I think it's the game. These guys(Tmac, Mabury, etc) are paid almost nothing compared to what they used to make, so other than the game itself I can't think of any other reason for them to travel thousands of miles to play in China.
Or fans/recognition, as mentioned. Notice both men went out to look for that happy ending finally, to get cheers at the close of their careers?
Early on in their careers, McGrady was like the older guy. If you watched T-Mac in 04-05, esp. the play-offs, the guy was an absolute leader. At one point, when Yao was keeping on fumbling his passes, Tracy walked up to him in the bench and outright told him. Well, that never happened again. By the end, the dynamics of their relationship flipped around.
LOL, I noticed his facial expression too. He's only grimacing for the cameras, it's a built in excuse for his team losing.
I don't know about that. But I see this girl play in the NBA every week. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hgm1EzIDYlA/TMWeAjjlXvI/AAAAAAAAAdw/AvqaL8xmD0E/s400/joakim-noah-mar1juana-bulls_nc.jpg
Fan support could be a factor, especially in Tmac's case since he's been wildly popular in China. But im not so sure about recognition. How much does it really mean to win a championship in the CBA?
It's definitely a lot of money but cmon.. those guys are beyond rich. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't go to another country to play ball just to make myself 1% richer.
China is such a bizarre place right now - who wouldn't want to work there for a little while and travel at the same time and see everything. Hang out with Yao. It's a great opportunity for Tmac and the other NBA expats.