Text: Yu Yu
Edited by Yu Yu
Preface:
In the sports world, there is a name that has sparked countless controversies and discussions - Zhang Bentianjie, the talented teenager who was once hailed as the hope of Chinese basketball, why did he finally choose Japan nationality?
What kind of story is hidden behind his declaration that he wants to beat the Chinese team the most?
From Shenyang to Tokyo: The Choice of a Sporting Family
In Shenyang City, Liaoning Province in 1992, an extraordinary life was destined to come to the world, and the name Zhang Tianjie should have carried the glory and expectations of a family.
However, fate has arranged a controversial path for him, and basketball seems to flow in the blood of this sports family.
His grandfather Zhang Yuzhu is the head coach of the Liaoning fencing team, his father Zhang Jian used to play in the Liaoning Provincial Basketball Team, and even his uncle Zhang Jianfeng is also a meritorious member of the Liaoning Provincial Badminton Team.
Such a family background has undoubtedly paved a bright road for Zhang Tianjie's future, but life is always full of accidents.
Zhang Tianjie's mother, Qiang Shuping, chose to study in Japan after retiring, a decision that changed the fate of the whole family, and every year his father Zhang Jian would take the young Zhang Tianjie to Japan to reunite with his mother for a month.
This short period of foreign life made Zhang Tianjie yearn for Japan, perhaps because of the more open basketball environment there, or maybe because of the vision of a new life.
In high school, Zhang Tianjie made a life-changing choice: naturalization of Japan nationality, a decision that undoubtedly gave him more opportunities, but also laid the groundwork for his future controversy.
Since then, Zhang Tianjie officially changed his name to Zhang Bentianjie, starting his new journey in the Japan basketball world, and his life choices are often full of contradictions and struggles.
Zhang Bentianjie's decision is not only a consideration of his personal future, but also a response to his family's expectations.
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However, while pursuing personal development, whether he is aware of the far-reaching impact of this choice may be difficult for Zhang Bentianjie himself to answer.
Basketball dreams: blooming in a foreign land
The age of 16 is a time of youth and ignorance for many, but for Mr. Zhang, it marked the beginning of his career.
Aoyama Gakuin University, one of Japan's top basketball schools, has become a stage for Zhang Ben Tianjie to show his talents.
Here he is not only the star of the team, but also the rising star of Japan basketball, but behind the aura, there is unimaginable pressure and doubt.
As an outsider, Zhang Bentianjie must put in more effort to win recognition and respect.
In 2016, Zhang Bentianjie officially stepped into the palace of the Japan Professional Basketball League, and his performance was like a dazzling diamond, shining in the sky of Japan basketball.
With his outstanding performance, he quickly became the team's vice captain, showing extraordinary leadership skills, Zhang Bentianjie's technical characteristics are distinctive: fast speed, accurate shooting, especially good at three-point shooting.
These advantages have allowed him to make a lot of achievements in the competition. At the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, he helped Japan win the silver medal in the men's basketball team, which was undoubtedly a highlight of his career.
However, the road to success has never been easy, and in the Japan B League, Zhang Ben Tianjie has moved through several teams, including Tokyo Dengeki and Nagoya Diamond Dolphins.
This experience not only honed his skills, but also honed his will, and in the 2019 Basketball World Cup qualifiers, Zhang Bentianjie faced the Chinese team head-to-head for the first time.
After the game, he said that he was deeply impressed by the development of Chinese basketball, and this remark seemed to imply that his deep concern and identification with basketball in his motherland was still indelible.
In Japan, Zhang Ben Tianjie is regarded as a Chinese-Japanese mixed player, and his presence has injected new vitality into the Japanese basketball community.
His naturalization has also sparked an in-depth discussion of naturalization policy in Japan's basketball circles, providing a reference for other foreign players who want to develop in Japan.
Zhang Bentianjie's basketball path is not only the pursuit of personal dreams, but also the epitome of the collision of the cultures of the two countries.
His success is a testament to the universality of the sport of basketball; The doubts and challenges he faces reflect the complexity of athlete identity in the context of globalization.
Looking back on Zhang Bentianjie's basketball career, we can't help but ask: on the road to chasing dreams, how should an athlete balance personal pursuit and national identity, this question may need to be answered in everyone's heart.
In any case, Zhang Bentianjie proved with his practical actions: as long as there is a dream, everywhere is a stage to bloom, and his story may be able to give some inspiration and encouragement to those who are chasing their dreams in a foreign country.
Voices of controversy: The identity dilemma
Most want to beat the Chinese team, as soon as this sentence came out, it was like a bombshell, causing a huge shock in the Chinese basketball world.
