Presumably, friends who have played the NBA 2K series must remember a dubbed commentary in the old Yang Chinese version of the commentary.
"This is Qi." Although this English-style Chinese phrase violates the habit of Chinese speaking, it is full of magic. It tells the guys with the gamepad in their hands over and over again who this player is.
On December 12, Beijing time, Zhou Qi's name was known in the Australian NBL League, and his defensive deterrent on the inside spread throughout the league. On this night, Zhou Qi's southeast Melbourne Phoenix faced the city's sworn enemy, the defending champion Melbourne United. In this fierce and fiery "Melbourne Derby", Zhou Qi contributed a team-high 22 points, as well as 10 rebounds and 7 blocks, helping the team defeat their old rival Melbourne United 94-86, continuing the season's unbeaten record.
In the 2020-2021 season, the South East Melbourne Phoenix achieved a record of 19 wins and 17 losses, and entered the playoffs as the fourth place in the regular season, and in the first round of the playoffs, the South East Melbourne Phoenix lost 1-2 to Melbourne United. The new season met for the first time, and the Phoenix team up and down wanted to avenge last season's arrow.
As soon as the opening Zhou Qi took the lead. Zhou Qi grabbed an offensive rebound from the point between the two opponents under the basket, and after carrying the opponent, he slammed his hands and scored the first point for the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix. Just 20 seconds later, Zhou Qi actively assisted in defending and delivered another excellent block, and his teammates then hit a quick attack and hit a three-point chase.
Who's this? Say his name out loud. This is Qi! Zhou Qi's attack and defense directly ignited the offensive momentum of the whole team.
From the beginning of the game, it was like he wanted to firmly guard the Basket of the Phoenix and persist until the end of the game. Being able to protect the basket is also a key factor for the Phoenix to achieve three consecutive wins.
When Zhou Qi first participated in the NBL game, some foreign analysts and observers wondered whether the team could still score near the basket when he was 2 meters 16 tall in the penalty area. In the first two games, Zhou Qi suffered foul trouble. The New Zealand saboteur bravely launched an attack under the basket, and Zhou Qi was replaced in the first half with 3 fouls in advance, scoring 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks. However, as Andrew Bogut and other big center forwards have demonstrated in the past, a good interior doesn't get smaller as the game gets "small balls" played.
"Protecting the basket is one of the most important jobs I do in the team and I will always do my best." Zhou Qi said after the game.
Melbourne United's black centre Joe Lul-Aguire delivered six blocks in this match, setting a record for the melbourne United team's history, but he himself was miserable by Zhou Qi. Lul Aguire scored 17 points and 6 blocks, but he also ate 4 "hot pots". The 4 caps he ate were all given to him by Zhou Qi without exception.
This is Qi! Lul Aguire must remember his fear of being dominated by Zhou Qi in this game.
"He's a block and a dunk, and he can do anything in front of his opponents. Big Zhou Qi, I love him to death, I hate to kiss him, I just don't know if he will give me a cap on my face. The team's eldest brother, Mickey Crick, excitedly praised Zhou Qi after the game, and he also gave Zhou Qi the nickname of "King Qi". Crick had 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the game, as well as a stunning dunk.
The phoenix players and Zhou Qi formed a friendship with Zhou Qi at an astonishing speed, and Crick, as the team's big brother, especially cared about Zhou Qi. As early as the beginning of September, Zhou Qi announced that he had landed in Australia, and as the team's signature and captain last season, Crick was the first to pay attention to Zhou Qi. Zhou Qi's two games after his appearance were not very good, but Crick first praised Zhou Qi's basketball IQ and perseverance.
Crick said: "I didn't expect us to get along so well in such a short period of time. Under Crick's leadership, the players and Zhou Qi quickly mingled. When you see Zhou Qi fall to the ground, soon two or three teammates came forward to pull Zhou Qi up.
As LeBron James once said, "I'm not going to let him stay on the floor, I have to pull my teammates up." ”
Zhou Qi, on the other hand, admitted that he was initially unsure how well he could get along with his teammates, especially after he missed his first few preseason games because of his participation in the Chinese men's national basketball team. Zhou Qi also had doubts in his heart, and he was not a particularly outgoing person himself.
Crick once again showed his mature and sophisticated side, and released kindness to Zhou Qi. On November 18, the team held a media meeting, and Crick gave Zhou Qi a kind joke, bringing the two closer and Zhou Qi's relationship with his teammates.
Crick hid behind a curtain in the stadium passage, Zhou Qi played with his mobile phone passing by, Crick suddenly grabbed his arm, startling Zhou Qi, but after seeing that it was Crick, he immediately laughed and walked away with his teammates.
'I got along well with my teammates, better than I thought before I came here. Zhou Qi said, "This is a new environment and a new teammate. Everyone was friendly, but I didn't expect us to get along so quickly. "Such tacit understanding and interaction will be reflected in the stadium.
Before the season, Zhou Qi said that he could communicate well with his teammates on the field, but his problem was more about how to deal with the daily interactions off the court. Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell instead called Zhou Qi's behavior a bit "cheeky," but he was also happy.
Mitchell said that when Zhou Qi chatted with his teammates, his English level was better than he said. Mitchell smiled and told reporters, "He's a cunning guy. Please don't believe the saying , 'I don't understand the voice over here', he knows everything. ”
"He and Crick really got along, he was really funny. I've seen that from the coach's point of view, and I'm sure the players can see that even more. He needs some help when other voices come along. ”
Zhou Qi wants to establish more presence on the offensive end, and we all know that Zhou Qi can go down and pop up to shoot, and he has the ability to shoot from outside the three-point line. He can also single with his back to score.
Just as he just started the fourth quarter with a back-to-back Lul Aguire ball. Zhou Qi is not only a big man who simply waits for the opportunity to "eat cake", he also has a good hand of independent attack. With every pass, every game, his teammates' understanding of him improved. If the Phoenix can play more games like today, Zhou Qi's position will be more prominent.
In the NBL, or the vast majority of foreigners, who can't pronounce "Zhou( zhōu) accurately, they use Joe's pronunciation to cheer for Zhou Qi. Joe！ Joe！ Regardless of the pronunciation, this shout is the heartfelt love of fans in the other hemisphere.
This is Zhou Qi, a big man from China.