People's expectation of Yi Jianlian has reached its peak from here, but life is one problem after another. After small achievements, doubts, misunderstandings, frustrations and injuries follow. Hard work or extraordinary talent did not give the young Yi Jianlian a pardon ticket. Yi Jianlian's image is constantly being shaped in the truth of the stadium and the falsehood of public opinion. Whether praising him as a talented teenager, an NBA player and the last representative of the men's basketball team, or accusing him of poor skills, lack of leadership, conceited prejudice and indelible expectations.
Looking back occasionally, Yi Jianlian also took the men's basketball team for ten years. When the comments of the fans and the exaggeration of the media gradually died down, we found that Yi Jianlian had walked out of the optimal solution of his career.
Yi Jianlian, who met Chang 'an Flower one day, was born in CBA league in 2002-2003. In the final round of the regular season against Beijing Shougang, Yi Jianlian, aged 16, came off the bench and scored 13 of the team's 18 points in overtime, making 4 of 4 shots to help Guangdong win the regular season championship. Yi Jianlian's Excellence has attracted the attention of Time magazine. They wrote an article specially for the United Arab League: "Yi Jianlian, the next Yao Ming?" It doesn't matter whether this is a comment or a question now, but at that time, all basketball fans in China were full of confidence, and another all-star player was going to conquer the NBA.
Yao Ming is an unavoidable example and obstacle for Yi Jianlian. The NBA scouts have spoken out that this 2. 1 1 meter young man is the one they are looking for. Nike can't wait to beat other competitors and win a six-year contract with Yi Jianlian. The contract value far exceeds his salary and Nike's original contract with Yao Ming. Yi Jianlian's popularity is in one step. He hasn't even participated in the Asian Games. At that time, Junasz, the assistant coach of the men's basketball team, pushed his way through the crowd to replace Tang Zhengdong, the popular MVP, and entered the starting lineup of the Athens Olympic Games.
Although the first show of the Olympic Games was so nervous that he shot the empty ball, although every game was accompanied by Junas' roar, the era of being a "genius boy" and a "basketball prodigy" has arrived. The long-range shot against Spanish team Pau Gasol is still a highlight of China's basketball peak. The climax of applause was in Madison Square in new york.
Yi Jianlian's turbulent NBA tour began here. After Bater, Yao Ming and Wang, Yi Jianlian, who was only 20 years old, was selected by Milwaukee Bucks in the sixth place in the first round. This is the position of China players, second only to Yao Ming, and it is an all-star position. In the noise of the media, the future is infinite. In Sports Illustrated's international rookie photo album, Yi Jianlian's photo at the Asian Games was put in the first place. "I have already played in the NBA." At that time, the fans who loved Yi Jianlian the most even released malicious words for him: I will come, I will watch and I will conquer. The NBA is waiting for him to conquer.
The Last Moving Great Wall
There are only 6 seconds left in the 24-second attack time, and the ball has reached Yi Jianlian. When the whistle sounded at the end of the attack time, the United Arab League jumped up and smashed the ball to the basket.
This scene of Yi Jianlian and Gasol's Olympic dunk was staged in Athens four years ago. However, four years later, Yi Jianlian has been Gasol's colleague in the NBA. The children who played garbage time in Athens are now independent. In 2008, the national men's basketball team owned the Great Wall composed of Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, as well as a number of top Asian perimeter players such as Sun Yue,, and so on. It can completely shoulder the title of the golden generation.
Who doesn't miss that generation of men's basketball team? At this time, Yi Jianlian has been studying in the NBA for a year. Although there are ups and downs, in a game against Bobcats, he made a continuous shot of 12, contributing 29 points 10 rebounds and 3 steals in 43 minutes, with a shooting rate of 82%, which has never been broken in the Bucks. The derby with Yao Ming in China set a record of 250 million people watching an NBA game. Yi Jianlian's outstanding achievements made many people regard him as the next Nowitzki of Ramstein. Unexpectedly, at the Olympic Games, the China team suffered a fierce battle with the Germans for the first time. "The ball chased Nowitzki, Nowitzki in its heyday. Every time he shoots, you will lick it inside. " [4] In Yi Jianlian's view, the two-point winning goal that he helped China enter the quarter-finals was just luck, and the team's efforts were the key to winning. This is by no means a scene. In the game of meat grinder war, everyone tried their best. If Kaman blocks Yi Jianlian, then Yao Ming will change defense with Yi Jianlian; If the German backup center is stuck by Yi Jianlian, then Sun Yue will make up the defense in time.
By the second half of the fourth quarter, everyone was very tired. When Nowitzki steals the ball again, Yi Jianlian can catch up with him and destroy it faster. Yi Jianlian, who is only 2 1 year old, is still very young. CIC and the second attack are his main scoring methods. Netizens nicknamed it Yi Jianlian's "blue-collar period".
