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A dazzling basketball legend
Time flies, and time flies like an arrow. Wang Zhizhi, who is now over 45 years old, still sticks to the basketball career he loves, holding the coaching whip in his hand, guiding the new generation of athletes to fight bravely on the court.
Looking back on the past, Wang Zhizhi's life trajectory is tortuous and bizarre, he has experienced all kinds of doubts and misunderstandings, and even bears the charge of "betrayer". But with his unyielding perseverance and pure love for basketball, he eventually wrote a sparkling saga.
In 2018, Wang Zhizhi met Zhou Lei, a beautiful Sichuan host who was 13 years younger than him, bringing a new stage and happiness to his life. After getting to know each other, they fell in love with each other and completed the marriage registration in Beijing.
In May of the following year, a couple also held a grand wedding in Sichuan. Zhou Lei's youthful and beautiful, sincere and frank personality made Wang Zhizhi feel the enthusiasm and vitality of his youth, and he was deeply impressed by this vitality.
However, before entering this marriage, Wang Zhizhi experienced the haze of divorce from his first wife Song Yang. His marriage to Song Yang originated from a somewhat absurd love experience.
It all started at the Beijing airport many years ago, when Wang Zhizhi borrowed a mobile phone from a stranger Song Yang to make a phone call, and the two fell in love at first sight, and then secretly married as husband and wife. Despite the opposition of their families at the time, they still worked together for more than 20 years of ups and downs in life.
In the end, due to differences in concepts, the couple chose to break up and divorce in 2016, ending their married life.
From a junior player to a national superstar
For Wang Zhizhi, basketball is like the love of his life, and he has been following this persistently since he was a teenager. By the time he was 8 years old, he had already reached a height of 1. 6 meters, showing extraordinary basketball talent.
Under the influence of his parents, Wang Zhizhi can't put down this sport, always regards basketball as his favorite toy, and earnestly studies shooting, dribbling, breakthrough and other actions, with a focused face.
Wang Zhizhi was born in a famous basketball family, his father Wang Weijun was an outstanding center of the Beijing men's basketball team, tall and tall; Her mother, Ren Huanzhen, is also a leader in the Chinese women's basketball team, and she is not short.
Therefore, Wang Zhizhi was born with the high hopes and ardent expectations of his family. Under the dual influence of his father's strict training and his mother's considerate support and encouragement, Wang Zhizhi's basketball talent has been greatly developed and improved.
When he was a teenager, Wang Zhizhi stood out in many competitions and showed an outstanding performance.
At the age of 14, he finished fourth in the junior B basketball competition held by the Beijing Amateur Sports School, and his wonderful performance immediately attracted the attention of China's famous Bayi youth men's basketball team, thus officially kicking off his career.
However, Wang Zhizhi's career took off faster. At the age of 17, he was selected for the national training team and became the youngest national player in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team.
In the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, 19-year-old Wang Zhizhi accompanied the team as a core center, and finally helped the team to achieve an impressive record of eighth place, with a wonderful performance of 89 points and 45 rebounds that attracted global attention.
What's even more memorable is that when playing against the famous American "Dream Team", Wang Zhizhi jumped up and sealed the violent dunk of Navy Colonel David Robinson, becoming famous in a fight, showing unlimited potential.
This talented Chinese teenager instantly became the focus of the world.
Career stumbling and struggling in the United States
The Atlanta Olympics were definitely an important turning point in Wang's career. In that fierce battle, he showed the world his extraordinary basketball talent and potential.
After the competition, Wang Zhizhi received olive branches from six famous universities in the United States, and they threw olive branches to him, promising that as long as he went to study, both tuition and living expenses would be free of charge.
However, Wang Zhizhi was not tempted by these lucrative conditions, and he always had a firm belief in his heart - to step on the NBA stage and march towards a higher basketball stage.
In 1999, in the NBA draft, Wang Zhizhi was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 36th pick in the second round, becoming the first Chinese player to play in the NBA, which should have been something to be proud of.
Unfortunately, the national team and the Bayi team are the biggest obstacles on his way to the NBA. The two teams hope that Wang Zhizhi can focus on preparing for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and win glory for the country.
Under such pressure, Wang Zhizhi had to suppress his inner desire and temporarily gave up his dream of a career in the United States.
In 2000, Wang Zhizhi and Yao Ming appeared in the Sydney Olympics together, and they were hailed as the most powerful combination in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team and became the focus of the audience.
But after this short period of glory, Wang Zhizhi once again stepped forward to the NBA.
It's a pity that the reality is far more cruel than imagined. His career with the Mavericks was overshadowed, and he waited on the bench for a long time, feeling extremely lost and helpless when he saw the annoying water cooler next to him.
After two seasons, he received only a measly $480,000 in salary, which can only be regarded as a meager income for low-level employees in an NBA superstar-studded environment.
What is even more distressing is that in 2002, some irresponsible media made a big article and concocted an offensive report called "Wang Zhizhi's defection", and the domestic and foreign media followed suit and hyped up, and even labeled Wang Zhizhi as a "rebel" and "deserter".
In order to protect his future in the NBA, Wang Zhizhi had to refuse the invitation to return to China to participate in the World Championships, but it caused dissatisfaction with the Chinese Basketball Association, and he was fired and branded as a "betrayer".
After that, Wang Zhizhi briefly joined the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat, but failed to achieve the so-called "gorgeous turnaround". His career in the NBA has been rocky, but he has never given up on his basketball dreams.
No matter where he is, his love for his country and his love for basketball have always been a solid force to support him to move forward.
Return to China to participate in the Olympics and regain your strength
After several years of struggle in the NBA, Wang Zhizhi finally made up his mind to return to the embrace of the motherland and regain his dream of glory.
In April 2006, this "child who left home" took the initiative to get in touch with Kuang Lubin, the leader of the Chinese Basketball Association, and expressed his strong desire to rejoin the national team.
For Wang Zhizhi, Kuang Lubin is not only his mentor, but also the enlightener and spiritual guide of life. Many years ago, Wang Zhizhi refused to return to China to compete in pursuit of personal interests, which once disappointed Kuang Lubin in him.
But this time, when Kuang Lubin learned that this "runaway child" had finally changed his mind, he was already very excited in his heart.
In this way, in the warm cheers of the coach and teammates, Wang Zhizhi put on the national team jersey again and opened a new chapter in his career. When he burst into tears and could not hide his excitement, it once again proved the depth of his love for the motherland.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics was Wang Zhizhi's first major event after returning to the national team. This time, he and Yao Ming joined hands to form a strong lineup of "Twin Towers Combined" admired by the whole world, leading the Chinese team to fight bravely at home.
Although it was only a global quarter-finalist, it was already a remarkable achievement.
On and off the field, Wang Zhizhi showed the tenacious will and unyielding spirit of the "Chinese tough guy". Especially whenever the national anthem sounds, he can always inspire people again and again.
Even in the 2012 London Olympics, although Wang Zhizhi, who was 35 years old at the time, failed to meet expectations, his enthusiastic fighting spirit still amazed the world.