Gong Xiaobin

Author: Yin Bo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-12-01
Features: Before becoming the Director of the Shandong Provincial Sports Commission (now called the Director of the Provincial Sports Bureau), I had a great passion for basketball, but I didn’t know Gong Xiaobin at that time. At the end of 1997, the higher authorities talked to me about joining the Sports Commission. Right after the conversation, there was a CBA league game between Shandong and Guangdong Hongyuan in Jinan, so I bought a high-priced ticket with my own money and sat in the stands, watching the game like a fan. It can be said that from that day forward, I started to get to know Xiaobin and learned that he was the mainstay and core of Shandong. That day, my wife also watched the live TV broadcast of the game at home. When I came home, she told me, "Gong Xiaobin from Shandong is not only good-looking but also an excellent player." After I took office, due to work-related reasons, I had the opportunity to have deeper exchanges with Xiaobin and the players of Shandong. Not only at home, but I also often went to away games to supervise the team and gradually got to know Xiaobin. Over several seasons, I and Shandong, as well as Xiaobin personally, established a deep friendship, and my understanding and appreciation for Xiaobin also deepened.
First, it is Xiaobin’s passion for the basketball career. Xiaobin has a strong sense of responsibility toward his career. No matter what obstacles or difficulties he encounters, such as disagreements with the coach or misunderstandings from others, he faces great pressure and many grievances, but he always plays diligently and conscientiously, putting the team’s interests above his own. It is not easy to achieve this. With Xiaobin’s initiative and enthusiasm on the court, Shandong as a whole can rise and overcome strong opponents. The reason Shandong has become a formidable force in Chinese basketball is that Xiaobin’s core role is irreplaceable. From this perspective, he is the backbone of Shandong. This is my impression of Xiaobin.
My second impression of Xiaobin is his pursuit of excellence in technique. Through continuous communication with him and observing his performance in tense league games, I have a thorough understanding of this characteristic. In terms of basketball skills, he not only has high self-demand but also sets the same high standard for his teammates and the team, especially for young players, as he always feels responsible for helping them improve faster. The reason he became the core of Shandong and later of the national team, and was known as the "best two-center in Asia," lies in his pursuit of excellence in technique and his serious attitude both on and off the court.
My third impression is that Xiaobin has a strong sense of responsibility and honor for the basketball career, whether as an athlete or a coach. After becoming a coach, I have watched his training sessions many times and learned that he often stays up late watching game videos and writing training plans. In handling relationships with veteran players and setting requirements for young players, he has gained unanimous recognition. It can be said that the decision by the Provincial Sports Bureau to appoint Xiaobin as the head coach of Shandong was the right one.
Recently concluded National Men’s Basketball Club League, was the first national competition that Xiaobin led as head coach. The newly formed Shandong achieved the group and fourth place in the nation, indicating that Xiaobin’s leadership has already shown initial results.
My fourth impression is the young man’s dedication to the basketball career. Although he has already reached a high level, he is still not satisfied with the current situation and constantly absorbs advanced techniques and experiences from coaches, foreign players, and veteran players. Every time he returns to Shandong after representing the national team in competitions, I have a conversation with him, and he shares his insights, repeatedly emphasizing that Shandong needs to align with international advanced levels and learn from the world’s advanced techniques, tactics, and management experiences in basketball.
My fifth impression is his ability to adapt to role transitions. From "player Gong Xiaobin" to "coach Gong Xiaobin," I found that he adapted very quickly and completed the role transition from player to coach, which should have been very difficult. Today’s Gong Xiaobin is completely different from yesterday’s. After becoming a coach, he handled relationships with veteran players, new players, the club, referees, and fans on all sides very well. As an athlete, he integrated himself into the team as a collective; as a coach, he integrated himself into a larger collective. To be honest, Xiaobin’s current performance is almost like a completely different person. Once, I jokingly told him, "You’ve grown up." Xiaobin left a deep impression on me with his correct attitude toward honor and the collective. When Shandong was at its lowest point, he bravely took on the heavy responsibility of being the head coach. Shandong was in a dilemma of having neither experienced players nor emerging talents. The veteran coach Ye Peng had retired, and the veteran players, such as Da Ji, were no longer as sharp as before in terms of condition and individual skills. The original main players were either injured or retired. When Xiaobin retired at the age of 34, he was still an irreplaceable core for the team. No one could take his place after his retirement. The second-tier players were not yet ready to step in.
