Injuries and pressure drive people to grow——Interview with Liaoning team player Zhang Zhenlin

Injuries and pressure drive people to grow——Interview with Liaoning team player Zhang Zhenlin

2023-05-19 09:46:30.0 Source: Xinhuanet
Authors: Wu Bowen, Cao Yibo, Pan Yulong

On the 15th, after helping the team win the 2022-2023 Chinese Men’s Basketball Professional League (CBA) championship, Liaoning team player Zhang Zhenlin said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency that the confidence on the court comes from daily hard training, and the injuries experienced Illness and stress prompted him to grow faster.

When talking about the feeling of winning his second CBA championship, Zhang Zhenlin said frankly that he was mentally tense for too long a while ago. “After being tense for a long time, I suddenly let go, and the whole person is like ‘broken’. The atmosphere on the court is very good, and the adrenaline is still relatively high now.”

Zhang Zhenlin suffered an injury in the first stage of the regular season this season and failed to play. Since then, his competitive state has also experienced ups and downs. However, he played well in the first game of the finals through active adjustments, becoming the first in the history of the CBA finals to win the “three Double” local players.

Zhang Zhenlin believes that his adjustment ability and growth are not accomplished in an instant, but are due to a whole season of tempering.

“This season is the most difficult season for me. I experienced injuries at the beginning, I was unwell, and then I was injured again, the team was short of personnel, and a series of (factors) superimposed. The pressure on me personally and the entire team Big.” Zhang Zhenlin said.

Zhang Zhenlin also has his own views on his injuries and the pressure on him. “Without these injuries and pressures, I would not grow so fast. Not only in terms of mentality, but also in honing my ability, as well as the level of tacit understanding and trust with the team.”

Zhang Zhenlin said that he hopes to take more responsibility on the court. There may be some ups and downs in the first few games of the playoffs, but he slowly adjusted back.

“The team, coaches, and family members have been encouraging me, telling me not to put too much pressure on me. It’s just a game, and I believe in my ability. Later, I gradually got better. We survived the most difficult time and moved forward. to the finals.”

This season, Zhang Zhenlin’s performance on and off the field has become more comprehensive and mature. Regarding his role in the team’s tactical system, he said: “Everyone in this team is strong. We don’t need individual heroism. Every day I play a different role. This is a must for a successful team.” Indispensable.”

In the semi-finals, the Liaoning team once fell behind the Guangsha team with a total score of 1:2. In the crucial fourth game, the Liaoning team trailed by 8 points at halftime (44:52). With Zhang Zhenlin’s outstanding performance in the third quarter, the Liaoning team overtook the score and finally won the game.

Looking back on that key game, Zhang Zhenlin revealed that he didn’t care so much about the score at that time, but more about the game itself. “If you had to rush to recover the score at that time, you might put more pressure on yourself, which would have an impact on the outcome of the game.”

In the interview, Zhang Zhenlin shared his feelings when preparing for the second stage of the regular season with injuries: “It’s too difficult! My foot has not fully recovered, and it has been swollen, but I have missed a stage of the game, and I have to do it no matter what. Participate in the competition.”

“At that time, I couldn’t use my feet, and it was difficult to run and accelerate. Sometimes I would shoot a lot of ‘three non-sticks’, and sometimes I would even shoot on the timer. Even my teammates and coaches were skeptical of me, ‘He is in this state. Can you adapt to the game immediately?’”

Zhang Zhenlin confidently told his teammates: “Don’t worry, I will definitely make a difference in the game.”

Zhang Zhenlin said frankly that this confidence stems from his hard work off the court: “I really put in a lot of hard work at that time. During the team’s preparations, I would set aside 4 hours a day to train in advance. 4 hours a day, I will spend more than others in a week.” Dozens of hours of training, these efforts have created my current self-confidence.” Zhang Zhenlin scored 23 points in the first game after his comeback in the second stage.

He told reporters that he will take a “small” vacation for himself next, use this time to spend time with his family, and then plan to go to the United States for training. “Because this season’s ups and downs are a bit too big, (want to) make up for the shortcomings of this season.”

Regarding the Men’s Basketball World Cup to be held this year, Zhang Zhenlin said: “No matter what position the coach puts me in, I will do my best, do my best every minute with my best ability and enthusiasm.”

In the finals, Zhang Zhenlin frequently staged difficult dunks with his excellent physical fitness.

Regarding his playing style, he said that in fact, throughout this year, due to the impact of injuries, he did not have much desire to dunk, but more to keep healthy.

“Physical fatigue and injuries really affect the performance on the court, but after a year of recovery and adjustment, the state of the finals has gradually recovered. In my home court, I want to show myself when I see some open opportunities, and I want to bring energy to the team. teammates, and fans.”

In addition to the CBA league, Zhang Zhenlin has also participated in overseas leagues such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball game and the NBA Summer League. He hopes to hone his mentality through these games: “Each league has different rules and different styles of play. How to find your correct position and how to play your role well is the most important thing. Every team is against a player. The needs of players are also different, and the most important thing is to figure out your own position and how to use your strengths to help the team win.”

Before the start of this season, Zhang Zhenlin adjusted his shooting style during overseas training. He introduced that the previous shooting hand shape somewhat limited the upper limit of development, and after various considerations, he made up his mind to change the hand shape. “After the change (hand shape), it will be of great help in terms of skills and tactics, opening up space for the team and personal characteristics, but it will take more time to adapt.”

Off the court, Zhang Zhenlin loves life as much as his peers, and often shares his personal life with his teammates during the interval of training.

“I feel that basketball is not the only thing in life, and getting to know a person is not just about his performance on the court. Talking about topics other than basketball can change your mood.” Zhang Zhenlin said.