Chen Jianghua, who assisted Yao Ming, is a basketball dream that ended prematurely with an injury
In 2003, when Yao Ming made his debut in the NBA, a talented Chinese star was also emerging – and that was Chen Jianghua.
This year, at the age of 17, he was selected for the National Olympic Hope Team with his agile and changeable dribbling style and amazing first step acceleration. The American media even praised him as "the most promising world-class point guard in the history of Chinese basketball."
However, the shadow of injuries soon loomed over the already shining star rookie. After missing several overseas training opportunities, Chen Jianghua's situation became increasingly reinforcing.
Despite this, he was selected for the national team for the first time in 2005, skipping the league and becoming the youngest player in the national team.
Then, a bigger stage is waiting for the new star to bloom. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chen Jianghua started the game, and he sent one wonderful assist after another for Yao Ming, and the fans almost cheered for the 19-year-old.
For a time, he became the new star of hope for the Chinese men's basketball team, and everyone was looking forward to this dribbling point guard to inject more dynamic new blood into Chinese basketball.
However, fate made people, and the demon of injury was haunted again, making it difficult for him to show his skills in the future arena. Finally, after silently enduring the torture of illness, Chen Jianghua, who was not yet 30 years old, announced his retirement.
At this point, this already high-profile basketball prodigy reluctantly ended his young basketball career.
Every time you see Yao Ming's magical performance, everyone will think of the young point guard who gave him a beautiful assist, he could have become another leader of the Chinese men's basketball team, but the injury ruthlessly ended his basketball career.
This is undoubtedly a big regret for the entire Chinese basketball world.
The American dream was delayed for three years, but Wang Zhizhi still tried his best to turn the tide
In 1994, when Yao Ming was still playing for the Shanghai team in the CBA, a new star of all-round ball-handling forward had risen in the Chinese basketball world - that was Wang Zhizhi.
When he was only 17 years old, he was successfully selected for the national team with his talented performance. Everyone is praising that this is the youngest national player in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team.
After that, Wang Zhizhi led the team to win multiple CBA league championships, and his agile skills and stable and sharp three-point shooting quickly made him dominate the Chinese basketball scene in the 90s.
In 1999, Wang Zhizhi finally ushered in a great opportunity to transfer overseas. This year, the NBA team Dallas Mavericks officially threw an olive branch to him, expressing their intention to sign him on a three-year short-term contract.
However, just when Wang Zhizhi was excited and ready to fly to the United States, the national team and basketball management departments invariably expressed their opposition - they asked Wang Zhizhi to postpone his plan to travel to the United States on the grounds of intensive training for the national team.
The immature Wang Zhizhi did not choose to fight against the "system", and could only watch his bright NBA road being closed like this. Three years later, in 2002, the national team finally stopped being embarrassed and let Wang Zhizhi's wish to fly to the United States.
However, the heyday of his precious career was wasted, and Wang Zhizhi had to do his best to finally gain a foothold in the Mavericks.
Just when he thought everything was settled, a trivial decision in 2004 once again involved Wang Zhizhi in an uproar - in order to stay with the Mavericks, he chose to participate in the team's summer league, resulting in his inability to return to the team on time and miss the national team's training camp.
For a time, the angry domestic media collectively danced the stick of public opinion and comprehensively "blocked" the disobedient team member.
It wasn't until 6 years later, after a long period of doubt and isolation, that Wang Zhizhi, who had passed the age, finally won the trust of the national team again and put on his shirt again. At the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, the moment he lifted the gold medal, all regrets and shame had been burned to ashes.
He used his proud strength to turn the tide to all the voices that criticized him, proving the supreme glory of an excellent player.
died at the age of 23, and Han Pengshan's death has been mourned to this day
Speaking of the most famous tragic figures in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team, Han Pengshan in the 1980s is the most embarrassing.
In 1983, when Yao Ming was still an ordinary teenager, Han Pengshan had become a rising star in the Chinese team. That year, he was selected for the national team for the first time and soon impressed the senior players with his outstanding physical fitness and technical skills.
In particular, the 20-year-old "big man" has nimble and swift steps, which are not at all like the clumsy dribbling of the center, which always makes the opponent unguardable.
