"If I have this opportunity, I still want to try again, even if the final result is not good, I will have no regrets after trying."
This is Zhou Qi's response to the NBA topic given by Zhou Qi, who is in xiamen quarantine. According to Zhou Qi, the NBA Pacers scout hopes that he can participate in the NBA Summer League first and then explore the opportunity of trial training. Although no one can guarantee that this trip will allow Zhou Qi to stay in the Pacers or return to the NBA, although Zhou Qi has said that the NBA Summer League and the Chinese men's basketball team will clash with the time of this summer's game to ensure the national team, if the time does not conflict, Zhou Qi still wants to explore the possibilities.
Three years after leaving the NBA, Zhou Qi, as in the past, has always made no secret of his desire for the highest hall of basketball. This was evident when he landed in the Australian NBL last season.
In the contract between Zhou Qi and the Southeast Melbourne Phoenix, there is a special provision about the NBA, which is that "if Zhou Qi is favored by the NBA team during his tenure, the Phoenix team will fully support Zhou Qi in chasing his dreams", that is, the contract between Zhou Qi and the Phoenix team contains "NBA jump out clause". Given that the NBL league has sent some players to the NBA over the years, Zhou Qi's inclusion of such a special provision in his contract last season is enough to represent his desire for the strongest basketball league.
In addition to the contract, Zhou Qi has also publicly expressed his hope to return to the NBA, "I think this is a big dream, the NBA is the best league in the world, I think every player dreams of going to this league." Before the official debut of the Australian League last season, Zhou Qi confessed at the media meeting.
Of course, Zhou Qi knows the difficulties of getting a foothold in the NBA, and he also understands how bumpy the road back to the NBA is. In the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, he had brief experience with the Rockets. It was his first time playing abroad, and the huge differences in language, region, culture, style of play made it very difficult for Zhou Qi to go. For two seasons, he was frequently sent down to the Development League, and the rockets really got very few opportunities, that is, the Chinese players once again bravely went out, but once again hit the nose and blue face, and many people even used this unpleasant experience as a groove to mock Zhou Qi.
But even so, Zhou Qi still hopes to go to the NBA again, even if the final result is not smooth.
To a certain extent, it can also be said that Zhou Qi's goal is not only to return to the NBA, as long as he can become stronger, he is willing to work hard and is willing to make a lot of sacrifices. Last summer, after he and the Xinjiang men's basketball team withdrew from the CBA league competition for the 2021-22 season due to differences over the renewal of the contract, teams in Australia, Japan, South Korea and other leagues issued invitations to Zhou Qi. It is reported that the Japanese league team offered the most generous offer, not only much higher than the price of the NBL league team, but even beyond the CBA's maximum salary, but in the end, Zhou Qi chose to land in the Australian NBL League. He did this because Australian basketball is more challenging, and he also uses the NBL league as a springboard to return to the NBA, and Zhou Qi's choice has been called "happy for you!" This step is not easy, admiration plus blessing. ”
"I think the level of the Australian league is above the CBA league, and I hope to improve myself through the Australian league and adapt to this level of basketball with high intensity confrontation." After playing the first game of the NBL League, Zhou Qi said this in an interview with local media. The experience and hard work in the Australian league for more than half a year have also made Zhou Qi really stronger than before, more adapted to this intensity of competition. Although in the phoenix team did not get enough opportunities as they promised, although Zhou Qi's personal performance has fluctuated and his personal data is not particularly prominent, zhou Qi has indeed been promoted after a season, which is also the first purpose he has been pursuing.
Such a firm Zhou Qi also makes people see the inheritance between the banner figures of the Chinese men's basketball team. Before him, Wang Zhizhi, Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and other big brothers have gone out to bravely chase their dreams, just after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Yi Jianlian also briefly joined the Lakers, at that time, Yi Jianlian was 29 years old, and his first experience in the NBA was also not ideal, he had left the NBA for four years, but he still chose to go out bravely. This choice was called a "new challenge" by Yi Jianlian, who expressed his hope to "break through himself", for this reason, he was willing to compete with some young players who wanted to stay in the Lakers, and actively integrated into the atmosphere and culture of Lakers players off the court. For the head of the CBA, this is not easy, not to mention that Yi Jianlian still needs to make huge concessions in salary. But the reason why Yi Jianlian was willing to do this six years ago was that in the final analysis, he hoped to become stronger again, hoping to further prove himself.
Today, Zhou Qi also continues this tradition. Unlike Zhang Zhenlin, Zeng Fanbo and other young players who are ready to attack the NBA, Zhou Qi has already had NBA experience and has truly proved himself in the CBA, and it is difficult for the 26-year-old to be fearless like when he was young. He needs to take care of a lot of things, especially his family, there are also a lot of things that tie him, contracts, opportunities, positions are all factors that he has to consider, but he is still willing to chase dreams, willing to try a road full of thorns, this alone, Zhou Qi should be praised, because dreamers are always worthy of recognition.
Three years ago, Zhou Qi left the Rockets and left the NBA. After representing the Chinese men's basketball team in two World Cup games, he received mixed reviews for his ups and downs, and during that confused day, he was attacked by countless keyboard men, who said that someone "said I was garbage" at that time. He didn't choose to recoil, he chose to "change yourself when you can't change others." Training harder is the only thing I can do. ”
That experience was described by Zhou Qi as "a kind of practice." Today, Zhou Qi, who has been practicing for many years, has a deeper path, and as a top CBA star, he is more mature. In the jungle of the Australian league, Zhou Qi also became tougher and harder. But what he has never changed is the hope to become stronger, the hope to constantly surpass his current self, and this is also the Zhou Qi we aspire to.