In today's world basketball field, the "small ball style" is particularly prevalent, especially in the NBA, they seem to have paid less and less attention to the role of the center, more emphasis on offensive conversion, unlimited change of defense and shooting three points, some centers on the field seem to be a bit chicken ribs. But no matter how basketball develops, the center position is always indispensable, especially in the playoffs, their role is particularly important. In the Chinese basketball world, Yao Ming was once a world-class center, to liu yudong, Wang Zhizhi, and now Yi Jianlian, their performances are very good. In the early 90s of the last century, there was also a very good interior player in the Chinese basketball industry, who was the main center of the Chinese national team at that time, and was also known as the first center in Asia.
He is Shan Tao. Shan Tao was born in May 1970 in Tangshan, Hebei Province. His father, Shan Yuchen, played in the Nanjing Military Region, probably influenced by this, Shan Tao also liked basketball from childhood, when he was 12 years old, Shan Tao entered the Beijing Junior Team, and in the same year he registered with the Beijing team, becoming the youngest player in the First Division team at that time, which was 13 years, until he announced his "retirement" in October 1999.
With a huge body, amazing strength, skilled technique, and excellent running and jumping ability among the big men, he showed absolute dominance in the youth races. In the end, he was also selected for the national team for his outstanding performance. For many years of national team career, he has also made great achievements for Chinese basketball.
In 1994, at the 12th World Men's Basketball Championship, Shan Tao made a great contribution to the Chinese team to reach the top 8 for the first time. In September 1994, at the 12th Asian Games held in Hiroshima, Japan, he led the Chinese team to win the men's basketball championship. On June 26, 1995, he won the Asian Men's Basketball Championship held in Seoul, South Korea, making the Chinese team the "Ten Champions". In 1996, he participated in the Olympic basketball competition in Atlanta and won the eighth place.
After a brief retirement in 1999, Shan Tao made a comeback in 2000. He played for nine teams over a period of eight years. In 2008, due to his age, his physical fitness has not been as good as before, and he is more of a dressing room boss on the field, and it is also in this year that he silently chose to retire.
As the first domestic center forward of the year, in the inner line of the wind and rain for more than ten years, the fledgling Battle can only do a single Tao substitute. He was 5 years older than Battle, and the two had a very good relationship as brothers, but after the 1998-99 season, Shan Tao left the Beijing team, and the combination of the "Twin Towers" brothers disappeared. Shan Tao has traveled to many teams, except for the game, Shan Tao and Battle will have a hard time meeting again.
Shan Tao's career has also happened a lot of interesting things, when he played for the national team, because the conditions of the national team at that time were not as good as now, and the breakfast was still a traditional fritter and soy milk. Once, during a meal, Shan Tao walked leisurely to the restaurant with a new washbasin, and the coach was puzzled and asked him: "What are you doing with the washbasin?" Shan Tao replied: "Which is the washbasin, this is my rice bowl, I drink soy milk." His words almost made the coach spit out the rice in his mouth.
Realistically speaking, compared with Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi and other players, Shan Tao's fame is not very large, but he has made great contributions to the Chinese men's basketball team. As one of the golden generation players in China in the 1990s, he won the respect of countless fans and set an example for future generations of players!