Perhaps, as Zhang Weiping and Yu Jia Yang Yi said in the CCTV studio, the scene of Chen Jie standing on the court at the Toyota Center, in the center of the arena, embracing Yao Ming, no, should not be for the entire Chinese basketball community.
It is of great significance to the entire Asian basketball community.
To some extent, this is a historic moment.
When Yao Ming was selected by the Houston Rockets as the No. 1 pick, many Asian basketball newspapers and magazines commented on the significance of this draft.
Because no Asian basketball player has ever received such recognition from the NBA before.
Americans have had a monopoly on basketball for too many years.
In the past, when the NBA was not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, the U.S. basketball national team was outstanding in the Olympic and World Championships. In the whole world, only the former Yugoslavia and the former Soviet Union could compete with it. In the NBA, professional players began to participate in the Olympic Games.
At that time, the dominance of American basketball was even more difficult to shake.
The Dream Team, Jordan, Magic, Bird and the others in Barcelona are not there to play games, but to perform. Many opponents are not there to win, but just to compete with their idols.
, or even just to leave a precious photo while defending the idol.
There is no doubt that at that time, in the world of basketball, the United States existed like a giant, while other countries were all dwarfs!
Such a development is obviously not a good thing for this sport.
Therefore, whether it is FIBA or various European national basketball teams, they have begun to work hard to change this situation.
The National Basketball Federation began to introduce many new rules to restrict the performance of these giant players in the United States. Europe began to learn from the NBA and develop its own basketball.
After several generations of hard work, at the 2002 World Championships in Indiana, the American team, the Dream Team, finally stepped down from the altar for the first time. In this competition, they only finished sixth. European teams such as
Basketball in countries such as Italy, France, Lithuania, and South America such as Argentina has already gained the ability to challenge the United States, and many players from these countries have begun to flock to the NBA and play important positions in various teams.
At this time, it can be said that the development of the entire basketball sport has begun to slowly be adjusted.
However, at this time, there is still a place where basketball is lagging behind.
That is Asia. As the dominant Asian team at the time, the Chinese team barely entered the top eight in the world and had no ability to compete with the strong European and American teams.
Many players in China and Asia do not have the ability to go to the NBA. Let alone play as the main force, even in the draft, it is difficult to be selected.
At this time, Asia has become a short man in the entire world basketball world.
Asia needs to develop, Asia needs to prove!
Basketball is a sport that is not just for whites and blacks, yellow people can do it too!
At this time, the emergence of Yao Ming is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the entire Asian basketball world and all Asian countries. He has proved that Asians and yellow people can also enter the NBA through the draft and can also play in the NBA.
Serve as the main force or even leader of the team.
However, Yao Ming is just a center after all.
Although the center in ancient times won the world, in modern basketball, the position of the center has been increasingly weakened, and outside players, especially the two positions of point guard and swingman, have become the key.
However, in these two positions, no talent has emerged in Asia. Asia's top guards are destined to sit on the bench in the NBA, and they cannot even sit on the bench.
Such abnormal development is obviously not what Asian teams want to see.
They desperately hope that an Asian with yellow skin from Asia can prove himself as a defender in the NBA and prove that Asians can also produce good perimeter players.
The emergence of Chen Jie fulfilled this wish of the Asian basketball world.
One Chen Jie, one Yao Ming, two Chinese, one inside and one outside, represent the highest level in Asia today, and also give Asia hope to develop the sport of basketball in an all-round way.
This game between the two people was the first time that two Asian players appeared in the starting lineup of the two teams at the same time. Before Yi Jianlian appeared, the hug between Chen Jie and Yao Ming became a
A milestone for Asian basketball.
It is no exaggeration to say that this moment is a historic moment!
The two Chinese have proved that Asian players and yellow players also have talent for playing basketball. As long as they work hard, they can compete with the outstanding players in Europe and the United States no matter what position they are in.
This embrace between the two people may not seem like a big deal, but it provides a way forward for the development of Asian basketball, and also allows Asian basketball, which has been groping in the dark, to see the hope of rising.
What Europe could do in the past, Asia can also do!
What white people can do, yellow people can also do!
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why today is clearly a Chinese derby, but there are indeed many Koreans, Iranians, and Japanese who came to watch the game. When the names of Chen Jie and Yao Ming were called, why did these people burst into tears?
More excited than many Chinese people.
It is not difficult to understand why this game was broadcast live via satellite in almost all countries in Asia, and why this game set a new viewing record in Asia.
Because, this game is not only a derby of great significance to the Chinese people, but also an Asian derby of great significance to Asians and Asian basketball people!
Two Chinese players, Chen Jie and Yao Ming, have ignited the love for this sport throughout Asia.
The most populous continent in the world is watching the confrontation between these two players.
This kind of attention has nothing to do with victory or defeat, but transcends victory and defeat!
Nothing excites these people more than seeing hope!
No one can understand how heavy things Yao Ming and Chen Jie are carrying now.
Of these two players, one is only in his third year of basketball, and the other is just a rookie.
But they are the two players who have received the most attention.
Because people across the entire continent are paying attention to them, cheering for them, and shouting for them.
And all this is just because these two people proved that Asians and yellow people can also play basketball and can play well.
In the upcoming 2006 World Championships in South Korea and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, perhaps people all over the world will notice that a new force has begun to slowly develop on the basketball map.
This force is Asia, which has the largest territory and the most populous population! (To be continued...)
