Follow this hard journey to reach the stars - Yang Ming's three turns
Shenyang, 18 Sep (Xinhua) -- "Yang Ming, where are you? I've only been away for a few months, why are you gone when you come back? Liaoning men's basketball foreign aid Moreland's humorous shout on the 16th was like a parting preview.
On the 17th, the Liaoning men's basketball team announced Yang Ming's resignation as head coach through social media. Subsequently, Yang Ming used a set of "farewell" old photos to recall his unforgettable moments in Liaobasket: he became famous in the battle of "broken wrist in the capital" in his youth; At the end of his career, he dreamed of winning a double championship and became the first player in team history to win the "retired jersey" award; After coaching, he led Liaoning to achieve the "three crowns in three years".
Follow this hard journey to reach the stars. After three turns, the story of Yang Ming and Liao Basket will also come to an end.
One person, one team
"My career is too dramatic, no matter how good a screenwriter can't write my script..." Yang Ming used his 15-year basketball career to prove that the classic story of "one person, one team" is not exclusive to Kobe or Curry.
Yang Ming was born in Dalian in 1985 and became involved in basketball under the influence of his father's former basketball player. In the 2004-2005 season, the CBA League was abolished and relegated, and the lucky relegated Liao basketball invited the "godfather of Chinese basketball" Jiang Xingquan to come out of the mountain. Under him, Yang Ming was able to grow rapidly.
During the regular season of the 2021-2022 China Men's Basketball Professional League (CBA), Yang Ming, then head coach of Liaoning Bengang Team, and Jiang Xingquan (left), an advisor, watched from the sidelines. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Sun Fanyue
In his second season in the CBA, Yang Ming was a "blockbuster." In the away game against Shandong, Yang Ming scored 44 points, 6 three-pointers to ride the savior, and later contributed 41 points against Jilin. At the end of the season, Yang Ming averaged 13.2 points and 3.2 assists per game. This handsome and elegant 20-year-old boy has won the love of fans, and has also won the favor of the Chinese men's basketball coaching staff, and was successfully selected for the national training team.
But the story that happened to Yang Ming then is a little pale to describe as ups and downs. On March 10, 2006, in the 42nd round of the CBA regular season, Liaoning narrowly defeated Beijing 113:110. The protagonist of the game is Yang Ming, who scored a team-high 35 points. Before the game, Yang Ming was diagnosed with a fracture of the navicular bone of his left wrist, and the doctor warned him: If you don't want to be disabled, you should fix it immediately! In order to ensure relegation, he dragged his injured left hand against the inside line guarded by Battle and hit nine throws.
During the free throw, Yang Ming faced the noise of the home fans and responded with his left hand to the ear as a listening. Freshly dressed and angry, the story of "breaking the wrist and shining in the capital" spread.
Yang Ming (former) during the player period. Xinhua News Agency
Later, Yang Ming returned to the field after a long recovery period. He once published an article on his personal blog called "Helpless Farewell", in which there are 28 exclamation points. As a player, he knows the price of fighting with injuries.
Compared with the club, Yang Ming's national team resume is somewhat lackluster. He only represented the Chinese men's basketball team in the Asian Championship in 2007.
Three identity transitions
On April 22, 2018, the Liaoning men's basketball team won the first championship in team history. Yang Ming raised his arms to celebrate the victory: "Everything is the best arrangement... Because it's probably my last season. I came up in the year when Liaoning was (narrowly) relegated, and I can say that Liaoning was the last at that time, and I am very excited to win the championship today. ”
Fifteen years after fulfilling his dream, he chose to retire. On November 4, 2019, in the last part of Yang Ming's retirement ceremony, the red curtain was slowly unveiled, and the No. 12 jersey was hung high in Liaoning home stadium, permanently sealed.