After Xiaobin retired, I, along with Director Xu Changtai and General Manager Xu Zhongdong of the Jinxi Club, had a conversation with him. I said, "Now you have three options: first, go to university and study abroad in the United States; second, become the head coach and lead Shandong to continue competing; third, work in management." I explained that, in terms of ease, going to university was the easiest choice and would be beneficial for his future. Working in administrative management was relatively easy as well, and the organization could arrange for him to work in the Provincial Basketball Management Center with less pressure. Among these three options, the hardest and what Shandong basketball needed the most was for him to become the head coach of Shandong. The current situation of the team and the fierce professional league made this the most challenging path.
Xiaobin then chose the difficult path, expressing his gratitude for the organization’s trust. He promised not to let down the organization’s heavy responsibility or the support of the fans, and he would strive to achieve good results for the team in its most difficult times. Xiaobin’s statement moved me deeply. To dare to bear the immense pressure of Shandong on his shoulders at this time was the best proof of his courage and sense of responsibility.
Shandong could have hired a foreign coach, but for one, it would have been expensive, and second, the foreign coach was not familiar with Shandong. After discussing with Secretary and Chairman Zhang Wanching of Shandong Jinxi Gold Group, we decided to train our own local coach, and Xiaobin was our primary target. After taking over the team, he quickly eliminated everyone’s concerns through a period of adjustment, training, and games. Initially, there were doubts about whether a recently retired player could lead the team and gain respect. However, the facts quickly dispelled such doubts as he swiftly completed the role transition and earned the respect of both veteran and young players as the head coach. Even more valuable was that despite the great pressure, Xiaobin did not only focus on the team’s immediate interests but also had long-term plans for Shandong’s development. Amidst the praise, I advised Xiaobin to keep a clear mind and especially to strengthen his political theory studies. Only with theoretical maturity and political steadfastness could he achieve excellence in his professional work.
After Xiaobin became a coach, I communicated with him many times. I told him that the basketball career is closely linked to the Party’s "Three Represents" theory. What represents advanced productive forces in basketball? If you lead your team to become a formidable force in the highest-level CBA league, if your team’s tactical and technical level leads the nation and keeps up with global trends, and if you win the CBA league championship, you represent the advanced productive forces of the basketball career you are involved in. What is "the fundamental interests of the people"? If your team wins a game, you know how happy the Shandong people will be for days. If you lose a game, the Shandong people will be unhappy for days. As an athlete, you brought honor to the country in the national team. As a coach, if you can lead the national team to raise the five-star red flag for the motherland in world competitions, how happy would the entire nation be! The "Three Represents" on the sports front must be upheld. For Xiaobin, it is essential to strengthen theoretical and current affairs studies. Only by elevating his ideological level and correcting his values can his basketball career reach a new height.
Xiaobin now pays close attention to studying the "Three Represents" theory, and I regularly test him. Once, when he came to report on his business to me, I asked, "Xiaobin, what are the contents of the 'Three Represents' theory, and how do you understand it?" He could recite the contents of the "Three Represents" theory in front of me and had a general understanding of its meaning, which I was quite satisfied with.
I sincerely wish Xiaobin and Shandong to keep improving and reach even greater heights. I also hope that Xiaobin’s personal progress will lead to further improvements in Shandong’s level. I have two wishes for Xiaobin and Shandong: first, to see Shandong players selected for the Chinese national team to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics; second, to see Shandong win the CBA league championship. I believe this is not only my personal wish but also the expectation of countless fans.
If there is any shortcoming in Xiaobin, it is that when he was a player, he was the mainstay and core, but only Ye Peng could handle him well, and others couldn’t. This should be the result of the team’s lack of effective ideological work and management. Xiaobin’s self-demand was not as strict as it is now. However, this is also a good thing. He has turned his past shortcomings into insights for managing the team. I once heard that during a team’s away game, to ensure no one went out at night, he stayed in the hotel lobby until after 2 a.m. This shows that Xiaobin has matured. In old terms, he has "grown up." I believe he has grown up in theory, politics, and business.
