The first China player to sign with the NBA-Song Tao.
Song Tao was born in 1965, with a height of 2m 08. He is the first China player to be selected in the NBA draft. He was selected by the Hawks in the 67th pick in the third round of the NBA draft of 1987 (the draft at that time was different from the current draft). Originally, he had the hope of galloping in the NBA, but unfortunately, he broke his ligament in a national team training and ended his sports career prematurely. You may not know much about Song Tao. His awareness and physical fitness on the court are quite good! I remember an official in track and field commented on Song Tao's jump, saying that if he practiced high jump, he would surpass Zhu Jianhua (who had broken the world record in high jump).
occupation
1984 After the Olympic Games, a handsome young Shandong guy was selected for the national men's basketball team. He is thin, tall and full of energy. When he flies in mid-air, you can even see his soles; He can jump into the air and think about his next move. This player is Song Tao.
Song Tao is 2.08 meters tall. At the age of 20, he competed with China in the Spanish World Men's Basketball Championship. In the key match with Puerto Rico before entering 12, Song dunked seven times, blocked three times, made nine rebounds and scored 28 points, which helped the China men's basketball team to advance smoothly, and finally ranked ninth among 24 teams, creating the best result in history at that time.
It was at the 1986 World Championships that the Atlanta Hawks took a fancy to Song Tao, and in the second year's NBA draft, Song Tao was selected at the 67th place in the third round. The Hawks sent the contract and jerseys to the State Sports Commission, and Song Tao also signed the contract. However, no one expected that Song Tao suffered a comminuted knee fracture less than two months after he signed an NBA contract.
It was the day before Song Tao, 2 1 year-old, went to Zagreb to attend the World University Games, and the China team trained in groups. Song Tao played happily and received a pass from his teammates. He just stopped to jump shot. According to reason, the center should not be in such a hurry to shoot on the outside. If the ball doesn't score, the opponent will immediately rebound and launch a fast break. Some teammates complained about Song Tao, and Song Tao wanted to make up for it, so he tried his best to chase after it. Just as the opponent was making a layup, Song Tao got up from the ground and a big hat fanned the ball onto the backboard. But in mid-air, he ran into Sun and lost his balance. Stick your right leg and knee directly on the ground when you land. Song Tao's knee broke into a dozen petals, and the bone went in, which became a pit. After being treated in the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University for a long time, the eagle took him to the United States for treatment, and his injury was slowly improving. However, something unexpected happened. One night after returning home, he slipped in the bathroom and his old injury recurred. The accident completely declared the end of his career.
1988 Song Tao was unable to participate in the Seoul Olympic Games due to injury, but Qian Chenghai took him to Seoul. Because of his tall and handsome appearance, he became the flag bearer of the China sports delegation at the opening ceremony of the Seoul Olympic Games. Song Tao was very happy. He once told Sun Zhengping the two happiest and proudest things in his life. One was selected by the NBA team, and the other was able to raise the five-star red flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Later, he went to the sea to do business and put two things on his desk. One is a contract with Atlanta Hawks, and the other is a photo of him holding a five-star red flag in Seoul.