Basketball's most talented forward is on the left

March 23, 2009, was a memorable day because on this day, Zuo Li, who was only 20 years old, only 160 centimeters tall and weighed only 65 kilograms, officially landed in the CBA and became the shortest player in CBA history.

Players!

It is conceivable that when the name Zuo Li and all his physical data were placed in front of the national media, it caused a huge wave at the time. It can be said that this shock in the domestic basketball world at that time was probably the second largest.

Yu Dayao has landed in the NBA.

This is no exaggeration. At that time, the GD men's basketball team was no longer the Wu Xia Amon at the end of the last century. They were already the dominant players in the CBA. The number of championships they won was steadily increasing. They were heading to August 1st, and the team lineup was even more...

The top domestic players, Arab League, Zhu Ba, Wang Qi, Du Feng, and Chen Jianghua have all just completed the most successful Olympic Games in the history of men's basketball with the national team. Such a team can be said to have almost no shortcomings, and their

The youth training is also well-known throughout the country. Under such circumstances, many people would never have thought that they would promote a person of Zuo Li's height and weight to the first team, and even entered the 12-man roster in the first game, which shocked them.

A whole year.

What's more, Zuo Li's own height is really exaggerated. At 160 centimeters, he would feel short among ordinary people, let alone in the CBA where there are so many people, especially with Daba, Dazhi, Dayao, Ah

It is basically the consensus of the people across the country that basketball is a sport for tall people. Even sports schools and various youth training camps now use height as the first criterion for selecting players. The taller the better has become the standard, so left

Li's sudden emergence is simply beyond people's understanding.

At that time, some reporters stood up and questioned, thinking that GD's move was a meaningless act of sensationalism, and even thought it was disrespect for other CBA opponents. After all, GD's dominance in the league is very exaggerated, and it will not be because of a certain person.

And what impact will it have.

A certain southern media even stated with certainty: "I bet Zuo Li will not appear on the court for even one minute."

However, reality slapped them in the face. Not only did Zuo Li play, he also performed well!

In the 12 minutes of playing time in the first game, Zuo Li efficiently hit two three-pointers, scored 6 points, sent 4 assists, and completed 2 steals. Although there were some deficiencies in defense, he was able to perform well in his first appearance.

Obtaining such data has exceeded people's expectations for him.

Countless people expressed this emotion after watching this game: "It turns out that you can play professionally at 160 centimeters!"

After the game, what Zuo Li said in an interview ignited his popularity: "I am indeed too short. It is not easy to make a breakthrough in a high-level professional basketball game, but I believe that basketball is not

It’s not just for tall people, but for those with basketball talent.”

This sentence immediately became a hit at the time, and many people fell in love with Zuo Li. Although the voices of doubt remained, more people began to pay attention to this inconspicuous little man, and even caused a stir in Chinese basketball.

In history, the shortest person selected for the national team was Gong Luming, who publicly expressed his appreciation for Zuo Li in a subsequent interview.

"Zuo Li is right. Even if you are short, you have to give yourself a voice. Your true talent will not be buried because of your height. I support him to reach the next level."

More importantly, Zuo Li said so and did so. In the subsequent games of this season, Zuo Li gradually became a stable substitute for the point guard, averaging less than 15 minutes per game.

With data of 5.4 points, 6.5 assists, 1.2 rebounds and 2.7 steals, he even won the steals leader of the season with an average of 2.7 steals per game. He is also the youngest and shortest steal leader in the history of the CBA.

In the first round of the subsequent playoffs, Zuo Li still gained the coach's trust. Although his playing time was reduced to only 10 minutes, Zuo Li became more efficient. In 4 games, he averaged 4 points, 3 assists and 3 steals per game.

In the next round, he got more playing time, and Zuo Li also repaid the head coach's trust with an even better performance.

In the subsequent semi-finals and even the final, Zuo Li performed well and eventually won the CBA championship with the team. He also averaged 16.8 minutes per game in his first playoff trip, leaving 6.5 points, 5.2 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 2.8 rebounds.

Steals data.

After this season, Zuo Li really became famous. Many people called him the Chinese Bogues and praised him as a new role model on the court. But no one knew that this was just the beginning.

In the summer of 2010, Zuo Li trained even more crazily. He was obviously not satisfied with just being a second or even third substitute. His ambitions were far more than just being in the CBA. I came, I saw, I conquered. Zuo Li had a greater ambition in his heart.

ideal.

