From the key shot of the 1994 World Championships, Zheng Wu was the most worthy swordsman of the Chinese men's basketball team at a critical moment. The 20 years of hurried time have consumed the swordsman's dashing face, but it has also eternally engraved Zheng Wu's outstanding achievements for Chinese basketball.
From the age of 7 to the beginning of the basketball, a flash of 19 years, Zheng Wu can really play a little famous. In July 1993, at the age of 26, Zheng Wu participated in the 17th World University Games held in Buffalo, USA, as a member of the Chinese basketball team. Facing European and American teams, he dared to fight and give full play to his special skills of speed and flexibility, accurate shooting from medium and long distance, and scored more than 10 points in the field, the largest of which scored 27 points, which made a great contribution to the Chinese men's basketball team to beat the United Kingdom, Latvia, Israel, the Czech Republic and Italy, won the bronze medal with a score of 5 wins and 2 losses, and landed on the podium of the world-class competition for the first time.
Referring to the World University Games, Zheng Wu believes that it was then that he really began to show his skills in the national team, and gradually determined his unbreakable position in the national team. "However, whether I am the main force or not is really difficult to say." He said. At that time, the main players in this position in the national team were Hu Weidong, Sun Jun and him, and the height of the three of them was not 1. 97 meters is 1. 98 meters, it is difficult to distinguish between tall and short, and the weight is basically the same. If you stand on the scale, you may not necessarily tilt to which side, the technical characteristics are similar, you can shoot suddenly, and it is common to dunk when you make a hand. Therefore, in the national team, they always take turns on the field, and whoever plays well stays on the field for a little longer.
Like Sun Jun and Hu Weidong, Zheng Wu is the best player in the Chinese basketball world, occupying the "soul" position in their respective teams, and can always play the role of "fixing the needle of the sea god" at key moments. However, Zheng Wu's Zhejiang team is relatively weaker, and before the implementation of the home-and-away system in the National Men's Basketball League, they basically swung back and forth at the end of the First Division and the head of the Second Division. Therefore, zheng wu, as a player in the "quasi-first-class team" of the Zhejiang team at that time, was able to occupy a place in the national team, the highest hall of athletes, which was really valuable. Therefore, Zheng Wu cherishes this opportunity very much, always thinking of giving full play to his own characteristics in the Asian and World Series, winning honors for the country, and at the same time, he can truly reflect his own value and repay the kindness of the coaches.
Opportunities are unattainable. But with clear goals and tireless efforts, ideals can often be turned into reality.
In August 1994, the opportunity finally came. At the 12th World Men's Basketball Championship, the Chinese team in the group stage Yongke Brazil and Spain two finals, ranked by Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller and other NBA players composed of the United States "Dream Two Team", broke into the quarterfinals, and finally realized the dream of generations of Chinese basketball, but also for Asian basketball to win a more important role on the world basketball stage. Zheng Wu, as a member of the Chinese team, also rejoiced and wept with joy for this victory.
"I was just like everyone else, really excited. Our team fully studied the situation in the group game before the game, and since the U.S. team is made up of NBA players and is very strong, we will definitely not be able to move, so we have a brain in Brazil and Spain. As a result, our efforts were not in vain, and I also shot the key balls in both games. Can you say you can't be happy? ”
(Against Brazil, who shot 2 points in the final minutes and went into overtime, and relied on Hu Weidong's bravery to win; against Spain, he first made two free throws, then added blue to extend the score to 4 points, and finally won by 2 points, Zheng Wu took the team's highest 15 points.) This day also happens to be Zheng Wu's 27th birthday)
He scored two final-minute shots against Brazil
2 free throws against Spain
Hu Weidong did not score on the basket, and Zheng Wu made up for the blue
In the battle of the World Championships, Zheng Wu can be said to have made a name for himself. Soon, together with Hu Weidong and Wu Qinglong, he passed the recognition of FIBA and became an international athlete. The Hiroshima Asian Games only added a glorious stroke to his basketball "merit book". Since then, Zheng Wu has still done his best in training. He said: "I was 27 years old at the time, and I was a 'brother' level figure in the team. If you don't make an effort, you will soon be replaced by little brothers. ”
Hard work should be rewarded with rich rewards. In 1996, Zheng Wu accompanied the Chinese team to the Atlanta Olympic Games. The Chinese team secretly set the target in the top eight, and the Angolan and Argentine teams in the same group became the target of "hunting". The first match was against the undefeated African team Angolans. Zheng Wu charged forward again, and the three-pointer he shot in the final moments was once again the key to China's victory in 40 minutes, 70:67. Zheng Wu is always able to deliver a winning blow to the Chinese team in a pinch, which is really god. Then China defeated Argentina, and he scored a game-high 22 points to help the team win the key battle of qualifying. Once again, he enjoyed the joy of victory with his teammates.
