At the age of 11, Han Dejun used "wire" to weave a basketball dream, and later he went farther and farther in the journey of his dreams...
The dream of basketball "woven" with wire
Born in Lushun, Dalian, Liaoning Province, Han Dejun grew up bigger than his peers, and when he was 11 years old, his father "woven" a basketball frame for him with wire on his own cowshed. The time of playing ball in the cowshed became the most cheerful memory of Han Dejun's childhood, and through his father's homemade basket, he woven a basketball dream for himself.
For Han Dejun's dream, his family supported it unconditionally. However, due to the limited financial conditions of his family, he did not get professional basketball training from an early age like most players. In order to support him to play, the family almost poured out, and the sister who married a wife also saved money to help her brother complete his basketball dream.
At this time, basketball is not only a dream for Han Dejun, but also carries the hope of the whole family.
At the age of 16, the Liaoning youth team went to the local selection of materials, and Han Dejun was selected for the training camp as desired. The Liaoning team's youth training camp has always been full of talents, and at that time, Han Dejun was just over 180cm tall, and in the bone age test, he was expected to only grow to 200cm. For a "small defender" who dribbled badly, Han Dejun was obviously unqualified.
In the end, Han Dejun failed to stay in the Liaoning youth team, and he once thought that his basketball dream was about to be shattered. At this time, Wuhan University of Technology threw an olive branch to him. Wuhan University of Technology began to conduct national selection very early, and they provided Han Dejun with a generous scholarship. For Han Dejun, who comes from a poor family, he can play while going to school and reduce the financial burden of his family.
Han Dejun did not disappoint Wuhan Polytechnic, and during his college years, his height soared to more than 210cm, becoming recognized as the first center of the CUBA at that time. "CUBA Little Giant" and "CUBA Big Shark", for a time Han Dejun became famous in the Chinese university basketball industry.
In his three seasons at Wuhan Polytechnic, he averaged 15.8 points plus 15 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Under his leadership, the achievements of Wuhan Polytechnic have also improved by leaps and bounds. In 2006, Wuhan Polytechnic broke into the CUBA Finals, and although he regretted not being able to lead the team to win the championship in the end, Han Dejun spelled out a large double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds in the game. On the other side of the TV, a boss noticed Han Dejun...
Fight back to the Liaoning team and make history
When Han Dejun killed four parties in CUBA, his hometown team Liaoning was facing an internal employment crisis. Team investor Han Zhaoshan happened to see the CUBA game broadcast, he tried to defy the public opinion, Han Dejun "specially recruited" to the Liaoning team, Han Dejun also became the first player, did not train in the youth team, directly into the Chinese professional basketball league. It also opened up new paths for many subsequent players who switched from CUBA to CBA.
Because he has not received systematic youth team training, Han Dejun's basic skills are not so solid, plus in cuba he relies more on his body to eat opponents, and his rookie season in the CBA is not smooth. He averaged 2 fouls per game in 6.4 minutes per game, which allowed him to experience the cruelty of professional basketball when he first entered the CBA.
Although the rookie season was not reused by head coach Guo Shiqiang, every drop of sweat he shed in training was looked at by the coach. As long as he is on the court, his teammates are willing to create singles opportunities for him, allowing him to fully show his scoring means under the basket. After gradually adapting to the CBA's blowing rules and game rhythm, Han Dejun's playing time began to increase, slowly becoming the top player in the Liaoning team from a functional player.
During Han Dejun's growth, many strong teams wanted to recruit him into the team, and with deep feelings for his hometown team, he never moved the idea of leaving the team. He still has one more dream that has not come true: to win the CBA championship for Liaoning!
"If Liaoning doesn't win the championship, I won't hold a wedding"
Since the 2014-15 season, Han Dejun has gradually become the starting center of the Liaoning team, and with his maturity, the Liaoning team has also become a strong contender for the CBA championship. Guo Shiqiang, the head coach of the Liaoning team at the time, also began to create offensive tactics for him according to the characteristics of Han Dejun, and also relied on his ability to protect the frame to build the team's defensive system. According to statistics, when Han Dejun was on the court, the Average Loss per Game of the Liaoning team was a full 5 points less than when he was not on the court.
Han Dejun maintains a shooting percentage of nearly 60% on the offensive end, and can also contribute about 10 rebounds to the team per game. He is desperate to bring back a CBA championship trophy for his hometown of Liaoning, and he fights for his last bit of physical strength every time he competes. He said in an interview:
"According to the custom in my hometown, it is not considered to be married without a banquet. But if the Liaoning team doesn't win the championship, I won't hold a wedding. ”
Finally, after two finals, in the 2017-18 season, Han Dejun won the CBA championship with Liaoning. After winning the championship, the team coach Guo Shiqiang also made a joke of him: "What I am most worried about now is that the wedding of Dahan has finally fallen." Han Dejun also thanked the "would-be wife" who has paid silently for many years in front of the interview camera:
"Wait for me so long, without a word of complaint, honey, I love you!"
Kung Fu Panda's good popularity
At Han Dejun's wedding, the groomsmen group composed of Guo Allen, Zhao Jiwei and other teammates provided a lot of laughter for the wedding. In particular, Guo Allen's "love and kill" with Han Dejun once became the favorite CP of fans. He and his teammates on the national team also often "played" in the players' tunnel after the game: "Although we are opponents on the pitch, but when we get off the pitch, we are iron brothers." ”
Han Dejun, who weighs up to 300 pounds, was also given the nickname of "Kung Fu Panda" by fans, and he is also the only CBA player besides the original Bayi team members who will bow to the fans every time he goes off. At the CBA's All-Star event, he also enjoys mingling with fans. He even appeared at the Spring Festival Gala in Liaoning, and was ridiculed by fans as a giant version of Pan Changjiang.
Although born in the countryside, he experienced the disappointment of losing the professional team. However, Han Dejun slowly realized his basketball dream of weaving with his own actions, he also wants to win more championships for the Liaoning team, and he wants to make more contributions to his hometown and the national team.