Dear readers, allow me to first introduce the topic of this article - in the long and tortuous history of Chinese basketball in the past 100 years, there have been countless outstanding athletes with outstanding talent and extraordinary skills, although they have not won the honor and status in international competitions, but their names and stories still leave a deep imprint on the Chinese basketball community.
These players are deeply anticipated by fans across the country, looking forward to the day when they can splash ink on the basketball career of the motherland, painting a magnificent picture, however, the impermanence of fate often plays tricks on people, these young players who were once known as the rising stars of Chinese basketball, for various reasons, have not been able to fully realize their potential, and some have even suffered heavy blows in the golden years of their careers Some of them had to stop due to injuries, some were bound by the management system at the time, and some died at the peak of their careers, which made people feel moved.
However, regardless of whether they eventually achieved brilliant achievements, they all demonstrated their deep love for basketball with their practical actions, and became an important part of the development of basketball in China, a country once known as the "Kingdom of Go".
Let's look back at those excellent but ill-fated players, first of all, starting from the 80s of the 20th century, when Chinese basketball was still in the exploration stage, but has gradually emerged in the Asian arena, in that era, a young man known as the new star of the center Han Pengshan attracted widespread attention, he was born in a basketball family, reached an astonishing height of 190 cm, athletic, extraordinary bounce, is recognized as a rare all-round center talent.
However, the cruelty of fate befell this talented young man in 1982. That year, Han Pengshan, who was only 15 years old, was appreciated by Qian Chenghai, the head coach of the national team at the time, and was selected to enter the national team exceptionally, and since then he has embarked on the road of professional basketball.
In the 1983 Asian Championships, Han Pengshan defeated Japan, South Korea and other traditional powerhouses one after another, and his outstanding performance won the high praise of Yugoslav legend Josic, a young and promising center, regarded as the future star of Chinese basketball, and people were full of eager expectations for his performance in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
However, disasters always come quietly, and when the Los Angeles Olympics are about to begin, Han Pengshan, a 23-year-old rookie and Chinese basketball superstar, was tragically killed in an accident and died on the way to his hometown on a blind date! This news was like a thunderbolt in the clear sky, bringing deep sorrow and regret to the entire Chinese basketball community.
According to media reports at the time, Han Pengshan's death stemmed from a rare heart condition called Marfan syndrome. Shockingly, just a month before his death, Han Pengshan had just undergone a comprehensive physical examination, and the results did not reveal anything unusual.
The high-profile center forward star fell in his youth and was unable to show his talent in person and win glory for his country.
Han Pengshan's sudden death is undoubtedly a major setback in the development of Chinese basketball. The burly young man with a lot of potential was supposed to be a role model for the centre-forward, but a ruthless fate deprived him of the opportunity to shine.
3. Chen Jianghua's disability road
Back in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a young defender named Chen Jianghua instantly attracted the attention of global audiences with his outstanding performance. This agile and sharp breakthrough player has proved the new hope of the Chinese men's basketball team with his strength.
Chen Jianghua was only 19 years old at the time, and with his extraordinary talent and unremitting efforts, he quickly rose to become a core player of the national team under the careful guidance of his coach.
Looking back on Chen Jianghua's basketball career, he has shown extraordinary talent since he was a child. At the age of 12, he made a splash in a three-a-side basketball tournament held by Nike, and was subsequently recognized by the Guangdong Hongyuan Youth Team.
After joining the youth team, Chen Jianghua's progress can be called rapid, and his performance is becoming more and more sophisticated. In 2005, although the coach and the club decided to send him back to the sports school for further study temporarily, Chen Jianghua was not discouraged and devoted himself to training more diligently.
The following year, at the age of 17, Chen Jianghua was favored by the head coach of the national team, Younas, and became one of the youngest national players in history. Since then, Chen Jianghua's career has soared into the sky like a rocket.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, his athletic form, excellent breakthrough and unbridled passing vision gave the young player endless anticipation for his future.
Unfortunately, the good times are always short-lived, and when everyone is full of anticipation that Chen Jianghua can grow into the pillar of the Chinese men's basketball team, the demon of pain is like a lingering shadow, often haunting this talented player.
Injury after injury made it difficult for Chen to regain his best form, and by the time he returned to the Circle, his level of competition had plummeted.
People can only sigh helplessly, the once high-profile Chen Jianghua is like a tragedy like "hurt Zhongyong", and he gradually disappeared from people's sight. Finally, in this seemingly ordinary moment in 2017, the former national player chose to retire in disgrace, announcing the end of his short but brilliant career.
