Zhao Rui is really getting carried away! Not only did he collide with the referee on the court, but he also angrily confronted netizens after the game. His post-match comments directly targeted regional discrimination, which deeply hurt Liu Wei, who is from Shanghai. What's going on here? Is Zhao Rui dissatisfied with the head coach's decision to have him come off the bench?
In a CBA regular season match between Xinjiang and Shandong, held at Xinjiang's home court, the game started intensely with both sides exchanging leads. Ultimately, Xinjiang lost 107:110 to Shandong, suffering their first home defeat of the season. The team's loss was largely due to Zhao Rui, who was ejected after playing for less than 7 minutes. As Xinjiang's main guard, Zhao Rui's absence significantly weakened the team, yet his ejection was justified.
With about 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Zhao Rui made a fast-break layup, scoring steadily under Dehao's defense. At that moment, Zhao Rui felt he had been fouled, but the corner referee, due to the angle, did not call a foul (this call could have gone either way). Zhao Rui became furious, pointing at the referee and complaining while throwing his hands around. The referee didn't let it slide and called a technical foul on him, which further ignited Zhao Rui's anger. He rushed over and physically collided with the referee, pushing them back more than two meters. Colliding with the referee is strictly prohibited in the CBA, NBA, and all basketball leagues, so the referee had no hesitation in ejecting him.
Zhao Rui is really too impulsive and out of control. It was still the first quarter, and he directly collided with the referee over a single play, indicating that he couldn't control his emotions. If he thought the refereeing was problematic, he could have discussed it; colliding with the referee should never be an option. Netizens have commented on Zhao Rui's impulsive behavior, mostly saying that he's too carried away and shouldn't act like this. A netizen directly commented in the TikTok comment section: "Zhao Rui, why are you arguing with the referee?" A netizen with an IP address showing Shanghai replied: "He just doesn't want to play." Upon seeing this reply, Zhao Rui actually responded, writing: "Shanghainese, don't want to play XX."
Honestly, Zhao Rui's response is too irrational. Isn't this leading the charge in regional discrimination? Moreover, his head coach, Liu Wei, is from Shanghai. With Zhao Rui acting this way, is he dissatisfied with Coach Liu Wei's decision to have him come off the bench? If Liu Wei sees this, it will undoubtedly break his heart. After all, no one wants their hometown to be maligned, especially by their own player.
Zhao Rui is really getting carried away, and since joining Xinjiang, his performance has been far from what it was during his time in Guangdong. This season, Zhao Rui has been inconsistent, only playing 14 games with an average of 23.3 minutes per game, scoring 9.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, with a shooting percentage of only 40% and a three-point percentage of 36.5%. Xinjiang fans hope that Zhao Rui can help Xinjiang and even lead them to victory, but with his current attitude and form, it's truly worrying.