It turns out that Gong Luming kicked Ding Yanyu.

30/03/2026 13:43:00 TrophyTracker

Just one week after officially announcing his retirement, Ding Yanyu released a video over an hour long, making his first public response to fans' questions since retiring.

Throughout, he was candid, heartfelt, and relaxed in mood, directly addressing topics everyone cared about: retirement, regrets, injuries, and the future.

At a barbecue restaurant in Jinan, Little Ding shared many things we didn't know.

Or rather, things that had been misunderstood by the public for many years.

For example, his injuries.

Many people have long believed that Ding Yanyu's career was ruined because he took a pain-blocking injection back then, but he himself had already clarified personally:The root cause of his severe injury was not that injection.

The real problem was quadriceps tendon damage and severe knee cartilage wear caused by long-term high-intensity competition, a chronic injury accumulated over years, not directly related to the site of the pain-blocking injection.

That injection was only for temporary pain relief to grit through and continue playing; it did not directly cause his later severe injury, but it indeed further aggravated his already overburdened knee while playing injured, accelerating the outbreak of the injury.

What truly wore him down was the daily透支, repeated strain, and irreversible knee wear, not the widely circulated notion of "being ruined by one injection."

Therefore, Little Ding's experience not only serves as a warning for professional athletes but also leaves invaluable启示 for countless basketball enthusiasts watching from screens:

No matter how high the talent or how strong the body, one cannot neglect post-exercise relaxation stretching and scientific rehabilitation.

Don't rely on youth and strength to tough out injuries and透支 the body.

True lasting passion never relies on momentary硬撑, but rather on懂得敬畏 the body and善待 oneself,这样才能 walk steadier and farther on the path of passion.

In the over-hour-long video, Little Ding shared many "干货."

Including the strictness of Coach Fan Bin during his youth team days,也包括 the topic of being the domestic top small forward, and even why he liked watching the cheerleading squad, all answered sincerely.

Brother Di watched the long video while sipping beer, but couldn't recount everything to the兄弟们.

So let's mainly talk about what impressed me most:

Ding Yanyu revealed that during the 2015 Changsha Asian Championships, Coach Gong Luming kicked him.

Eleven years have passed since then;提起 this thrilling tournament, old fans would remember the "Singing the Motherland" echoing in the Changsha主场 after reversing a 20-point deficit against Korea.

In this game, the performances of two young players became key factors: Zhou Qi and Guo Ailun.

The 22-year-old Ding Yanyu could only be described as糟糕.

Playing only 13 minutes without scoring a point, and committing 3 fouls.

Playing at主场,事关 Olympic qualification,第一次 standing on such a big stage, Ding Yanyu难免 felt紧张情绪; he even refused to go on.

Coach Gong directly kicked him.

And that kick changed Ding Yanyu.

It changed not only his状态 in this tournament but also his basketball career thereafter.

In Changsha, he played all 9 games, averaging 21.8 minutes per game, contributing 5.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. His overall performance wasn't particularly亮眼, but his role in defense and关键场次 was十分突出.

What truly gave him a高光表现 was the semifinal against Iran; he not only scored 10 points and grabbed 5 rebounds but also delivered 4 blocks, greatly boosting team morale with强硬防守,追身封盖, and关键反击得分.

In this关键战役, there are two scenes about Ding Yanyu that I will never forget.

1. He quickly passed the ball to翟晓川, who without stopping gave it to易建联, and阿联隔扣 the former亚洲第一小前锋巴赫拉米.

2. Little丁持球突破 from the left side, directly撞地上伊朗男篮黄金一代的核心控卫卡姆拉尼, and Ding Yanyu himself also平躺在地上, scoring a 2+1.

His持球能力 was初现端倪.

At that time, commentator杨健 said a phrase:两翼齐飞.

That was a period when the Chinese男篮锋线 saw无限希望.