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"The hero is gone, but the spirit is always there!" - On September 15, 2023, Guangdong Dongguan Hongyuan Club held a grand jersey retirement ceremony for Yi Jianlian, which attracted the attention of fans across the country. Yi Jianlian's "No. 9" jersey became the fourth retired jersey hung at Hongyuan's home stadium. Prior to this, Guangdong Hongyuan also retired the "No. 15", "No. 4" and "No. 9" jerseys for the meritorious foreign aid Jichen, the team's legendary stars Du Feng and Zhu Fangyu.
Yi Jianlian's career can be described as brilliant. On his resume, he not only has a glorious record of 3 Finals MVPs, 5 regular season MVPs, but also 14 All-Star selections and 7 CBA championships.
Yi Jianlian's career began at Hongyuan, and he has always regarded "forever No. 9 rookie" as his original intention. Whether in the CBA league or on the big stage of the NBA, he has always maintained his love for basketball and his desire to win. His dedication and fighting spirit have become a model for many young players to learn from Xi.
At the retirement ceremony, Yi Jianlian delivered a speech in the spotlight, and the UAE expressed his gratitude to Dongguan and Hongyuan Club. From the beginning of entering the league to his retirement, throughout his career, except for the years in the NBA, Yi Jianlian has been playing for Guangdong Hongyuan in the CBA league. A lifetime of love, a lifetime, a city" - the relationship between the UAE and Dongguan can be said to be that a city holds up a person, and a person achieves a city. A model of mutual achievement, creating brilliance together.
The jersey retirement ceremony was a star-studded affair. Yao Ming, as a famous figure in the domestic basketball industry, led Sun Yue, Wang Shipeng, Chen Jianghua and others to appear at the ceremony, and even track and field athlete Su Bingtian and pop music star Wilber Pan also attended to witness the legendary player's farewell moment. Yao Ming talked to the UAE on the spot, hoping that he would continue to be coaching, and Li Chunjiang, as Yi Jianlian's first coach to enter the league, also came to the scene today.
After the Hongyuan team and Guangsha finished the game, Guangdong also organized a unique basketball game. The legendary team led by Yi Jianlian played against the inheritance team composed of all active players from Guangdong, and the legendary team members were composed of UAE, Zhu Fangyu, Du Feng, Wang Shipeng, and Chen Jianghua. In the end, the UAE ended the game with 4 dunks and 8 points.
Looking back on his 21-year career, he has always maintained his original intention and pursued his dreams. His persistence, hard work, and love for basketball have made him a representative of Chinese basketball and a model for many young players to learn from Xi. His original intention without regrets is deeply admired.
"No. 9" not only represents Yi Jianlian's jersey number, but also implies the expectations and love of countless fans. With his unremitting efforts and talent, he has forged his own legend and inspired countless rising stars to fight on the road of basketball. On the night of the retirement ceremony, the landmark buildings in the center of Dongguan were collectively lit up, and in another way, they sent sincere blessings from the whole city to the "son of Dongguan" UAE, in the name of the city, blessed the eternal No. 9 rookie UAE and paid tribute to the basketball spirit of eternal struggle.
The perfect curtain call of Yi Jianlian's No. 9 jersey is a testimony to the continuous progress of Chinese basketball. In his back, we see the hope and future of Chinese basketball. Yi Jianlian's career is like a moving movement, and every chapter is full of glory and dreams.
As he bids farewell to the pitch, we applaud him and pay our highest tribute to his struggle. May the "Forever No. 9 Rookie" live forever in people's hearts and leave an eternal glory for Chinese basketball.