Angola hit a key 3 points
Zheng Wu was born on August 7, 1967 on the shore of West Lake. His father, Zheng Guobao, was one of the top basketball figures in Zhejiang in the 1960s, and some people praised him as the "King of Zhejiang Ball". Zheng Qiu Wang has a small regret. Never entered the national team. However, the old ball king is now satisfied. His two sons, Zheng Wu, have made great contributions to the national men's basketball team, and Zheng Liang is the main deputy attacker of the Chinese men's volleyball team. Refueling such two "princes", Zheng Guobao, who has retired from the coaching position of the Zhejiang team, what else do you want?
Perhaps the heavens intended to hone Zheng Wu, and soon after his debut, he began to endure the torment of adversity. In June 1989, Zhejiang team entered the 9-12th place competition in the National First Division. It was the best they had achieved in years. During the match against Shanghai, Zheng Wu was knocked out by his opponent, and he was lying on the ground and could not get up - the left ankle was fractured. "It was the first time I couldn't play because of an injury. As an athlete, I was able to face injuries properly. However, not being able to be selected for the national team due to injury is really painful for me. ”
If it is gold, it will always shine. After recovering from his injuries, Zheng Wu threw himself into training even harder. In the 1990 First Division, he and his teammates won the best place in the history of Zhejiang team - the ninth place. Zheng Wu finally received an order from the national training team. In January 1991, he stepped into the door of the national team and fulfilled his long-cherished wish. At this time he was 23 years and 5 months old. "It's late enough to be selected for the national team at this age. Coupled with some of my original technical characteristics and habits, compared with some teammates from other basketball teams, it seems to have a certain distance from the requirements of the national team, so the training at the beginning stage is very difficult." It wasn't until after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, when many veterans quit the national team, that he was able to become a regular player. Thus he also had the opportunity to show all his talents.
"Maybe after the human body function has been injured, this injury will come to the door if you are not careful." In 1995, in a warm-up match before the Asian Championships, we launched a quick attack. I quickly stepped forward, a long pass from my teammate, but unexpectedly fell to my feet, I actually sat in a "ball car" and put my feet on the wrong side again." Immediately after the Asian Championships, Zheng Wu played a "closed" appearance to fight, and together with his teammates won the championship trophy and won the right to participate in the Atlanta Olympic Games.
After the Atlanta Olympics, a triumphant Zheng Wu began to prepare for the new CBA league season. Unexpectedly, disaster struck again, and during a strong confrontation exercise, he suffered a damage to his right knee. A leg injury is fatal to a basketball player who constantly runs and jumps to find opportunities. However, the Zhejiang team can't do without him, and teammates need him. "I'm definitely not going to be able to fight for half a minute. But as long as conditions permit, I try to move with the team every time. In February 1997, my injuries improved slightly, and I went into the game again. But after just a few minutes of playing, it didn't work again. As a result, Zhejiang was relegated that season. Although he subsequently qualified in the A and B League, the club paid millions of dollars more, which was a heavy loss."
Perhaps the club thought that it would be useless to treat Zheng Wu conservatively, so in November 1997, Zheng Wu was sent to Beijing for surgery at the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical College. For a year after the surgery, he was essentially recuperating. But in 1998, Zheng Wu, who had just recovered from his knees, was in a car accident during a bicycle trip and recuperated for 2 months, Zheng Wu said: If it was a head on the ground, he would be a vegetative person when he was discharged from the hospital. Zheng Wu's playing career is a history of struggle against injuries and setbacks.
"Just give me time and I can reach the level of the top players in the country. I'm now putting myself in a position similar to a newcomer, and I'm sure to be on the cusp after a while." Zheng Wu has begun to learn how to be a coach, and it seems that his fate with basketball is really difficult to solve. "No way, I've been friends with basketball for more than 20 years, and it's so hard to say goodbye to it. You say I have any other choice? ”
After retiring, Zheng Wu became a coach and opened a new chapter of his own.
Now his son, Zheng Qilong, plays for Jiangsu Kendia Club and performs well. From his father to his son, three generations have been dedicated and hardworking to Chinese basketball, hoping that our Chinese basketball can return to the world series as soon as possible.
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