Returning to the semi-finals of the Asian Cup after ten years, unity is the sharpest weapon of the Chinese men s basketball team | Reporter s observation

"This is the most united and cohesive Chinese men's basketball team. I hope we can go further." After defeating Jordanian men's basketball team in the last round of the 2025 Asian Cup group stage, the head coach of Chinese men's basketball Guo Shiqiang said. On the 14th, the Chinese men's basketball team defeated the South Korean men's basketball team with an advantage of 8 points to advance to the semi-finals, completing the goal set by the team before the game, and Guo Shiqiang's words were proven again.

What is commendable is that the Chinese men's basketball team achieved this goal under an extremely unfavorable situation. Zhou Qi, Zhang Zhenlin, Zeng Fanbo and Cui Yongxi are absent due to injuries. Young player Yang Hansen, who has just entered the NBA, was not recruited because he needs to prepare for the team. The Chinese men's basketball team has almost lost a complete set of main lineups. But it was this set of Chinese men's basketball team, which seemed to be a little "inadequate", that has achieved its best performance in international competitions in recent years. The team united as one and exuded a good combat effectiveness.

In the quarterfinals, facing the South Korean men's basketball team, which had a very high three-point shooting percentage, the Chinese men's basketball team used tough defense to let the opponent make only 3 of 24 shots from the outside, with a poor 12.5 shooting percentage. Looking at the whole game, the Korean men's basketball team was obviously taken care of by the referee. They scored 20 points through free throws, and the Chinese men's basketball team made 10 of 13 free throws in the game, with a shooting percentage of 77%, but Guo Shiqiang's team still won the game with difficulty.

In an unfavorable situation, there are always players in the Chinese men's basketball team who can stand up and take responsibility, which is rare in recent years. Hu Jinqiu, who was stained with blood, scored 23 points and 11 rebounds, and was the backbone of the team; young player Wang Junjie performed almost versatile and efficiently scored 21 points, which made people see the future of the Chinese men's basketball team in the forward position; Zhu Junlong tried his best on the defensive end and could also make three three-pointers on the offensive end to stabilize the situation...

From the statistics, the four players on the back line performed not well, but they also fulfilled their responsibilities. Captain Zhao Rui can always open a breakthrough when the team is in a scoring drought. Gao Shiyan infects the team with his spare time and steals. Liao Sanning's step-back jump shot at the last moment killed the game. Although Hu Mingxuan was in poor condition, his fighting spirit was worthy of recognition. Every player selected to the 12-man roster of the Chinese men's basketball team is helping the team in their own way. Even if Li Xiangbo and Raymond do not play, they will give the loudest cheers off the court when their teammates score. The unity of the Chinese men's basketball team is reflected in all aspects. At Guo Shiqiang's request, the team's defensive rotation was extremely rapid, and every player spared no energy when defending; after his teammate fell, someone always stepped forward and pulled him up as soon as possible. Judging from the four games of this Asian Cup, these 12 players have been combined into a whole by Guo Shiqiang. Although many of the people in this team are not very famous, their performance on the court has indeed exceeded many people's expectations before the game.

After winning the Korean men's basketball team, the Chinese men's basketball team that entered the semi-finals can look forward to higher goals. As the team that won the most Asian Cup (including the predecessor Asian Championships), the Chinese men's basketball team performed mediocrely in recent games. With the addition of two Oceanian giants, Australia and New Zealand, the difficulty of the Chinese men's basketball team to win the Asian Cup has increased sharply. One of the good news for the Chinese men's basketball team is that the recognized strongest team, the Australian men's basketball team, is in the other half of the area. Whether in the semi-finals, the Chinese men's basketball team has the strength to fight.

Now, this calm Chinese men's basketball team has achieved the goals set before the game, and every step forward is a surprise.

Text｜Reporter Hao Haoyu