For a time, Han Pengshan won the reputation of "Asian Magician", and the strongest center in Yugoslavia publicly stated that he was the most outstanding new generation core player in Asian basketball he had ever seen.
At a time when people are expecting him to achieve another great result for the Chinese team, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics is about to start, which should be a year for Han Pengshan to shine.
However, fate played a big joke. Just when the whole team was actively preparing for the game, this 23-year-old good seedling died suddenly due to a rare heart attack on the way back to his hometown to visit relatives and blind date.
The entire Chinese basketball world mourned it. Han Pengshan, who was already expected to rise, died in the golden period of his young life.
To this day, every time Han Pengshan's name is mentioned, it can still evoke the regretful feelings of countless old Chinese fans. A Grim Reaper-level player, who has already attracted much attention and is very likely to rewrite the history of the Chinese men's basketball team, passed away silently.
A member of the Lakers championship team, Sun Yue's gloomy departure
Sun Yue, a talented basketball prodigy. When Yao Ming was still playing for the CBA, the teenager's talent had already begun to emerge and was heavily cultivated by a top private club in China. As early as the age of 10, Sun Yue was able to dribble perfectly and dunk to the basket, and his skills were dazzling.
And in 2004, a turning point appeared - the 18-year-old Sun Yue was valued by the national team for the first time, hoping that he would inject new vitality into the Chinese team.
However, Sun Yue's club refused to release this key training object based on its own interests. In desperation, Sun Yue had to travel lightly and fly to the United States for development.
Lady luck seemed to favor the celestial pride, and he soon joined the Lakers, where he won a championship ring three years later and became famous.
To everyone's regret, Sun Yue returned to China a year after winning the championship. I thought he would go further in the domestic league, but his performance was very bad. Under the relentless blow of public opinion, this once brilliant rising star finally chose to retire in a situation where no one cared about him.
A Chinese player with the glory of an NBA championship ended his career without a name in the home league. Sun Yue's departure made countless Chinese people sigh.
Perhaps, different life trajectories will open up different landscapes. And Sun Yue is destined to be the legend that makes people feel regret forever.
The dream of "the next Yao Ming" was broken, and Xu Yong stopped chasing
In 2004, when Yao Ming was making his debut in the NBA, there was also a new all-round talent in China with a very similar style: Xu Yong.
This year, Xu Yong won the tickets to many international basketball training camps and was highly recommended by experts from all walks of life. For a time, the reputation of "the next Yao Ming" lingered around this fledgling teenager.
Everyone is praising that he will be the leading core of the Chinese men's basketball team in the next 10 years.
However, people are not as good as heaven, just when Xu Yong was pinned on high hopes and the future was bright, a bad news interrupted his basketball journey - he was diagnosed with a malignant bone tumor, must undergo surgery immediately, and say goodbye to the basketball court forever.
The blow of fate came too suddenly, which is undoubtedly a big loss for the entire Chinese basketball world. Xu Yong, who has already attracted the attention of the national team, could have been on a par with Yao Ming and became the strongest twin stars in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team.
But a terminal illness ruthlessly ended the teenager's basketball dreams, and we never had the chance to witness him become a new generation of superstars.
Although he changed careers in time to become a basketball commentator, every time he thinks of his experience of falling from the peak, Xu Yong still has mixed feelings in his heart. He is destined to become another of the most regrettable legends in the history of Chinese basketball.
The achievements of Chinese basketball today are the result of the hard work and efforts of countless predecessors. Many of them have encountered many obstacles in their basketball journey, but they still have a love and dedication to the game.
Chen Jianghua, Wang Zhizhi, Han Pengshan, Sun Yue, Xu Yong...... These once dazzling or bleak names have also made indelible contributions to Chinese basketball.
Although the result is a bit suffocating after all, the indomitable fighting spirit of seeing death as if it were home has been integrated into the blood of the entire Chinese men's basketball team.
Therefore, as latecomers, we must uphold the spirit of our predecessors and continue to promote the development of Chinese basketball. This is not only a responsibility worthy of them, but also the most important mission of our generation.