Before the 2018-19 season, the CBA changed the MVP trophy, which was changed from the "fruit bowl" that the fans laughed at before to a statue of a basketball player making a jump shot. The prototype of this statue is the "God of War" Liu Yudong.
Liu Yudong, this tough guy who was once as good as Yao Ming in the Chinese basketball world, his legendary story is worth knowing about every Chinese basketball fan, and his spirit is worth learning from every young player.
In that era, Sun Jun was the "Tiger King", Gong Xiaobin was the "Xiaoyao King", Wu Qinglong was the "Asia's No. 1 Shooting Guard", Hu Weidong was the "Chinese Jordan", Wu Naiqun was the "Chinese Flying Man", Shan Tao is the "Chinese Postman", but Liu Yudong is the only "God of War" in CBA.
Liu Yudong, who was born in Putian, Fujian Province in 1970, seemed to have nothing to do with basketball when he was a child. Liu Yudong's father is a dispatcher at the Longyan Mining Bureau, and his mother is a farmer. Both of them are of very average height. Liu Yudong grew up very quickly, reaching 1.85 meters tall at the age of 15.
Liu Yudong did not receive physical education when he was a child, so even though he has become a monument in the CBA, he cannot be said to be very fond of basketball. He just regards basketball as a career path of his choice.
Later, Liu Yudong was selected for the Bayi Basketball Team, and his legendary story really began. At the beginning, as the center of the Bayi team, Liu Yudong was only 1.98 meters tall, but his physical fitness and technical ability allowed him to gain a stable foothold in the Bayi team.
In the Bayi team, Liu Yudong and Atijiang are the two most famous players. At that time, Liu Yudong was still a very fierce inside man. Although his mid-range shots were accurate, he did not take many shots. Even if there is an opportunity for an open three-pointer, he still needs to take aim for two seconds before taking the shot. He is not the kind of sharpshooter who picks up the ball and throws it away in the later period.
After the establishment of the CBA, the Bayi team had Wang Zhizhi, the "chasing boy", and Liu Yudong became the "blade guard" beside Dazhi. In order to create space for Wang Zhizhi to fight, Liu Yudong's shooting range became farther and farther. He doesn't have many shots, but he can always score 20 points in a low-key and efficient manner without showing off.
As for the national team, Liu Yudong was selected for the Chinese Men's Basketball Team in 1992. In the 1994 Men's Basketball World Championships, facing the United States' "Dream Team II", Liu Yudong made 7 of 12 shots and scored a team-high 16 points. In the games against Spain and Brazil, he scored 12 points and 10 points respectively. He also picked up a team-high 8 rebounds against Brazil.
In 8 games, Liu Yudong averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, ranking third, second and third in the Chinese team. This made him famous overseas, and the domineering nickname "God of War" was also talked about by fans at this time.
In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, facing the "Dream Team" of the United States, Liu Yudong did not fall behind against Olajuwon, Malone and Pippen, and once again scored a team-high 18 points. After 7 games, the "God of War" averaged 17.4 minutes per game, 8.6 points, 4 rebounds and 1.1 assists, ranking third, second and fourth in the team respectively. In both competitions, the Chinese team entered the top eight.
As the absolute core, Liu Yudong once led the Bayi Men's Basketball Team to win six consecutive CBA championships and is an indispensable member of the Bayi Men's Basketball Team.
Although the "God of War" looks tough and has a tough playing style, he is a very easy-going person in life, which also makes him very popular in the basketball circle. Liu Yudong usually likes leisurely activities such as drinking tea, but when he gets to the basketball court, he fights for the ball vigorously.
Liu Yudong had an outstanding performance in the CBA Finals in the 2001-02 season, and his performance could even suppress the "little giant" Yao Ming.
Although the Bayi team failed to win the championship, Liu Yudong was named the Finals MVP, becoming the only CBA athlete to win the regular season MVP, Finals MVP and "Scoring Champion" awards in a single season.
He also attracted the attention of NBA scouts on the sidelines. In fact, these scouts came to see Yao Ming, but unexpectedly discovered Liu Yudong. After the game, the scouts took the initiative to ask Yao Ming, "How old is this young man?" Yao Ming smiled and replied, "This is not a young man, he is an old man. He is 32 years old."
Although NBA scouts However, Liu Yudong's knee injury and age can no longer support him to play abroad. But there is no doubt that Liu Yudong is still the absolute "king" in the domestic arena.
In 2003, Liu Yudong chose to retire due to injuries. Four years later, he came back again, joined his hometown Fujian team, and led the team to become a CBA dark horse. In 2005, Liu Yudong was elected as the "CBA Player of the Decade" and wore the unique five-carat "Tian Zi No. 1" supreme "God of War Ring".
In 2010, the 39-year-old "God of War" became the leading scorer in CBA history. After the season, Dadong retired again. This time, he really couldn't play anymore. Liu Yudong stepped into the coaching position and served as the assistant coach of the Bayi Women's Basketball Team and the Bayi Men's Basketball Team. Now he is the leader of the Bayi Men's Basketball Team.
Thirty years have passed, and the years have sharpened the heart of this tough guy from southern Fujian. What remains unchanged is his loyalty to Bayi. Liu Yudong devoted almost everything to the Bayi men's basketball team. I hope this former "God of War" can be happier and happier in the future.