Zhang Bentianjie, the once highly-anticipated Chinese basketball talent, has now become the most wanted Japan player to beat the Chinese team, and this remark has undoubtedly become the most controversial moment of his career.
At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, the 22-year-old made his debut for Japan and stood out for his performance against China.
In his post-match interview, Zhang Tianjie uttered the shocking words, explaining that it was because he was hurt and that every time he played, he would hear the crowd on the sidelines insulting him and calling him a traitor.
They believe that an athlete born in China should not have such thoughts of betraying the motherland.
However, there are also those who try to understand Zhang's situation, believing that it may be a self-defense mechanism in the face of pressure.
In the 2021 Asian Cup qualifiers, the controversy escalated again, and in the match against the Chinese team, some of Zhang Bentianjie's actions were believed to be deliberately aimed at the Chinese players.
His scramble moves have been accused of being too rough, and some have even thought he was deliberately hurting his opponents, further deepening the frustration among Chinese fans.
In the face of overwhelming criticism, Zhang Bentianjie once choked up in an interview and said: I am just a simple basketball player, hoping to realize my dream by playing, but I was scolded so badly.
I am also a Chinese, why do you have to demonize me into this appearance, these words may express his inner contradictions and pain.
Some people call Zhang Bentianjie an opportunist, an opportunist, or even a traitor.
These harsh words undoubtedly brought great psychological pressure to the young athlete, and the situation of Zhang Ben Tianjie in Japan was not all smooth sailing.
Although he is seen as a Chinese-Japanese player, bringing new life to the Japan basketball scene, the issue of his identity has always been a sensitive topic.
In his quest for personal development and the realization of his dreams, he had to face doubts and pressures from two countries.
Looking back at the contradictions brought about by this dual identity, which may be a common challenge faced by many multinational athletes, we can't help but ask: in today's globalized world, how should we view the nationality choice of athletes?
Whether we should give them more understanding and tolerance is a question worth pondering for each of us.
Where to go from here: Reflections on multinational athletes
The once high-spirited Zhang Bentianjie has retired for many years, and the former man of the year on the court has now become a coach of the Nagoya Dolphins.
The shift seemed to herald the beginning of a new chapter in his life, but retirement didn't mean the end of the controversy.
In 2021, Zhang Bentianjie said in an interview that he hoped to return to China after retiring from the army, but this idea sparked a new round of heated discussions on the Chinese Internet.
Many netizens objected to this, arguing that Chinese are not picking up rags and should not accept traitors back to China, a reaction that once again highlights the identity dilemma facing Zhang Bentianjie.
Faced with a dilemma, Zhang Bentianjie's father, Zhang Jian, once considered taking the whole family back to China for development, hoping that his son could work for China again.
The idea may stem from nostalgia for the motherland, or it may be a remedy for his son's career.
In Japan, Zhang Bentianjie's situation was not all smooth sailing, as he grew older and his competitive form declined, he was kicked out of the squad by the Japan national team and club.
This experience undoubtedly brought a huge blow to the former basketball star, and Zhang's experience reflects to some extent the complexity of athlete mobility in the context of globalization.
His choice is not only a reflection of personal pursuit, but also a helpless move under the tide of the times, and he has to make a difficult trade-off between nationality, identity and career development.
Looking back on Zhang Bentianjie's basketball career, we can't help but ask: in today's globalization, should athletes' nationality choices be more understood and respected?
In today's world, more and more athletes choose to develop across borders, and their experiences provide us with a new perspective on the development of sports in the context of globalization.
How to promote international sports exchanges and development while maintaining national identity has become a topic worthy of in-depth discussion.
For Zhang, the road ahead is still uncertain, but in any case, his experience provides us with a unique case study of the inner world of multinational athletes.
Perhaps in the near future, we will see more athletes like Zhang Bentianjie chasing their dreams on the global stage.
And for each of us, Zhang's story may shed some light on how we should balance our personal pursuits with our national identity in an increasingly globalized world.
Epilogue:
Between condemnation and understanding, perhaps we should look at such incidents with an open and inclusive mind.
After all, everyone has the right to choose their own life path in the pursuit of excellence, and at the same time, we should also reflect on how to promote international sports exchanges and development while maintaining national identity.
Resources:
On June 22, 2021, People's Information released "Naturalized player Zhang Bentianjie, why did it cause controversy? 》
On November 26, 2021, Qilu One Point released the "World Preliminary Tournament China-Japan Showdown List Released!" Zhou Qi led the battle against Zhang Ben Tianjie and Kosuke Takeuchi》