Tributes. He is a diligent child from an ordinary family, a dark horse of the school team who has been silent for many years, and a new talent who has just emerged. A "three-point shot" thrown from Shanxi went into the basket of the basketball city of Dongguan, and the "CBA rookie" Zhang Wenyi has a promising future!
The Guangdong team is in a treasure!”
Who would have thought that a college player who was selected for Hongyuan with the 14th pick in the first round would be able to make the iron-faced Du Feng applaud.
In October this year, in the second round of the CBA regular season, Guangdong faced Zhejiang away, and the No. 14 rookie Zhang Wenyi played 27 minutes, shooting 6 of 6, including 2 of 2 three-pointers and 14 points, and his 100% shooting rate made him a "scoring weapon" in this game.
When the time came to July, at the 2023 CBA draft conference, Zhu Fangyu, general manager of the Guangdong team, "pocketed" Zhang Wenyi, who was still known as the "draft scraps" at this time, and many people said that Mr. Zhu's decision was "very arbitrary".
Zhang Wenyi is not a basketball family, has never studied in a basketball school, never scored in CUBA in the first two years of college, "there is no such person" He was selected as the CBA "11 champion" Guangdong Hongyuan, he himself said: I am very surprised!
In just half a year, Zhang Wenyi has gone from being unpopular to having a promising future in the mouth of fans.
He experienced "bottoming out**", and he believed that he was a late bloomer. Zhang Wenyi, why can he always get the counterattack "script"?
Diligent: An ordinary kid who loves basketball.
When I first saw Zhang Wenyi, I would think of netizens' comments on him: "big heart" and calm.
Wearing a Hongyuan training uniform, his hair is rooted on his head, he will smile and nod when he sees people, and bend down to "three times", polite and gentlemanly.
His face was a little childish and a little more determined.
Do you remember when you first started playing basketball?Before answering a question, Zhang Wenyi used to cross his hands and think for two seconds, but when he talked about the story with basketball, he could always recall every time node clearly and quickly.
Zhang Wenyi in the 2023-2024 CBA arena.
In the third grade of elementary school, the gears of fate began to turn.
Zhang Wenyi, who was still a "little fat man" at the time, looked at the big brothers running and shooting on the court, and suddenly ignited the idea of playing basketball, "This sport is healthy, happy, and makes people feel passionate and sunny." ”
Without the guidance of his predecessors and the guidance of idols, on such an ordinary day, Zhang Wenyi found his dream and began a life of "keeping his hands on the ball".
Many people think that being able to play professional basketball is somewhat talented. But Zhang Wenyi's evaluation of himself is: no talent. In his eyes, he is a hardworking child with no talent.
When he was in high school, Zhang Wenyi studied at Taiyuan Normal High School, and because it was a non-traditional basketball school, he couldn't even play in the provincial championship.
Until the second year of high school, Zhang Wenyi was still a "little fat man", and his speed was very slow, so his playing style was more rhythmic, and the coach also said to him: You are like this, the only chance is to practice projection.
Therefore, Zhang Wenyi tried his best to improve his shooting, and finally got a special recruitment quota from Shanxi University during the trial.
Entering Shanxi University, he sat on the "cold bench" for two years and was nicknamed the "water cooler keeper". Many people will choose to give up if they can't enter the school team in the first year, but Zhang Wenyi has never thought about "forget it", "I believe that if you hit the bottom, as long as you love it, you can stick to it." ”
Zhang Wenyi in the 2023-2024 CBA arena.
Talking about love, Zhang Wenyi talked about a small episode.
In his second year of junior high school, he broke a bone once, lay in bed for three months, and had itchy hands for three months. "At that time, I thought that as long as I could go out in a wheelchair and shoot a few balls, I would be satisfied, because of this incident, I realized that I can't live without basketball. ”
To write basketball into his life plan is somewhat risky for Zhang Wenyi, who was born in a medical family. His parents hoped that he would be able to wear a white coat in the future, and in order to let Zhang Wenyi's "moral, intellectual, physical and beautiful" develop in an all-round way, they also let him practice the piano to level ten.
