Last night's fierce battle between Xinjiang and Shandong was filled with intense rivalry. Ultimately, the visiting Shandong team emerged victorious, securing their fifth consecutive win. After the match, Shandong's head coach, Qiubiao, appeared visibly delighted and even expressed his willingness to pay the fines on behalf of the players.
The match was indeed packed with talking points and highlights. A total of 62 fouls were committed by both teams, resulting in 60 free throws. There were three technical fouls and two flagrant fouls, with three players being ejected from the game. Chris accumulated seven technical fouls and was fined 10,000 yuan. In the locker room, Qiubiao jokingly offered to cover the fine but warned that there would be no repeat offenses, drawing laughter from everyone present. It was clear that winning was the top priority, and even paying fines on behalf of the players brought joy to Qiubiao's heart.
However, Shandong's victory seemed to be a gift from Xinjiang. To put it bluntly, Zhao Rui squandered the win. With five minutes remaining in the first quarter, during a fast break layup, he was slightly touched by a defender, but the referee did not award a 2+1. Zhao Rui complained to the referee and received a technical foul. His agitation escalated, leading him to charge at the referee, resulting in an immediate disqualification and ejection from the game. Had it not been for this impulsive act, Zhao Rui might have helped his team secure the victory. Post-game, he faced additional penalties and suspension, truly a significant loss.
After the game, Liu Wei criticized Zhao Rui, stating that there was nothing to say about his ejection, as it was only natural. However, Zhao Rui seemingly failed to recognize his own mistakes and even lashed out at netizens online. Some netizens commented on Zhao Rui's impulsive behavior, saying he had become too arrogant and should not act like this. One netizen commented on TikTok, "Zhao Rui, why do you have to confront the referee?" A netizen with an IP address from Shanghai replied, "Purely doesn't want to play." Upon seeing this comment, Zhao Rui responded, writing, "Shanghai guy, don't want to play XX." Not only was Zhao Rui impulsive on the court, but he also unleashed his anger on social media, showing no recognition of his improper actions.
Fans say that Zhao Rui has become too arrogant, and they are not mistaken. Over the years with the Guangdong team, instead of focusing on playing well, he began to see himself as a big shot upon achieving some success. He complained to referees and even berated his teammates, becoming a troublemaker, which ultimately led to his departure from the Guangdong team. Upon joining the Xinjiang team, he still considered himself a star player, openly criticizing his teammate Peterson and others. This culminated in him confronting the referee, becoming the first instance in CBA history, as no other player had dared to do so before Zhao Rui. On the court, he was incessantly talkative, culminating in a collision with the referee, truly behaving as if he were a major star. Fans remarked that Zhao Rui used to be a likable player, but how did he become so detestable? What are your thoughts on Zhao Rui?
