In the fierce battlefield of the 2024 CBA playoffs, an 18-year-old basketball player Li Yizhen was born, which became an unexpected joy for the Guangdong team against the strong rival Liaoning team. In this high-profile Liaoyue battle, Li Yizhen not only successfully guarded Zhao Jiwei, the captain of the national team and the core point guard of the Liaoning team, but also showed maturity and tenacity beyond his years on the defensive end, winning wide praise from teammates, coaches and even opponents. So, what allowed this teenage hero to shine on such an important stage?
Li Yizhen's success is inseparable from the unique vision and bold employment philosophy of Du Feng, the head coach of the Guangdong team. In the high-pressure environment of basketball, especially in the playoffs, bringing in a young player with little experience is often seen as a risky move. However, with his keen insight and trust in the depth of the team, Coach Du Feng decided to reuse Li Yizhen and give him valuable practical opportunities. This decision is not only a recognition of Li Yizhen's daily training performance, but also a microcosm of the success of the Guangdong team's long-term training system and selection mechanism.
For Zhao Jiwei, the core of the backcourt of the Liaoning team, Du Feng designed a set of fine defensive strategies, and Li Yizhen is the key chess piece to implement this strategy. Li Yizhen, who is 1.94 meters tall, fast and nimble, has become an effective weapon to limit Zhao Jiwei's performance on the field. Although he was inevitably nervous when he first appeared on the big stage, under the guidance of the coaching team, Li Yizhen quickly adjusted his state, and effectively consumed Zhao Jiwei's physical strength and disrupted the opponent's offensive rhythm through active running and close defense.
The reason why Li Yizhen was able to withstand the pressure at critical moments was also due to his usual diligent training and full preparation for the game. In the daily training of the Guangdong team, Li Yizhen is always the first to arrive and the last to leave, he constantly tempers his skills, improves his physical fitness, and more importantly, he carefully studies the opponent's game video and is familiar with each opponent's habitual movements and offensive methods. It is this age-defying focus and hard work that allows him to remain calm against a top defender like Zhao Jiwei and show defensive results beyond expectations.
The good team atmosphere and incentive mechanism within the Guangdong team are also important factors for Li Yizhen's rapid growth. In the locker room, the encouragement of his teammates, especially the praise of seniors like Zhou Qi, gave Li Yizhen great confidence. This positive feedback creates a virtuous circle that motivates him to keep improving. On the field, every time he completes a successful defense, his teammates will express their recognition by touching his head and high-five, which undoubtedly enhances his sense of belonging and will to fight.
Lee's rise is not accidental, but the result of a combination of individual efforts, coaching vision, team trust and timely opportunities. His story is not only a successful case of the talent training model of the Guangdong team and the entire CBA league, but also an example for countless young players with basketball dreams: as long as you work hard and prepare well, the opportunity will eventually come. On the basketball stage, age is never a limit, courage and sweat are the only way to success.