Speaking of which, I would like to thank my mom and dad. Zhang Wenyi recalled that when he was a child, he always came home after playing basketball with dust and wounds on his hands, and often delayed his practice because of basketball, but his parents never blamed, "I can get to this day without the support of my parents." ”
Stick: The dark horse of the school team that has been silent for many years.
Zhang Wenyi's entry into Hongyuan was a surprise, but there are definitely traces to follow.
Before the 2023 CBA draft, Zhang Wenyi had already tried out for the Shanxi team, but unfortunately, the Shanxi team traded out two draft picks and missed the opportunity to select local players.
Peak loop turn. When he felt hopeless, he heard his name in the 14th pick.
Zhu Fangyu revealed the reasons for choosing Zhang Wenyi in the live broadcast: first, Zhang Wenyi's performance in the later stage of university has been affirmed by everyone;Second, when he was training in the Shanxi team, Zhu Fangyu inquired, and the Shanxi team also recognized Zhang Wenyi.
The selection of Zhang Wenyi was based on the professional judgment of the coaching staff.
After Guangdong's away victory over Zhejiang, basketball Vs Zhou Peng and Guan Xin praised Zhang Wenyi's performance.
He was 24 years old when he entered CUBA and Hongyuan in his junior year, and many people described Zhang Wenyi as a "late bloomer". But Zhang Wenyi is very open-minded, with a cheerful and open-minded attitude that belongs to college students.
When I was in college, I kept telling myself that there were still a lot of older brothers in the team, and I would wait until the day when I was my own. 'He's going to have to train hard until that day comes.
Although he couldn't play, he kept making up for his weaknesses off the field, observing his teammates on the sidelines, putting himself in every possible scenario, waiting for the opportunity to show.
Recalling the game that changed his basketball career, Zhang Wenyi still behaved lightly.
It was a CUBA invitational tournament, and before the game, he gave himself a long mental build, "If this game is not played well, there will be fewer and fewer opportunities in the future." "Train, train, train!Zhang Wenyi constantly pressures himself to perform at his best.
He scored 38 points in this game. "Maybe it felt better. When it comes to topics such as winning and scoring, Zhang Wenyi will always modestly look for "external reasons".
Zhang Wenyi in the 2023-2024 CBA arena.
This invitational tournament made Ge Hui, the basketball coach of Shanxi University, who was surrounded by leopards and eyes and was not angry, notice this silent and introverted young man, and Zhang Wenyi also strode from the "water cooler" to the court**.
Another event that impressed Zhang Wenyi - the 25th CUBAL Northwest Division, Shanxi University won eight wins and zero losses, with an average of 92 per gameWith an excellent score of 8 points, he won the Northwest King again after five years.
In the semifinals, Zhang Wenyi scored 24 points and 7 rebounds with his excellent performance, and scored a key steal layup in the final quarter to help the team achieve a reversal and finally lead the team to defeat the fierce opponent.
After five years, Shanxi University regained the king of the northwest. The picture above is Zhang Wenyi on the left. **From the official WeChat platform of Shanxi University.
Talking about the significance of this event, Zhang Wenyi described it as "a successful end to his college career". "We've been pressed for many years and this competition is very exciting. Zhang Wenyi, a dark horse player who has been silent for many years, has finally been seen by more people.
Blooming: A promising new star in the future.
Guangdong Hongyuan has always had a special position in Zhang Wenyi's mind.
He is an "old fan" of Hongyuan, "I have been paying attention to Hongyuan's games, and I like the state of the players fighting the court." In addition to "watching the excitement", Zhang Wenyi can also see the "doorway", "Hongyuan has its own set of tactical systems, and I will learn from it and take it as my goal."
Although he has been playing basketball for many years, Zhang Wenyi, who has just entered Hongyuan, is still a little uncomfortable. On the one hand, he has to get used to Dongguan's diet and climateOn the other hand, he has to get used to the rhythm of training quickly.
Zhang Wenyi in the 2023-2024 CBA arena.
