CBA Spring Festival Gala! Morand finds it hard to sleep after returning to Liaoning, Xiao Long vows to give his all, Ji Wei scores with his signature move
The CBA has witnessed the 100th showdown between Liaoning and Guangdong, with each encounter sparking intense competition. The New Year's Eve battle between the two teams is often referred to as the "CBA Spring Festival Gala," and the pre-game training sessions are always highly anticipated. The most notable aspect of this particular match was the return of Morand to the Liaoning Gymnasium, which filled him with immense excitement.
Morand played for Liaoning for three seasons, helping the team win the championship. His contributions were significant, and upon reuniting with old friends, he was particularly delighted, greeting and embracing players, coaches, and translators one by one. The memories of his time with the team are vivid, making it almost impossible for him to fall asleep when reflecting on them.
After completing the training session, Morand posted that he had been struggling to sleep since the game against Jilin, carrying a lot of emotions back to Shenyang. He expressed gratitude to the fans who would be attending the game, saying "see you later, love you all, let's go!"
It is evident that Morand holds deep affection for Liaoning Men's Basketball, especially during his embrace with Han Dejun, which he held onto for a long time. As former teammates in the frontcourt, their interactions were numerous, and their reunion was filled with mutual respect and admiration.
Liaoning's core foreign player, Wells, also reunited with his old friend Huang Rongqi, with whom he previously played for Suzhou KenDyA. Wells was thrilled after scoring 50 points in the previous game and happily sang the song "Liaoning... Liaoning..." demonstrating his loyalty to Liaoning. For the upcoming battle against Guangdong, he pledged to give his all and bring the same momentum from the last game against Xinjiang.
Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin were practicing shooting on the side. Zhao Jiwei scored with his signature move, kicking the basketball into the hoop, while Jin Jin attempted the action, acknowledging how difficult it was and stating that only a select few could achieve such finesse with their feet, earning him the nickname "Hunnan Neymar."
Both teams faced lineup challenges, with Liaoning's Zhao Jiwei and Zhang Zhenlin injured and their big foreign player Tu Lei not performing well, leaving them with only two foreign players. On the other hand, Guangdong had four foreign players available despite Hu Mingxuan's shoulder dislocation. On paper, Guangdong seemed to have a slight advantage, but Liaoning, playing at home, feared no opponent. Their recent victory over Xinjiang was a testament to the team's strong fighting spirit, especially with Xiao Long vowing to go all out.