He was to play for the UCLA Bruins but he failed the entrance exam due to his lack of fluency in English.

[1] Attempting to break into the NBA, Ma was able to play exhibition games with the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Clippers in the team's summer-league programs in 1994.

[2] He later returned to China to play for the Beijing Olympians of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), until he left during the 2000–2001 season.

[citation needed] He also competed in the 1990 Asian Games and the 1992 Summer Olympics for the Chinese men's national basketball team.

His decision to pursue a career in the United States reportedly led to his exclusion to the Chinese national team.