Before the 218-19 season, CBA changed to a new MVP trophy, from the "fruit bowl" which was laughed at by fans before to a statue of a basketball player's jump shot. The prototype of this statue is Liu Yudong, the God of War.
Liu Yudong, a tough guy who once lost to Yao Ming in China basketball, deserves to be known by every China basketball fan, and his spirit deserves to be learned by every young player.
In those days, Sun Jun was the Tiger King, Gong Xiaobin was the carefree king, Wu Qinglong was the No.1 quarterback in Asia, Hu Weidong was the China Jordan, Wu Naiqun was the flying man in China, Dan Tao was the postman in China, but Liu Yudong was the only God of War in CBA.
Liu Yudong was born in Putian, Fujian in 197. As a child, he didn't seem to have anything to do with basketball. Liu Yudong's father is the dispatcher of Longyan Mining Bureau and his mother is a farmer. Both of them are very ordinary in height. Liu Yudong, however, developed rapidly, reaching 1.85 meters at the age of 15.
Liu Yudong didn't receive physical education when he was a child, so even though he has become a monument of CBA, he can't say that he likes basketball very much, but only takes basketball as a career path of his own choice.
Later, Liu Yudong was selected for the Bayi Basketball Team, and his legendary story really began. At first, as the center of Bayi Team, Liu Yudong was only 1.98 meters tall, but his physical quality and technical ability made him stand firmly in Bayi Team.
Liu Yudong and Adiljan are the two most famous players in Bayi team. At that time, Liu Yudong was still a fierce insider. Although his middle-range shooting was accurate, he didn't shoot much. Even if there is a chance to open a three-pointer, he needs to aim for two seconds before he can shoot, not the sharpshooter who picks up the ball and throws it later.
After the establishment of CBA, Bayi Team had Wang Zhizhi, a "teenager chasing the wind", and Liu Yudong became a "bodyguard with a knife" around Da Shu. In order to make room for Wang Zhizhi, Liu Yudong's shooting range became farther and farther. He doesn't have much power to shoot, but he can always cut 2 points in a low-key and efficient way, without showing mountains and not showing dew.
as for the national team, Liu Yudong was selected for the China men's basketball team in 1992. In the 1994 Men's Basketball World Championships, Liu Yudong made 7 of 12 shots and scored the highest 16 points. Against Spain and Brazil, he scored 12 points and 1 points respectively, and against Brazil, he also won the team's highest eight rebounds.
in eight games, Liu Yudong averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists, ranking third, second and third in China. This made him famous overseas, and the domineering nickname "God of War" was also talked about by fans at this time.
In the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, facing the "Dream Team 3" of the United States, Liu Yudong did not fall behind Olajuwon, Malone and Pippen, and scored the team's highest 18 points again. After seven games, "God of War" averaged 17.4 minutes and got 8.6 points, 4 rebounds and 1.1 assists, ranking third, second and fourth in the team respectively. In both competitions, China team entered the top eight.
as the absolute core, Liu Yudong once led the Bayi men's basketball team to win the CBA championship for six times in a row, and he is an indispensable member of the Bayi men's basketball team.
Although "God of War" has a tough appearance and tough style, he is a very easy-going person in life, which also makes him have a good popularity in the basketball circle. Liu Yudong usually likes leisure activities such as drinking tea, but when he comes to the basketball court, he is alive and kicking for the ball.
Liu Yudong had an excellent performance in the CBA Finals in 21-2 season, and his performance even suppressed Yao Ming, the "little giant". Although Bayi Team failed to win the championship, Liu Yudong was named MVP in the Finals, becoming the only player in CBA who won three awards: regular season MVP, Finals MVP and "scoring champion" in a single season.
He also attracted the attention of NBA scouts on the sidelines. In fact, these scouts came to see Yao Ming, but unexpectedly found Liu Yudong. After the game, the scouts asked Yao Ming "How old is this young man?" Yao Ming smiled and replied "This is not a young man, but an old man. He is 32 years old."
Despite the attention of NBA scouts, Liu Yudong's knee injury and age can no longer support him to play abroad. But there is no doubt that Liu Yudong is still the absolute "king" in the domestic arena.
In 23, due to injury, Liu Yudong chose to retire. Four years later, he came back again, joined the Fujian team in his hometown, and led the team to become a dark horse in CBA. In 25, Liu Yudong was elected as "the best player in CBA for ten years" and wore the unique five-carat "Tianzi No.1" and the supreme "God of War Ring".
In 21, the 39-year-old "God of War" became the first scoring champion in CBA history. After the end of the season, Dadong retired again. This time, he really couldn't move. Liu Yudong took the post of coach, served as assistant coach of Bayi women's basketball team and Bayi men's basketball team, and now she is the leader of Bayi men's basketball team.
It's been 3 years, and the years have honed the heart of this tough guy in southern Fujian. What remains unchanged is his loyalty to Bayi. Liu Yudong has devoted almost everything to the Bayi men's basketball team. I hope this former "God of War" can be happier in the future.