On December 29, the matchup between the Guangdong Dongguan Bank team and the Zhejiang Guangsha Holdings team undoubtedly became the most watched battle of the day in the CBA.
Although as many as 16 teams participated in 8 games that day, all eyes were on the Guangdong team, because on this day will be the jersey retirement ceremony of Yi Jianlian, a legend in CBA history.
During the ceremony, Yi Jianlian's No. 9 jersey will be permanently hung in the stadium to show the highest respect to the "United Arab Emirates".
Taking advantage of the match against Guangsha on the same day, the Guangdong Dongguan Bank team will hold a jersey retirement ceremony for Yi Jianlian, which is an affirmation of his influence in the Chinese basketball community.
His contributions and influence are undoubtedly among the best in the history of Chinese basketball.
During this period, it was reported that Zhou Qi may return to pay tribute to the "big brother".
Zhou Qi's return will reunite him with Yi Jianlian, one of the three most iconic figures on the Chinese basketball court in the past decade.
Unfortunately, although Zhou Qi and Yi Jianlian had the opportunity to be present, Guo Allen seemed to be absent.
In an interview, Guo Allen revealed his expectations for the retirement ceremony of Yi Jianlian's jersey and hinted that he regretted that he was not invited.
He praised Yi Jianlian's legendary career on the basketball court and said that he loves the brother very much, both on and off the court.
However, the fact is not that Yi Jianlian did not invite him, but because Guo Allen happened to have a game that day - Liaoning Bengang team against Fujian team, and was announced to be back from injury.
Obviously, Guo Allen's statement is more like a joke, expressing his respect for "Brother Lian" and his helplessness about not being able to participate in the retirement ceremony.
In fact, Allen Kwok knew that he needed to return to the competition that day, and that he could not attend Yi Jianlian's retirement ceremony, which was just a conflict of schedules.
Guo Allen also expressed his respect for Yi Jianlian on social **, showing the deep friendship between the two.
Although Yi Jianlian's retirement ceremony was slightly regretted because Guo Allen could not attend, the relationship between the two went beyond cooperation on the basketball court.
If Allen Guo has a chance, Yi Jianlian will definitely invite him.
This season, the Liaoning team and the Guangdong team will have the opportunity to play each other, and perhaps Guo Allen can visit Yi Jianlian in Guangzhou to enjoy food and chat about basketball, which can make up for the regret of the retirement ceremony.
Yi Jianlian and Guo Allen have left a deep mark on the history of Chinese basketball, whether it is the trough in the Asian Cup, or the peaks and defeats at home and abroad, they have accompanied the Chinese men's basketball team through an unforgettable journey.
Their brotherhood, which has stood the test of time, is still strong.