While waiting for the free throw, Nowitzki came to strike up a conversation. After winning the game, Yao Ming came forward to celebrate, which was the face given by the basketball superstar to the new star. This face is because of his illogical growth speed and high ranking in NBA. Dude, it's still early to be famous. The fans missed every game that summer and the last golden age. Yi Jianlian's defensive performance at that time was praised as a model for all young players. Even for him, those happy moments "will be remembered in your mind all your life."
"This is my profession."
"Chewing the green arrow and drinking Yili, two points and one board are easy."
Advertising endorsements continue, and sleepwalking on the field remains unabated. Yi Jianlian, who returned to the United States, encountered unprecedented cyber violence.
The residual temperature of the Olympic Games has made Chinese people's enthusiasm for the men's basketball team unprecedented. Standing on the node at that time, people naturally expected more and more young people to stand on the NBA field, surpass Yao Ming's achievements, become the first team, become the main force and become an all-star. However, Yi Jianlian, regarded as the next Yao Ming, poured cold water on people head-on with his unlucky performance.
After trading to the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn Nets), a game against the weak pistons should have been in the bag, but Yi Jianlian 12 shot only 1, which wasted a lot of offensive opportunities. Not only did the team lose the game, but it also became his own masterpiece of "strike while the iron is hot". When the NBA reached the first 150 game, Yi Jianlian 10 had no ball, 23 games 1 ball and 27 games with two goals. However, less than one-third of the 49 games hit more than 50% in one game. What is even more ridiculous is that in order to strongly refute the appointment of Yao Ming's successor, the domestic media at that time actually carried out a lot of meaningless obliteration reports. "Ah Lian just laughed, he has won the trust of the head coach" [v], an absurd name that can be seen after every game. Obviously untrue flattery is confusing. The rebound of the fans began to really spread. A group of news about Yi Jianlian's confrontation with the chair in his rookie era was turned over. It is said that his team rejected the trial content arranged by the Celtics at that time, and only let Yi Jianlian dribble and shoot under the defense of a chair.
The origin of the "chair man" of the United Arab League may be just normal training. The fans' ridicule is even louder, and there are mocking titles such as "Chair Man", "Yi Di" and "Lianmei" circulating in the post bar. After Liu Xiang, Yi Jianlian took over the baton and became the object of "winning glory for our country". Starting, rotating, substitute, Yi Jianlian was put on the bench. At this time, Yao Ming was injured unexpectedly, and Yi Jianlian became the leader of the China team. At this time, it is only three months before the 2009 Tianjin Asian Championships. In the final, the old rival Iranian center Haddadi was full of provocation. He made no defense. He stood in the three-second zone and made a "forward" gesture to Yi Jianlian who received the ball from the outside. Yi Jianlian missed the shot. China's champion failed to keep. The score in the first quarter was only 10, the lowest score in a single quarter; Only 25 points in the second half, the lowest score in the second half; The total score is 53-70, which is the biggest difference. The three humiliating performances in the Asian Championship made this defeat a symbol of China's loss of dominance in Asia.
After the awarding ceremony, Yi Jianlian tore off his medal bag and sat helplessly on the sidelines with a towel. Failure after injury, right shoulder abrasion, little finger fracture, ankle sprain, 50 stitches in the corner of the mouth ... right knee abrasion six times in four years. "Fragile products" are no longer attractive to the team, and Yi Jianlian's career in the NBA is also wandering. After moving to Washington Wizards, he was sold to Dallas Mavericks (now Mavericks). Crowded players in the same position make high-ranked players get less than 7 minutes of playing time in each game. As a high-priced player with a lottery contract and the huge China market behind him, Yi Jianlian's worth is rising, but not all the bonus items will help you win a suitable position.
Yi Jianlian's performance in the NBA is considered unsatisfactory. Slow response to holding the ball, poor ball control ability, inaction inside, unable to hit the back ... The expectations of fans five years ago, Yi Jianlian today has not been realized.
Time magazine's question may be answered. Yi Jianlian didn't become the next Yao Ming. Even in an interview with Yang Nan, he responded directly that he was very concerned about the comparison with Yao Ming, because he felt that he was "inferior" to Yi Jianlian's choice to return to the domestic league, and the stigma of not being able to get along in the NBA seemed to be taken seriously. Nobody listened to him at that time. He hopes to play well and keep a better competitive state.
Silent leader
"I think we should call the Arab League." Wang Zhi Zhi handed the microphone to Yi Jianlian at his retirement ceremony. Yao Ming, Wang and Yi Jianlian, when the moving Great Wall of China Men's Basketball Team stood together again, they were filled with emotion.
"At that time, I thought that the United Arab League was just an ordinary successor. I didn't expect that he had been supporting it for so many years." This is what fans say the most now.
