No one can be left behind! When the Chinese team debuted in the Asian Cup final, they should not be forgotten if they failed to participate

In the early morning of August 18, the 2025 FIBA Asian Cup came to an end. The Chinese team lost to Australia 89-90, and the beautiful journey came to an end. From participating in the qualifiers in February last year to the peak showdown tonight, the Chinese team's Asian Cup journey has gone through two coaches, spanning 18 months. Now, another tournament is coming to an end, and the tomorrow of Chinese basketball is full of hope. And at this moment, they who have contributed to the preparations for the Chinese team in the Asian Cup but have failed to accompany the team to the end should not be forgotten.

In February last year, the Chinese team started the Asian Cup qualifiers in Xi'an, defeating the Mongolian team with a big score in the first game. This game was Yang Hansen's first appearance in the national team, and Wang Ruize, Cui Yongxi, Abdusalam, Xu Jie and others also got the opportunity to play. After winning a good start, the Chinese team lost to the Japanese team three points away, and suffered a huge loss. This game almost directly led to the dismissal of Joeljevic, and Guo Shiqiang also took office soon. The qualifiers in the Asian Cup rekindled in November, fighting against Guam, Zeng Fanbo contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds, showing his full physical talent, and is also considered to have a place in the national team. Unfortunately, due to severe injuries in the CBA playoffs, he ultimately failed to catch the last train of the Asian Cup. Zhang Ning from Shanxi team, Fu Hao and Wang Lanyu from Liaoning team also played in this game. After that, Wang Lanyu and Zhang Ning also played in the away game against Mongolia.

In February this year, when the Asian Cup qualifiers ushered in the third window, the Chinese team defeated the Japanese team 42 points at home, locking in the promotion place. Xu Jie scored 13 points in this game, while Zhou Qi contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds. In the final game, the Chinese team defeated Guam again away, and Yang Hansen, who contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds, performed particularly well.

From the end of Joeljevic's coaching to the early stage of Guo Shiqiang's return, the Chinese team's Asian Cup qualifiers journey has experienced the joining and leaving of many players. This summer, many players also received the opportunity to appear in the warm-up match and made considerable contributions during the preparation period. Xu Jie and Zhang Ning even went to Saudi Arabia with the team and participated in the makeup photo shooting before they were excluded from the list. Although they were unable to participate in the competition, their contributions cannot be ignored.

The Chinese men's basketball team has always been a group, and every player in the team will devote all their energy to training and competitions. With the end of this Asian Cup, the Chinese team will enter a new preparation cycle. The story of this team continues, and every player’s efforts during preparation should not be forgotten.