Where is the road for Chinese men's basketball?, "The Worst in History" Chinese Men's Basketball Team | Poland | History
The defeat in 2019 seems to be still in sight, and four years later, the Chinese men's basketball team has experienced another disappointing September. The Chinese men's basketball team's 2023 World Cup ended in a dismal ending with a 21 point defeat to the Philippines, with 1 win and 4 losses in 5 games and a net loss of 94 points.
The Chinese men's basketball team, who missed the chance to directly participate in the Paris Olympics and even lost the opportunity to participate in the Olympic qualifiers, will have a sufficient "cooling off period" to ponder the pain.
On September 2, 2019, four years ago, the Chinese men's basketball team won the World Cup at home all night, but fell at dawn.
After four tough quarters and one extra time, due to several bizarre mistakes in the decisive moment, the Chinese team lost to the Polish team by a margin of 3 points. At that World Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team ranked 24th, setting the "worst record" in team history at the time and failing to make it to the Tokyo Olympics. In the end, that also led to the first absence of the Chinese men's basketball team from the Olympic arena since 1984.
At that time, the situation faced by Chinese basketball seemed so dire that it was impossible to replicate it, until four years later when it suffered a devastating defeat that "broke the bottom line".
On September 2nd, four years later, in the second qualifying match of the 2023 Men's Basketball World Cup, the Chinese team lost 75-96 to the Philippine team, with a remarkable record of 1 win and 4 losses.
The Chinese men's basketball team, which finished at the bottom of the group rankings, not only had no competitiveness in the straight qualification competition for the Paris Olympics, but also had no chance of winning in the competition for the second highest ranking Asian team. The Chinese men's basketball team, ranked 29th out of 32 participating teams, cannot continue to compete for the qualification for the 2024 Olympics.
Four years ago, due to various unexpected losses to Poland, the Chinese men's basketball team ultimately achieved the "worst" record in history. When they left the World Cup arena, they were filled with regret and regret.
Four years later, the regret of being one step away was replaced by the numbness of almost every game's defeat, slipping from a net loss of 10 points in 5 games to a net loss of 94 points. In another World Cup, the Chinese men's basketball team only gained embarrassment and helplessness.
Nowadays, the performance of the Chinese men's basketball team is even worse than the "worst in history" four years ago; They, who ended the Paris Olympic cycle ahead of schedule, have been preparing longer for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics; The Chinese team, which failed to qualify for the Olympic Games, has been away from the world's highest level stage for even longer years.
As in the past four years, the next time the Chinese men's basketball team participates in a world-class competition may be in the World Cup four years later. Next year, while many old opponents are still working hard for the Paris Olympics, the Chinese men's basketball team will enter a somewhat awkward gap period. The team has enough time to review, reflect, summarize, and look forward, and then start anew. But when there is only time left in the hand, everything seems to be at a loss.
What is disappointing is that regardless of whether the Chinese men's basketball team can rebound from the bottom in four years, the "answer" that can help this team solve problems does not seem to have emerged among this generation - Zhou Qi ultimately did not become the "Great Demon King", "Anshan Paul" was not Paul, and Wang Zhelin ultimately did not become the "Great King".
Having experienced disappointment time and time again, these once young and famous "stars of hope" ultimately failed to lead the Chinese men's basketball team out of despair. And when the next opportunity comes, they will no longer be young.
"We always say that the road is long, but in fact, in a blink of an eye, this section of the road is over." After being eliminated from the 2016 Rio Olympics, the words of Yi Jianlian, the "big brother" of the Chinese men's basketball team, now make people feel deeply saddened.
In July of that year, at the retirement ceremony of Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian, Yao Ming, and Wang Zhizhi stood side by side. "As a brother, I have already done my best, and now it's up to you, brother." Wang Zhizhi instructed me to complete the torch handover of the Chinese men's basketball team.
Just a few days ago, when Yi Jianlian, who had already become the "big brother", announced his retirement late at night, no one in sight could take the torch in his hand.
"The future is yours" - a widely circulated phrase in the basketball world, often used as a joke, is suitable for today's Chinese men's basketball team.
The performance of the national team has been dismal, and while accountability and reflection are necessary, it is also important to note that "those who come will not be admonished, and those who come will be pursued.". The next stage of the history of the Chinese men's basketball team should start immediately.
Whether it's young Chinese players Zhang Zhenlin, Cui Yongxi, and Zhu Junlong who have competed in this year's World Cup, newcomers Zeng Fanbo and Lin Wei who have been highly regarded in the league, or Yang Hansen, Zhao Weilun, and Wang Junjie who have emerged in the youth stage like Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin back then... it may be unfair, but the burden of the Chinese men's basketball team has already fallen on the shoulders of the younger generation ahead of time.
Therefore, no matter how Chinese basketball will summarize and react to this failed World Cup in the future, for players, especially young players, holding responsibility and striving to do well in every moment is the real way to help Chinese men's basketball, and perhaps the only way.
After all, "shake it off", this seemingly long road will pass again.
The torch that could not be passed down by hand was left in place. It is necessary for latecomers to rely on their own abilities and pick it up with their own hands.