The book about Xiaobin, written by Yin Bo, is an excellent choice. As a renowned sports reporter who has long followed Shandong sports and Shandong, Yin Bo’s understanding of Shandong basketball and Xiaobin personally, as well as his own writing skills, prove that he is the most suitable person for this task. I hope this book will inspire Xiaobin and Shandong to strive for even better results through hard work and unity. I also hope Shandong will receive more support from fans and society.
Although many people in the world do not believe in God, if one’s fate is truly decided by God, we have reason to believe that God is fair. It always gives beauty and greatness to some, while giving talent and resilience to others, so that everyone has something to be proud of and something irreparable to regret. However, God also has moments of distraction. Those lucky ones who are both beautiful and talented, as well as those unlucky ones who lack both, are likely the result of God’s momentary distraction at the moment of their birth. Undoubtedly, Gong Xiaobin, belonging to the former category, may be one of God’s favorites.
Around a dazzling male star player, countless beautiful girls gather; and a handsome, elegant, and distinguished man will also attract many outstanding girls. So, when a man possesses both extraordinary looks and an exceptional star status, how many stories involving women will happen in his life is easy to imagine. — Those who know and follow Gong Xiaobin but do not truly understand him may easily speculate about his character, personality, and temperament from this perspective. Especially when it comes to Gong Xiaobin’s relationships with Li Xin, his ex-girlfriend, and his wife Wang Xiaofang, such romantic legends have greatly indulged the special imagination Chinese people usually have about relationships between men and women.
Indeed, the most important women in Gong Xiaobin’s life—his mother Gao Qinfang, his former girlfriend Li Xin, and his wife Wang Xiaofang—have played or will play an irreplaceable role in his past, present, and future. But for Gong Xiaobin, the most important men in his life are far more than the women. What connects all these men, women, and himself is that round ball. Therefore, I titled this book about Gong Xiaobin: Gong Xiaobin—A Story About Men, Women, and Basketball.
In October 1994, I went to Hiroshima, Japan, to cover the 12th Asian Games, where I first got close to Gong Xiaobin and his coach and teammates. At that time, Gong Xiaobin had just returned to the national team after a controversy caused by his relationship with Li Xin, forcing him to leave. Although he had enough talent to be a starter, he was often seated on the bench. However, whether he played as a starter or sat on the bench, or even did not play at all, after every game, the Japanese fans, especially the girls who were passionate about celebrities, mostly gathered around him, asking for autographs and photos.
After the 2003 CBA league season ended, 34-year-old Gong Xiaobin was not selected for the new national men’s basketball team. Later, Gong Xiaobin announced his retirement and took the position of head coach of Shandong Jinxi. His history with the national team had clearly come to an end. It was said that a Japanese website reported this news, stating that China’s national basketball team had entered its "Gong Xiaobin era." In the past, present, and future, China has never lacked players as talented as or better than Gong Xiaobin, but in the future, they will not have another man who combines the roles of a talented player and an idol-like superstar as perfectly as Gong Xiaobin did.
Of course, Gong Xiaobin’s life also has shortcomings. If Gong Xiaobin had been born 10 years later and had been in the same era as Yao Ming, with his conditions, abilities, and special appeal to the basketball market, it is likely that Gong Xiaobin would no longer be the same person. His name might also be on the list of Asian players who played in the NBA.
Now, we begin to tell the story of Gong Xiaobin. Considering the attention Gong Xiaobin has received for his performances with Shandong and the national team over the years, as well as the extensive media coverage, this book about Gong Xiaobin has been designed to include more precious photos of his life and growth, so the text has been compressed as much as possible. Therefore, I have kept the content related to his training and games brief, using the limited space to describe and introduce things that readers and fans are interested in but not familiar with. To make up for any potential shortcomings, an appendix is included at the end of the main text, containing historical materials such as "Gong Xiaobin’s Profile," "Gong Xiaobin’s Path to Stardom," and "Shandong’s CBA Journey." Readers who wish to know more about Gong Xiaobin can refer to it at any time.
Although stories about men, especially women, are more important and appealing to readers interested in this book, to fully understand Gong Xiaobin’s background, it is still necessary to start with the ball that connects his stories with men and women—please note that this ball, of course, refers to basketball, but stories about basketball can only begin with football.