

Goodwin is staying with Shanghai. That means Russell will join a team that already has a former NBA player playing an important role.

The idea of NBA players going overseas has been around for years. Former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury has often spoken about his own experience in China.

Marbury played in China for several seasons and built a strong connection with the country. In a 2025 interview with Eurohoops, he said China helped improve his game. He also said he felt he played better there than he had in the NBA.

“China is evolving, is growing. I love China for a base, for a foundation, a base of what I’ve done basketball-wise. China helped grow my game,” Marbury said in February 2025. 

Marbury also talked about criticism from former NBA player Gilbert Arenas toward players who take overseas opportunities.

Marbury said he respected Arenas but questioned his view because Arenas had not played international basketball. He also suggested that Arenas’ comments were part of his style as a media personality.

Marbury’s career shows how different the overseas experience can be for each player. He became one of the most well-known foreign players in CBA history. He has also spoken many times about how much his time in China changed his career.

The reaction to Russell’s move is part of a much bigger discussion in basketball. Some people see leaving the NBA as a sign that a player’s NBA opportunities have gone down. That view comes from the NBA’s position as the world’s top basketball league.

But Howard, McGrady and Cook are looking at the decision differently. Russell is still playing professional basketball. He is still earning money from the sport. He is also joining the reigning CBA champion in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Sharks won the CBA title last season. It was their first championship in 24 years.

Russell will now get a chance to play a different role after 11 NBA seasons. That is why the messages from Howard, McGrady and Cook go beyond Russell. They are also questioning the idea that a professional basketball career only has value when it happens in the NBA.

Russell’s move to China may be unusual for a former All-Star. But other big NBA names have taken a similar path. McGrady played in China. Marbury built a long career there. Howard played in Taiwan. Several other former NBA players are now playing in China.

For Russell, the next chapter of his career will now take place in Shanghai instead of the NBA.

Do you think playing overseas should be viewed as a setback for an NBA player? Or simply as another way to continue a professional basketball career? Let us know in the comments.