On December 29, 2002, Yi Jianlian, who was only 16 years old, wore the No. 9 jersey of the Guangdong team for the first time to compete in the CBA, and on December 29, 2023, Yi Jianlian's No. 9 jersey was hung high above the home stadium of the Guangdong team. 21 years of dedication, 21 years of success or failure, 21 years of love, the original intention has not been forgotten, and the dream has always been. It's hard to say goodbye, the No. 9 saga never ends.
Back in the summer of 2023, the Chinese men's basketball team is competing in the World Cup, but there is heavy news in the Chinese basketball world, and Yi Jianlian personally announced his official retirement through his personal social media. The eldest brother used a full score emotional essay "Reminiscing the past, bidding farewell to the present, and looking forward to the future", the core content is as follows: The past 21 years have been wonderful and hurried, from the rookie of the alliance to the leading brother, no matter the peak and trough, there is blood, joy, regret, tears, reliable companions, and respectable opponents, regardless of victory or defeat, all are love, thank everyone! Farewell is not the end, but a new beginning. The original intention has not been forgotten, and the dream has always been there. I will miss it very much and will continue to move forward to welcome a new chapter.
The eldest brother's sudden announcement of retirement made people unprepared. In the past season, the Guangdong team lost the championship, and Yi Jianlian was the last fig leaf for the team's internal line. Yi Jianlian played in a total of 32 regular season games, averaging 22 minutes per game, scoring 10.8 points + 6.5 rebounds + 1.1 assists + 1.2 steals + 1.4 three-pointers, and in the playoffs 3 games, Yi Jianlian played an average of 24 minutes per game, scoring 9 points + 7.7 rebounds + 1.7 three-pointers. In the eyes of many people, the Guangdong team's withdrawal from the championship ranks is related to Yi Jianlian's aging and the team's lack of internal success, and the Guangdong team's replacement of Zhou Qi with Zhao Rui is enough to solve the shortcomings of the internal line.
It's a pity that Zhou Qi failed to lead the Chinese men's basketball team to return triumphantly, and the scene of the big brother and the big devil joining forces could not appear in the CBA league. What's more regrettable is that with Yi Jianlian's historical status in the CBA league, he is fully qualified to engage in a Kobe-style retirement farewell tour, but he didn't do it! This is Yi Jianlian, his low-key personality is like a stone Buddha Duncan, with unlimited scenery, but he is only willing to leave quietly. Guangdong team GM Zhu Fangyu revealed the reason for the retirement of the UAE during the live broadcast at the time, he said: It's just because of the body and injuries! That's right, with the increase in injuries as he gets older, Yi Jianlian's competitive state is far from being comparable to his peak. Especially after the Achilles tendon rupture, it is not easy for Yi Jianlian to hold on for two seasons. At the same time, Mr. Zhu made it clear that the team would 100% hold a retirement ceremony for Yi Jianlian, and he would also retire his No. 9 jersey!
Mr. Zhu fulfilled his promise, and the No. 9 jersey was retired as scheduled at the time and place where Yi Jianlian's dream began, and the UAE received only emotion and reluctance! Basketball celebrity Yang Yi teacher updated social media and wrote: The No. 9 jersey rises in the air, there are many kinds of love, tonight's one, is the praise of the years for loyalty; Yuan Fang said bluntly: The United Arab Emirates is not only one person and one city, he also represents a country to attack the world basketball, the best era of Chinese basketball has passed, and I am grateful to have met; Chairman Yao also said: I look forward to listening to the story of the United Arab Emirates in the Chinese Basketball Hall of Fame in the next few years. For all basketball lovers, the UAE is a symbol of the times, and it is also the last banner of Chinese basketball standing alone in the dark!
Goodbye No. 9 shirt, goodbye UAE. From being ridiculed to being full of respect, from a sister to a mainstay, the legend has ended, Yi Jianlian can be called the king of CBA. Between the start of your career at the age of 16, 21 years later, you are a Chinese player who has left the last ray of sunshine in the NBA league, and has also written an immortal legend in the CBA arena!625 CBA games, 12781 points (2nd in history) + 6159 rebounds (1st in history) + 788 assists + 908 steals + 769 blocks, 5 regular season MVPs, 7 championships, 3 FMVP, this series of numbers is the best footnote of your brilliant career.
The moon is cloudy and sunny, and people have joys and sorrows. From the UAE to the eldest brother, the original intention has not been forgotten, and the dream has always been there. Yi Jianlian, don't blame the years and injuries for being ruthless to you, you have written your own era with 21 years of self-discipline, you can leave with your head held high and open a new chapter in your life! But where is the road of the Chinese men's basketball team? Who can become the next leading figure after Yi Jianlian? Twelve years ago, Yao Ming handed over the torch to the United Arab Emirates, but after the United Arab Emirates retired from the rivers and lakes, the Chinese men's basketball team did not take the lead, and the passing of the torch belonging to the Chinese men's basketball team may be cut off! Perhaps, this is the reason why countless people are unwilling to say goodbye to the United Arab Emirates. Fans, what do you think about this?