Part 4: Wang Zhizhi's wandering road at home and abroad
In the Chinese basketball world in the 90s of the last century, there was a talented and physical player who was widely known by the nickname "Dazhi". As early as 1993, at the age of 15, Dazhi was successfully selected for the national youth team, and the following year he became one of the youngest national players in history.
At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the budding youngster showed amazing strength and won a gratifying report card for his country.
As a soldier, Dazhi played for Bayi in the domestic league. With his extraordinary talent and extraordinary physical fitness, he led the Bayi team to win the league championship many times, and can be called the leader among domestic players.
At that time, Dazhi was like a bright new star, attracting the attention of many foreign teams and coaches, who turned their attention to this rising star of Chinese basketball.
In order to promote Chinese basketball to follow the world trend, Dazhi is also eager to have the opportunity to go abroad and show his talent on a broader stage.
In 1999, Dazhi's dream finally came true. That year, the Dallas Mavericks saw him and brought him under their wing. Dazhi is looking forward to the future and is ready to embark on the journey of the NBA. However, just when he reached an agreement with the Mavericks and was about to sign a formal contract, a sudden change broke the original peace - the national team and basketball management unexpectedly opposed Dazhi to play in the United States, and the reasons given were also vague.
In this way, Dazhi's NBA journey was forced to be postponed.
It was not until three years later, in 2002, that Dazhi was finally approved to develop in the United States. However, at this time, he is already close to his age, and if he wants to gain a foothold in the highly competitive NBA, he needs to put in more sweat and effort than when he was young.
At the end of their first season, the discerning Dallas Mavericks offered an extremely generous contract extension, with the only requirement being that Wang Zhizhi must play in their summer league, which meant that he had to miss domestic competitions.
After careful consideration, Wang Zhizhi decided to report to the leadership of the national team, but unexpectedly encountered long-term tight-lipped and indifferent treatment, and no one gave a clear answer.
Immediately, the focus of public opinion began to focus on whether Wang Zhizhi really had patriotic enthusiasm, which made him feel endless anger in his prime and increasingly estranged from the national team.
This tense confrontation continued until the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, when Wang Zhizhi, who was nearly half a hundred years old, led the national team to win the gold medal, once again proving his irreplaceable position in the basketball arena, and also heralding the dawn of reconciliation with the national team.
The following year, Wang finally announced his retirement, ending his long and legendary career.
Fifth, Sun Yue's regretful road
During the years when Yao Ming became the core leader of the Chinese men's basketball team, another talented young player, Sun Yue, was also quietly thriving. At just 10 years old, Sun Yue was able to handle difficult dribbling skills with ease, and such a remarkable talent quickly attracted the attention of Li Su, the owner of the private basketball club Aoshen, who took him under his umbrella.
During his time in the Aoshen team, Sun Yue has been sharpened and improved in an all-round way. At first, he was a little introverted and withdrawn, but under the careful guidance of his teammates and coaches, he gradually became cheerful and lively, and integrated into the family.
Whether in terms of ball skills, tactical understanding or physical fitness, Sun Yue's abilities in all aspects are steadily improving, and Li Su attaches 100% importance and trust to this disciple who is regarded as a treasure.
When Sun Yue turned 18 years old, the national team threw an olive branch to him, intending to recruit the rising star to Durban, hoping that he could inject new vitality into the national team. However, Li Su resolutely rejected the warm invitation of the national team.
His reasons are equally sufficient: Sun Yue was cultivated by him, and if he is recruited into the national team at this time, Sun Yue may face injury risks, and Ao Shen will also lose the right to sign Sun Yue.
As a boss who loves talent like life, Li Su is naturally unwilling to let go easily.
In 2005, Sun Yue embarked on a journey to the ABA League in the United States, and after the baptism of fierce competition, his comprehensive strength has been comprehensively improved. When the national team extended an olive branch to him again, Li Su could only reluctantly choose to let go.
As a result, Sun Yue was finally able to return to his hometown, put on the battle, and started his new sports journey!
Since leaving the Aoshen team, Sun Yue's career does not seem to have been favored by Lady Luck. Although he was fortunate enough to hold hands with the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, he had to sit on the bench and wait for his opportunity in most games.
Surprisingly, this player, who has played very little time on the court, miraculously became the only Chinese player to win this honor when the Lakers won the championship trophy!
However, the honor of winning the championship did not pave a broader path for Sun Yue's future career path. Just two years later, in 2009, he was forced to end his short stay in the NBA and return to his homeland.
After that, he moved between several teams, but his situation was unremarkable, and he even suffered a lot of ridicule and questioning.
In the end, Sun Yue, who was physically and mentally exhausted, chose to resolutely bid farewell to the competition in 2012 and joined the business world, starting a new chapter in his life.