Shaoxing duo power China to silver at FIBA Asia Cup
China's men's basketball team poses for a group photo after the FIBA Asia Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Aug 17. [Photo/Tide News]
China's men's basketball team finished second at the FIBA Asia Cup after a 90-89 loss to Australia in the final on Aug 18.
This marks China's best result in the tournament in a decade.
Two players with ties to Zhuji, a county-level city in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province — Hu Jinqiu and 20-year-old Wang Junjie — delivered standout performances and were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Hu, who settled in Zhuji and plays for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association, praised the team's unity and effort.
Wang, a rising star from Hailiang Middle School in Zhuji, averaged 12.8 points per game during the tournament and set a personal scoring record of 21 points in the quarterfinals.
From Zhuji's school courts to the international stage, both Hu and Wang embody the city's growing contribution to Chinese basketball talent.
Despite the narrow defeat, the team's performance and promising young core have renewed optimism about China's basketball future.