Sweat, hard work, and diligence are the most useful medals on the court. An offseason of hard work has allowed Zuo Li to further evolve. Although his height is still the same, Zuo Li's various statistics have improved. Although he can see various one-arm dunks during training

It sounds simple, but imagining that a person who is only 160 centimeters tall can complete a dunk in actual combat is exaggerated enough. So, in the 2010 season, Zuo Li ushered in his season!

In the opening game, starting guard Chen Jianghua felt bad, so Zuo Li was entrusted with an important task, and Zuo Li also seized this opportunity.

With 20 points, 10 assists and 6 steals, Zuo Li recorded his first career double-double and set a new single-game steal record with 6 steals.

This is just the beginning. In just 10 games, Zuo Li pushed Chen Jianghua to the bench. In the subsequent games, Zuo Li became more and more brave, averaging 16 points, 8.8 assists and 3.5 steals per game this season. All statistics increased significantly, which was simply astonishing.

It caught everyone's attention, and his role is not only reflected in the data.

Facing opponents who are generally 30 centimeters taller than him, Zuo Li showed that the biggest reason why he is able to stay on the court is his super high level of golf intelligence and textbook-like technical ability!

There has always been a saying on the basketball court that people do not have absolute advantages if their bodies are not strong enough and skills can make up for it. The so-called advantages are the conditions that can be fully utilized. Some people have advantages that are recognized by everyone, but they do not take advantage of them and give full play to them. This is

This advantage cannot actually be called an advantage.

On the contrary, some people have flaws that ordinary people call disadvantages, but if they can face them correctly, practice hard, and give full play to them, they turn into advantages.

Zuo Li undoubtedly took this point to the extreme.

Although he is not tall enough, Zuo Li has made full use of his advantages. It is normal to run tirelessly on the court. Using his sense of rhythm and perfect technique, Zuo Li can often perform consecutive extraordinary performances, and

His precise grasp of the situation on the court makes Zuo Li the brain and commander on the court. GD coach Chun Jiang described Zuo Li as the person with the highest golf intelligence he has ever seen.

"He knows what to do when on the court, he never hesitates to take the ball, and he never hesitates to shoot. He shoots accurately and has perfect skills. There is almost nothing he can't do. He also makes almost no mistakes on the court. Although his defense is limited.

Physically sensitive, but very positive.”

"And he trains really, really, really hard!"

To be able to make Coach Chun Jiang, who is always stingy with his words of praise, say three "very" words in a row, it shows how hard Zuo Li has worked.

Sometimes you don't need to use words, just rely on imagination to know how much effort Zuo Li put in to make up for his lack of height.

Fortunately, the hard work paid off. Zuo Li, who has been firmly in the starting lineup this season, followed the team to defend the championship again. More importantly, in the playoffs, Zuo Li became the team's scoring leader with an average of 19.6 points per game, and even more so in the finals.

He performed a shocking block of shots against the opponent's fourth power forward. In the end, Zuo Li averaged 19.6 points, 10.1 assists and 3 steals per game, surprising everyone and winning the title of Finals Most Valuable Player.

After the finals, Zuo Li was called up by the national team. He also replaced Gong Luming and became the shortest player in the history of the national team.

After two years of debut, he won consecutive championships and the historic title of Finals Most Valuable Player. He was also selected for the national team. His deeds can be called the inspirational history of basketball.

This is not over yet. In the following three years, Zuo Li continued to improve steadily. In these five years, he was one of the most outstanding defenders in the CBA with the least mistakes.

He is also fearless when dribbling the ball for layups. He has made a name for himself in the CBA with his superhuman basketball talent.

With three championships in five years, two Finals MVPs, one regular season MVP, five consecutive seasons of steals, and one local scoring champion, and 67 consecutive double-doubles, Zuo Li has become one of the strongest defenders in the country.

Let him become the starting point guard of the national team and carry the banner in important competitions such as the Asian Games.

In the past, those classmates from the sports school who laughed and fell to the ground when they heard that he was going to enter the professional arena, now often tell people in a boastful way: "I played ball with Zuo Li when I was a child."

Zuo Li's most commonly used self-introduction phrase, "I am Zuo Li, left and right, left and right, standing tall and unshakable," has also become a hit among fans. Zuo Li's popularity has soared, and basketball players

Almost no one is unaware of his existence.

His story even spread to the United States, earning him the title of Asian Boggs. Boggs himself even posted a post on social networks to acknowledge and encourage Zuo Li to go further.

Zuo Li also made the boldest decision in his life!

He wants to hit the NBA!

This is not a wise choice in the eyes of many people, although Zuo Li did show unexpected energy and even won himself the title of "Smart Brain", which sounds much more domineering than Bogues' little bug back then.

