Abstract: Yao Ming is officially inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame
On the 24th, FIBA announced through social media that the 2023FIBA FIBA Hall of Fame selection ceremony was held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on the 23rd. Yao Ming, president of the Chinese Basketball Association, was officially selected, becoming the third Chinese to enter the FIBA Hall of Fame after Mou Zuoyun and Zheng Haixia.
Image source: FIBA official social media
FIBA once said of Yao Ming: "Yao Ming once represented the Chinese men's basketball team in the international arena, he was the scoring champion of the 2006 Men's Basketball World Cup, and he was also the first international player to enter the NBA as a champion. An eight-time NBA All-Star, he continues to play as the global face of the sport. ”
Image source: FIBA Weibo
Before the word "Yao Ming", many titles have been embellished: Little Giant, Great Wall of China, No. 1 Center, Olympic Flag Bearer, Club Owner, President of the Chinese Basketball Association... Now 42 years old, he is still a well-deserved banner of Chinese basketball.
In the 2002 NBA Draft, a yellow-skinned teenager was born and won the "champion" and became the first player in Asia to win this award, he is Yao Ming.
After landing in the NBA as a top player, Yao Ming played in a total of 486 NBA games in nine seasons, averaging 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.
On the other side of the strange ocean, Yao Ming single-handedly changed the NBA's perception of Asian players and wrote the legend of "Chinese Yao". Not only that, the appearance of Yao Ming made more Chinese fall in love with basketball, and also opened another window for China's basketball career.
In the first decade of the 21st century, under the leadership of Yao Ming, the Chinese men's basketball team once again ushered in a glorious moment. At the 2006 World Championships in Japan and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Chinese men's basketball team reached the top eight of the two consecutive competitions. Among them, classic battles such as killing Slovenia, fighting the American Dream Team, and narrowly defeating Germany are still in front of us. In these tough battles, Yao Ming has always been the most reliable pillar of the team.
In 2011, Yao Ming was affected by injuries and reluctantly retired, when he was still under the age of 31 and was still in his prime as a player. Although he regrets leaving the court, he still contributes to Chinese basketball in his own way.
In 2017, in the midst of great expectations, Yao Ming was elected president of the Chinese Basketball Association and became the leader of Chinese basketball. Since taking office, Yao Ming's reform of Chinese basketball has never stopped. From the national team to the professional league to the campus youth training, Yao Ming has always wanted to help China's basketball industry move forward.
However, after a period of peaks, the performance of the Chinese men's basketball team has fallen into a slump in recent years. In the 2019 World Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team broke at home and lost its qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. Faced with the reporter's question "Who will be responsible for this", Yao Ming only said one word: I.
The loss of the World Cup cannot "erase" Yao Ming's contribution to Chinese basketball. Although the men's basketball team has not performed well recently, the Chinese women's basketball team continues to surprise the audience. The Chinese women's basketball team, which has completed the replacement of old and new, has won the 2018 Asian Games championship, the 2022 World Cup runner-up and the 2023 Asian Cup champion. The Chinese women's basketball team has returned to the ranks of the world's top teams.
FIBA Secretary General Zagkris has said that Yao Ming is the right person to guide and implement China's basketball reform. As the most prestigious Chinese player in world basketball, he shouldered this burden.
The start of the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup is imminent, and Yao Ming, as the team leader, once again leads the Chinese team on its journey. For the team, the goal of the trip was only one - to qualify for the Paris Olympics. I hope that young national players can do their best for the national team jersey like Yao Ming and other predecessors and realize the dream of the whole team.
Congratulations again to Yao Ming for being inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, which is well deserved!
(Watch News)