Major announcement! Ding Yanyuhang's new role! Hello to two consecutive MVPs!

Long time no see, that man.

Ding Yanyuhang has secured a new position; he is currently with the NBL team Guizhou Long-Lions, joining not as a player but as a co-founder, allegedly taking on the role of competition director.

Guizhou Long-Lions is a new team in the NBL, established only this October. It is currently the only professional five-a-side basketball club in Guizhou Province and recently made its debut with a 78-107 loss to the defending champions, Hong Kong Bulls, in the regular season opener.

Back to Ding Yanyuhang, when mentioning him, people often recall how he scored 30 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in a single game during the 2019 World Cup qualifiers, leading China to defeat South Korea. However, in this year's first window of the qualifiers, China lost both games to South Korea 76-80 and 76-90 respectively.

At his peak, Ding Yanyuhang was, without hesitation, the top forward in China and even Asia, having turned down two-way contract offers from the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks.

In the 2017 Summer League, Ding wore the Mavericks jersey and played 11 games, starting several, averaging about 16 minutes per game with nearly 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. As a rare Chinese forward to appear in the NBA, his aggressive style left a strong impression on many.

Regarding Ding Yanyuhang’s CBA career, it was once extremely brilliant and dominant,winning MVP titles for two consecutive seasons from 2016 to 2018and in the 2017-18 season, he averaged 25.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His nickname "Four-Character Foreign Aid" echoed throughout the league, but unfortunately, consecutive serious injuries later caused his downfall.

Although 32-year-old Ding Yanyuhang has never officially announced retirement, everyone knows his playing career is over. As mentioned, he has now transitioned behind the scenes, continuing to shine in his new role and contributing to Chinese basketball.

Shandong Basketball was the starting point of Ding Yanyuhang’s CBA journey, but unfortunately, he never returned there. His last team as a player was Guangzhou (0 appearances), with brief stints at Shanghai and Tongxi teams in between.

Throughout the history of Chinese basketball, countless talents have been ruined by injuries. Each chapter tells endless regrets, perhaps reminding us that regret is a common part of life.