, but this does not mean that he can enter the NBA.

CBA and NBA...how to put it, I can only say that everyone understands it. Since the United Arab Emirates left the NBA, no domestic player can gain a foothold there, and since Dayao, no one can reach the height he once did.

,Although Zuo Li performed well in the CBA, the NBA is another dimension.

But Zuo Li still did it. In 2015, Zuo Li left the GD Men's Basketball Team and flew to the United States for a trial training. As he said himself: "It is my eternal dream to reach the top."

But this time, Zuo Li failed to continue his legendary story. He fell in front of the NBA gate...

After flying to the United States, Zuo Li tried out with many teams. With his excellent shooting and passing skills, Zuo Li attracted the attention of many people, but his height became the biggest obstacle. After all, let alone Asia.

There is no precedent for a guard to succeed in the NBA, and his height of only 160 centimeters is enough to dissuade most coaches and scouts.

But on the last day of the training camp, everything turned around. The Knicks, who had been so bad that they didn't want him, still had one spot on the team, and they had Nate Robinson, the current strongest player with 175, as a precedent, so they were willing to give Zuo Li a chance.

So Zuo Li went to the Knicks. After three days of trial training, the Knicks coaching staff believed that Zuo Li had considerable potential. After all, people with such a golf intelligence are really rare, at least compared to those who only know how to hold the ball.

Nate is too strong, the only problem is that Zuo Li is really too short, which makes him almost useless on the defensive end, but Zuo Li's defensive attitude is still worthy of recognition.

After a few days of discussion, the Knicks had almost decided to give Zuo Li a short-term contract to give Zuo Li a try. However, at this moment, in an ordinary training match, after Zuo Li completed a wonderful defense, he suddenly held his hand in pain.

Covered my ankle...

"OH, SHIT!" This was Zuo Lizai's last feeling before he lost consciousness due to pain.

it's all over…

"The talented inspirational player ruptured his left Achilles tendon and is out indefinitely."

The news the next day explained everything. As a result, Zuo Li had no chance to enter the NBA. Not only that, Zuo Li underwent surgery after the injury, but the effect was mediocre. Years of tireless training and competition overdrafted Zuo Li's Achilles tendon. One year after the operation, Zuo Li

, Zuo Li is still lame when walking, let alone running and jumping, and this kind of injury is fatal to anyone with talent. He can make great gods like Grant Hill and Kobe fall off the altar, not to mention Zuo Li.

Already.

This almost spelled the end of Zuo Li's career.

Sure enough, in 2016, Zuo Li announced his retirement, and there has been no news since, leaving only countless sighs and sighs from countless people.

Zuo Li was like a brilliant shooting star that quickly fell when it was shining with the hottest light.

When talent is limited, Zuo Li deeply realized this at this moment.

And no one knows that this once brightest shooting star is currently in this small store in Chinatown, New York...

"Cough cough cough~!"

The memories evoked by the conversation instantly filled his brain, and Zuo Li took another sip of the white wine in front of him.

Yes, after retiring, Zuo Li was depressed for a while, but he quickly adjusted. He chose to stay in New York, and spent one year to obtain the coaching qualification. This year, he became the most famous high school coach in New York, Stevenson.

The assistant coach of the high school basketball team is also the first Chinese assistant coach in the local area. Although compared with its educational level, the basketball team of Stevenson High School is simply not worth mentioning.

The reason why he chose not to return to China but to stay in New York to become an assistant coach is also very simple. Zuo Li himself had an unscientific selection and training method that affected his career, so he was well aware of the shortcomings of domestic grassroots training, and he wanted to use his own method

Change all this and prevent more young talents from being eliminated during selection and grassroots training.

This season, Stevenson High School was finally proud and proud, reaching the New York State semifinals and achieving its best results, so Zuo Li chose to come to this school that he visited most in New York all year on such a snowy night.

's small shop.

He just didn't expect that the words of the two drinkers would bring back those memories.

"Huh~!" After another bottle of white wine, Zuo Li couldn't remember how much he had drunk. He rubbed his dazed head. Once upon a time, he thought he had given up, but once his memories were recalled, he knew

, he was still unwilling to do so.

"Obviously...it's obviously right in front of you..."

Along with the murmur, Zuo Li lay on the table and slowly closed his eyes...

The camera zoomed out, and you could only hear the boss's shouting and the sound of the glass bottle breaking. At this moment, a blue light flashed outside the window, disappearing between Zuo Li's eyebrows...

This is an opportunity to make up for past regrets!