On November 4, 2019, the Liaoning men's basketball team held a retirement ceremony for Yang Ming. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Qing
After retiring, he quickly completed three identity changes: from a point guard who connected teams on the field to an assistant coach; Walked off the court and served as the deputy general manager of Liaoning Men's Basketball Club, responsible for "pulling sponsorship" and "leading youth training"; He was appointed as head coach during the resumption of the 2019-2020 season, changing his jersey to a suit and leather shoes... Yang Ming practiced the phrase: "Farewell is not forgetting but turning around." ”
"I am the manager of the CBA Liaoning team, mainly responsible for the coach..." In the variety show, Yang Ming, who was in danger, ridiculed. In his first season in charge, Liaoning lost the championship after losing to Guangdong in overtime in the final game of the finals.
Yang Ming (right) and Liaoning team members at the flag-raising ceremony before the 2019-2020 season of the second phase of the rematch (Laoshan Division) of the China Men's Basketball Professional League (CBA). Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Xulei
"The finals are worse than the head coach", "Lost in five minutes, Yang Ming's substitution can't get rid of it", "Players grow with youth and other coaches"... The overwhelming doubts made Yang Ming also feel that he had lost on himself, "I can accept all the abuse, but I am afraid that I am sorry for the team and the players."
Three crowns in three years
Until the interview in 2023, Yang Ming still can't get rid of the "black five minutes" of the overtime of the finals: "The last five minutes are the unforgettable five minutes in my three years as a head coach. Even no matter what he did, he would suddenly remember those five minutes: "The small lineup was to prevent blocking, but the rebounds were lost, and those five rebounds were fatal." ”
Constantly chanting, staying up late watching videos, excitedly fighting for every ball on the sidelines... Fans laughed and said that when they saw Yang Ming's eyes and eye bags, they knew that he was doing his best. "Really! If you look at the change in my image in the past three years, you can see how I am now. Yang Ming said.
Liaoning won the 2022-2023 China Men's Basketball Professional League (CBA) Finals. Then-head coach Yang Ming attended a press conference after the game. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
On the self-media platform, Yang Ming's videos are frequently forwarded by fans, often seeing him "sweat on his shirt", "drying a bottle of water" when he is in a hurry, sitting on the bench quietly "bowing his head without speaking", standing on the podium "raising his hands" with relief. Fans relish the story of the refined player turned strict coach, and also witnessed the former "rookie" coach flying against the wind.
Yang Ming commanded on the sidelines in the first game of the quarterfinals of the 2022-2023 China Men's Basketball Professional League (CBA) playoffs. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
In his second full season in charge, the results of Yang Ming's efforts began to be seen by fans: putting on a joint defense in a life and death battle, giving full play to Zhu Rongzhen's interior advantages; At the key moment, put Zhang Zhenlin on the bench and put Fu Hao, who contributed 11 points in a single quarter to become a finalist; In his third season in charge, Yang Ming was more comfortable, suffering too many "injuries and losses", he tried to protect the old players in the regular season, strengthened the rotation in the playoffs, and finally won the third championship trophy in team history.
Since serving as the head coach of Liao Basketball on June 28, 2020, Yang Ming has led the team to win the "three crowns in three years", including the 2021-2022 season, the 2022-2023 CBA championship and the 14th National Games championship. The 38-year-old Yang Ming became the first person in the history of the Liaoning men's basketball team to win the league championship as a player and coach respectively.
After winning the third championship trophy in the team's history, Liaoning players threw Yang Ming into the air to celebrate. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Long Lei
What is happiness? This cliché topic, Yang Ming gave different answers at different stages.
When winning the championship in 2018, Yang Ming said: "I have always stuck to the Liaoning team in my career, I feel very lucky and happy, and it is enough to win the double championship of the National Games and the CBA League with the team. ”
After retiring, Yang Ming said: "It is my honor that different roles in life are on the same team. ”
On the 17th, someone asked Yang Ming: "What do you think is happiness?" Yang Ming replied: "Can meet the expectations of some people, when the head coach of the Liaoning men's basketball team, winning championships and winning makes everyone feel happy, he is very happy." ”
Some of the pictures were taken by Xinhua News Agency reporters Jiang Han and Meng Yongmin