If the training volume of CUBA was 5 points before, then the training volume of Hongyuan is now 10 points. In half a year, Zhang Wenyi lost 5 kilograms, but he was psychologically satisfied. "Shedding skin and flesh will not be left behind, blood, sweat and tears will not be shed. When he said this "cliché" resolutely, he looked like a new recruit.
Although the training was very intense, Zhang Wenyi obviously felt that it was a planned intensity. "The current training is very similar to militarized management, we collectively get up early to eat on time every day, practice twice a day, and it is normal to practice three times a day during the preparation period. ”
In addition, Hongyuan will also customize the training module for the individual, and make up for the deficiency according to the actual situation. As a guard, Zhang Wenyi also has to conduct high-intensity special training on shooting with the team's high-quality pitchers Xu Jie and Du Runwang, "mainly practice shooting, if you can't shoot the specified number, you have to keep shooting." ”
In addition to training, Zhang Wenyi also felt the enthusiasm and warmth of Hongyuan's collective.
Half a month after joining Hongyuan, it happened to be his birthday, and the club prepared a poster and birthday cake for him, "Every player's birthday, everyone will go to the canteen to have a full meal and sing birthday songs." The small sense of ritual has become the warmth that Zhang Wenyi is deeply impressed.
When it comes to the city of Dongguan, Zhang Wenyi's answer is also full of basketball. He has a deep feeling for the strong basketball atmosphere in Dongguan, "When playing away, I will always see the Dongguan Fans League wearing uniform and flying over to cheer and shout, which is really exciting." ”
Zhang Wenyi in the 2023-2024 CBA arena.
It seems to be his destiny to get in touch with Dongguan. Zhang Wenyi once thought about another future - he was not selected in the draft, and he would still come to Dongguan to participate in the Dongguan Basketball League and the Guangdong Basketball League.
Play basketball, come to Dongguan" Zhu Fangyu's words at the 2022 Dongguan Basketball City Cultural Festival have become Zhang Wenyi's life choice.
Do you know Zhang Wenyi?"Of course I do!Hongyuan's rookie!On December 29, the day of the retirement ceremony of Yi Jianlian's jersey, Mr. Lin, a member of the Dongguan Fans League, came to the Dongguan Basketball Center early in the morning to wait.
He's very steady, he's shooting very good, and he's good three-pointer. "Mr. Lin, who has been chasing Hongyuan for more than ten years, is full of expectations and care for this team.
But for Zhang Wenyi, the future is far away, and the top priority is to gain a firm foothold in the team, "I hope to make the coach and teammates believe in me more." The goal, he said, is small but big.
Dialogue: South+: What kind of city is Dongguan in your eyes?
Zhang Wenyi: Before I came to Dongguan, I had heard about the basketball atmosphere here, especially the Dongguan Basketball League, which is a very influential non-governmental basketball event in China. In terms of fans, I've talked to other team members, and no other club has fans as enthusiastic as Hongyuan. In addition to training, I am also integrating into the city of Dongguan, and the food here is also very special, such as roast goose noodles, which I like very much.
Editor's note. On December 28, the "Salute to the Strugglers - 2023 Dongguan News Person of the Year Release Ceremony" hosted by the Dongguan Branch of Nanfang Press Media Group and co-organized by the Dongguan Branch of the Agricultural Bank of China was held, and 12 representatives from various industries and fields in Dongguan were awarded the "2023 Dongguan News Person of the Year". Recently, South+ launched a series of reports on "Salute to Strivers - 2023 Dongguan News Figures of the Year", entering their stories in 2023, witnessing them write their own legends with courage and wisdom, and complete butterfly changes in their respective fields with the attitude of strivers. Thank you for your attention!
Planning] Jiang Qiang, Huang Yubin.
Co-ordination] Huang Yubin, Jin Yanming, Wu Baohu.
Writing] Southern + reporter Zhang Qianqian Gong Mingyang.
Photography] Southern + reporter Gong Mingyang.
Design] Yuan Yongping.
Author] Zhang Qianqian;Gong Mingyang.
*] Southern Press Media Group Nanfang + client.