Recently, it has been reported that Gong Xiaobin, former head coach of the Shandong men's basketball team and a renowned figure in Chinese men's basketball, has come out of retirement to lead a team in the National Games. Coach Gong's return to coaching and his leadership in the upcoming competition have sparked discussions and attention from fans and media alike.
We all know that Coach Gong is from Shandong. Born in 1969, both his parents were famous basketball figures in Shandong. However, Gong initially chose football. It wasn't until 1984 that he officially entered the world of basketball. In 1986, Gong joined the Shandong Youth Men's Basketball Team, and by 1989, he had made it into the national team. Throughout his national team career, Gong participated in seven Asian Championships, four Asian Games, three World Championships, and two Olympics. He won six Asian Championship titles (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001), three Asian Games titles (1990, 1994, 1998), and finished eighth at the Olympics once (1996). During his eight seasons with the Shandong men's basketball team, Gong was awarded MVP once and scoring champion once, and he was selected for the All-Star Game seven times. Gong officially retired in 2003.
After retiring, Gong quickly transitioned into the role of a coach. From being player Gong, he became Coach Gong. He coached the Shandong men's basketball team on three separate occasions, achieving his best result in the 2012-13 season when he led the Shandong Gold men's basketball team to second place in the regular season and runner-up in the playoffs. They lost to the Guangdong men's basketball team, narrowly missing out on the championship title. Coach Gong stepped down as head coach of the Shandong men's basketball team at the end of the 2021 season.
In recent years, due to the Shandong men's basketball team's less-than-stellar performance, many fans have been calling online for Coach Gong to return to coaching the team, with very high demand. However, Coach Gong did not take up the offer. Now, Coach Gong has finally come out of retirement! He will serve as the head coach of the Shandong U22 men's basketball team, leading them to compete in the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao National Games, aiming directly for the championship.
When it comes to the development of young players, Coach Gong has a proven approach! He passes on his famous "Xiaoyao Step" to his disciples. For example, Zhang Ziyu from the women's basketball team has already received the true teachings of Coach Gong and won the MVP at the Asian Cup. Among this batch of Shandong U22 men's basketball players, there are quite a few talented individuals. Players like Zhang Boyuan, who joined Shanxi men's basketball, and Chen Jiazheng, who joined Guangdong men's basketball, reached the finals in last year's Three-Ball Games. Unfortunately, they lost to the Guangdong team in the final and had to settle for second place. Of course, the head coach of the Shandong team at that time was not Coach Gong. Can Coach Gong lead his team to overcome many opponents and ultimately win the championship at the National Games? We'll have to wait and see!