China men's basketball team is going through a difficult transition period between old and new, and its achievements in world-class competitions are indeed limited. London Olympic Games lost in a row in 20 12, and Taipei lost in the Asian Championship in 20 13, so it missed the World Cup in 20 14, and the Rio Olympic Games lost again in 20 16. 20 19 World Cup lost to Poland because of mistakes. In 36 years, China may miss the Olympic Games for the first time. "I want to take the leadership to gather me, I feel very failed. I haven't won the game for so many years, and I have done very badly in all aspects. " In the documentary of the World Cup, Yi Jianlian described himself like this.
But after watching the game, you will know what this player who has been accused for too long means to China. Yi Jianlian, a "failed leader", has the same meaning as Ma from an ordinary family and Sa Beining who is ok at Peking University.
20 12 London, Yi Jianlian, as the current flag bearer, defended Gasol for the third time at the Olympic Games and dedicated an eight-year contract with a historical score of 30 points 12 rebounds. The 20 15 Asian Championship also updated the story of Yi Jianlian and Iranian Haddadi. In the face of the Iranian team's repeated provocations against young players in China, Yi Jianlian, who has always been modest and polite, rarely pushes his elbow. Leadership naturally does not need to be demonstrated in this way, but this protection also inspires the confidence of players and spectators. In the end, China eliminated the defending champion Iranian team 70-57, and Haddadi sat helplessly on the sidelines, holding a towel in his hand. This picture appeared in Tianjin six years ago, and now Haddadi and Yi Jianlian have exchanged roles.
There are two photos taken by Sports Illustrated for Yi Jianlian in the cover. The one in 2009 [viii] is the image of Yi Jianlian tearing off the cover in 2007 [ix]. In the face of controversy, perhaps Yi Jianlian had to express his determination in such a formal way. But now, people who call him "Yi Di" show their respect again.
Even, Yi Jianlian's performance in the NBA is gradually recognized. With more and more understanding of competitive basketball, people began to find that a qualified NBA rotation is rare. Yi Jianlian's data in the 2009-20 10 season was 12 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. From1February 23rd, 8 to1October 6th 17, 29, 22,1,22, 19, he handed in seven double-digit scores.
The problem hanging over Yi Jianlian from the age of 16 has not changed, but people's perspective on the problem has finally changed. Yi Jianlian will never be Yao Ming, but it turns out to be a good thing. From the Asian Championship in 2009 to the 0 19 World Cup, the players around me have come and gone, and the coach of China team has changed six. Yi Jianlian is still the strongest and most stable scoring point.
The name of "genius boy" seems to be still in sight, and no one would have thought that the 20 19 World Cup might be Yi Jianlian's last world-class game. Playing against Nigeria is the last chance to advance directly to the Tokyo Olympics. To seize the opportunity, we can only look at Yi Jianlian. The Nigerian team is also well aware of this. A scene photo of Yi Jianlian being double-teamed by all other players ironically contributed to laocoon's aesthetic feeling.
Yi Jianlian on the court is too busy. Storm at the basket, three-point shooter, two-point jumper, rebounding champion, scoring champion ... He has twice stormed to narrow the difference to three points, not only scoring a game-high 27 points, but also dunking with one hand in the FIBA international arena for ten years. However, in the face of the opponent's full bloom, Yi Jianlian's eye-catching is also difficult to support. Yao Ming patted Yi Jianlian on the head during the rest time. After the game, the Nigerian captain praised Yi Jianlian as a very good player. In the end, we lost, and the regret was written on Yi Jianlian's face, but he still said, "Be optimistic about the future."
Ten years later, Yi Jianlian still doesn't like to talk, but his reticence at this time has been reinterpreted as a silent leader. In CBA, he was called "Yellow Skin" and led the reconstructed Guangdong Hongyuan to win the ninth and tenth championships [x]. In the national team, he silently promised to wait for the growth of young players. Yi Jianlian, who lost for so many years, became the last "fig leaf" of the men's basketball team. Yi Jianlian has talked about his admiration for Kobe on many occasions, not only his performance on the court, but also his love for trying not to miss the game. "None of us will be the next Kobe Bryant, but we can all achieve tenacity in our own way," Yi Jianlian wrote in Weibo.
In fact, Kobe once commented on Yi Jianlian, without even regret. "Yi Jianlian is very talented, but I don't think he has the right opportunity to show his ability." There are not a few fans who share Kobe's attitude. Some people think that if Yi Jianlian meets the era of small balls in the NBA, he will be able to gain a firm foothold by virtue of his fourth position in space. It is also said that Yi Jianlian has carried too much on the national team, and his position on the court has not brought his talent to the extreme. These comments are all about love for Yi Jianlian, but in any case, the external views are too light. Ten years ago, in a documentary, Yi Jianlian said in the streets of New Jersey, "I hope to make 100% efforts to build my own career." He did it a long time ago.
Today, ten years later, some fans met Yi Jianlian who was eating on the streets of Los Angeles, and the pictures and documentaries gradually overlapped. If you can look forward to it, I hope that the United Arab League can still feel that "life is very complete and it is very lucky to become a career through interest".
Yi Jianlian's career is far from conclusive.