In the end of last weekend’s high school finals, Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School defeated Urumqi No. 101 Middle School to win the championship. Li Zirui, the core guard of Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School, scored 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, led the team to win the championship, and won the MVP. In the first year of high school, he played the main force of the colonel team. In the second year of high school, he smashed the Quartet in the final. This guard, who is less than 1.9 meters tall, contains great energy and is also a rising star in the high school league.
Earlier, Li Zirui and his father Li Wei accepted an exclusive interview with Sohu Sports and talked about Li Zirui’s growth story. It turns out that he, along with CBA stars Yi Jianlian and Zhang Ning, are all alumni, the hometown of Guangdong defender Zhao Rui, and the torchbearer of the Winter Olympics. Let’s take a look at his growth story.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics have come to a successful conclusion. In the previous torch relay, a 17-year-old basketball teenager participated. On February 3, 2022, this high school student named Li Zirui, as the 45th torchbearer, participated in the Winter Olympics torch relay in Nihewan, Yangyuan County, Zhangjiakou.
The photo of Li Zirui running with the “Flying” torch also quickly became popular on the Internet, with nearly 1 million likes and more than 30,000 comments on a certain video platform. Why is it possible for a high school student to participate in the Winter Olympics torch relay? Many netizens have this question.
“First of all, Li Zirui led Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School to win the runner-up in the National High School League last year,” Xiao Zhang, who has long reported on campus basketball, told Sohu Sports, “The important thing is that Li Zirui was a high school freshman last season, and he shined in key games. It’s not uncommon to be the captain of the entire team.”
In the first year of high school, he served as the captain of the school team, with a big heart like Zhang Ning, a senior
In the semi-finals of the 2020-2021 high school basketball league, Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School encountered Changsha Mingde Middle School. The game was ups and downs, and finally there were four consecutive overtakes. In the end, Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School staged a 0.7-second lore. Many people think this is campus basketball. One of the best games in the game.
In this game, Li Zirui scored 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, especially the 3-pointer that can hit the big heart against the defender, which reminds people of his senior – also graduated from Shijiazhuang No. Zhang Ning of the CBA Shanxi team.
“In a normal high school team, the second and third year students play the main force,” Xiao Zhang said. “I don’t have the impression that he is the captain in the first year of high school. The advantages of his playing are his fast speed and three points. Exactly, it’s the kind of dual guard we often talk about.”
In the first season of high school, Li Zirui averaged 23 minutes per game in the divisional competition, scoring 14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 3.9 assists.
“I have more characteristics in playing offense. I can shoot three points and create opportunities for my teammates.” Li Zirui said in an interview with Sohu Sports, “I can play the No. 1 and No. 2 positions in the team. Of course, my teammates have vacancies. Will definitely pass the ball.”
In the first season of high school, Li Zirui was rated as a five-star high school student by the media. During the high school basketball league All-Star game, Li Zirui also played against Yang Ce, a former five-star high school student and Internet celebrity player. Although he lost, he did not fall behind on the scene.
“Li Zirui was well-known in the campus basketball circle before. He participated in the Winter Olympics torch relay this year, and he was so popular that he was out of the circle.” Xiao Zhang said.
I went to Shijiazhuang, Shenzhen to pursue my dream, and I was an alumnus with Yi Jianlian
Li Zirui was born in Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province. His parents both graduated from Jixi Sports School and used to practice track and field. Later, his parents did business in Daqing City, and Li Zirui also came to Daqing to go to school.
“Li Zirui attended a lot of interest classes when he was a child, playing chess and drawing, etc. The teacher said he couldn’t sit still, so don’t come. Later, a friend opened a basketball class, and he sent it to the first grade. At that time, I wanted to exercise. “Li Zirui’s father, Li Wei, told Sohu Sports.
Li Wei said that from the beginning, he wanted to lose weight for his children. In the fourth grade, Li Zirui gradually showed his talent for basketball and could play with the school team. In the fifth grade, Li Zirui was already outstanding among his peers. His coach suggested that he go to Higher level schools to meet the world.
In the second half of the fifth grade, Li Wei brought Li Zirui to Shenzhen Sports School, Yi Jianlian’s alma mater, and trained for half a year.
Later, after discussing with friends, Li Wei decided to let his children take the road of campus basketball. Why didn’t you choose sports schools and club youth teams? There are two main points in Li Wei’s explanation, which is probably what most parents think.
One is that the child’s talent is average. From the perspective of training at the Shenzhen Sports School, they are basically second-generation balls. Li Zirui was only over 1.5 meters at the time, and his bone age was less than 1.9 meters, which is almost the shortest in their wave.
The second is that professional sports are too cruel, and the elimination rate is high. In case of serious injury or failure, the time for studying in recent years has also been delayed.
Relatively speaking, the path of campus basketball is more stable. First go to a university to play CUBA, and then if you want to develop, you can also participate in the CBA draft. If not, you can get a job with a diploma.
With this idea in mind, Li Wei brought Li Zirui to Shijiazhuang to study sixth grade in the primary school attached to Shijiazhuang No. 2 Middle School, a traditional basketball school.
Li Zirui’s mother took care of his younger sister at his home in Daqing, and his father Li Wei accompanied him from Shenzhen to Shijiazhuang. “I have been studying with me for the past few years. I used to be good at washing clothes and cooking. Now I can. I can’t help it. The child is too young,” Li Wei told Sohu Sports. “I stayed with Li Zirui until the third grade.”
Li Wei said that the child is now alone in Shijiazhuang and has not been home for two years. Last year it was because of the epidemic in Shijiazhuang, and this year he was participating in the Winter Olympics torch relay. But I am still at ease, because my son is still self-disciplined, “I practice ball at school, and it is quite hard. Usually, I will practice until the latest.”
“Of course, I also want to thank Coach Xing of the second school team. He became the captain as soon as he was promoted to high school, which gave him confidence and was regarded as a key training point.” Li Wei said.
My favorite James Guo Ailun, can I play CBA like my fellow Zhao Rui?
Due to the epidemic, the high school league was suspended, and Li Zirui is currently training in closed schools. “Practicing three times a day is very intense, but I gain and improve every day, and I can persevere.” Li Zirui said.
“I will also watch the NBA and CBA. The NBA likes James the most, but the difference in physical quality is too great to learn. CBA likes Guo Ailun the most, and I can learn some of his basketball skills and game style.” Li Zirui said, “The current The goal is to go to a good college and join a competitive CUBA team.”
After that, will Li Zirui play the CBA like his senior Zhang Ning and fellow villager Zhao Rui from Daqing? Might as well pay attention to his performance and growth in high school and college.
(Wu Di)Return to Sohu, see more