An Age-Old Question for Chinese Basketball Players

Gymnasts aren't the only Chinese athletes with questionable ages.  Thirty six of China's basketball players have been caught in the lie of "age-shaving," telling officials that they are younger than they actually are.

This process starts early for many players, since a talented 16-year-old junior player looks a lot better compared with 14-year-olds than older students.  This results in better recruitment visibility for the player, as well as a stronger showing for the team.    

While there aren't any age restrictions in professional basketball in the same way that there are in sports like Olympic gymnastics, age-shaving can have some negative impacts on building strong basketball teams.  If you assume that you're signing an 18-year-old player who hasn't yet peaked, there are several years for coaching and development.

On the other hand, someone a few years older is expected to perform at a higher level, since that player should ideally be at the top of his game.  If a team's up-and-coming talent is already over-the-hill, it could be a rocky season. 

This situation is hardly unique to China.  The Little League world in the U.S. was rocked by the 2001 Danny Almonte scandal, when it turned out that this star pitcher who led his team to a 3rd place finish at the Little League World Series wasn't 12.  He was 14.  

Some American children are even "red-shirted" as young as kindergarten in order to gain an advantage in terms of sports and academics. 

Even with the new discovery for the Chinese basketball team, it's unlikely that athletes will stop lying about their ages.  While players pay a high price if they're discovered, the pressure to succeed remains intense.