Gong Xiao Bin

Gong Xiao Bin (zh-stp|s=巩晓彬|t=鞏曉彬|p=Gǒng Xiǎo Bin), born November 23, 1969 in Jinan, Shandong, is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who enjoyed an outstanding career in the Chinese Basketball Association. In 1990 he was chosen as one of China's 50 all-time great basketball players.

Life and career

In 1982 he began play for the Shandong Province youth soccer team and in 1986, at the age of 17, was selected to the Chinese national U-19 team. In 1988 Gong competed in a national urban basketball tournament and was chosen as an outstanding player; he was also listed as one of China's top ten basketball players of that year; in 1989 at the age of 20 Gong joined the China national basketball team.

As a member of the national basketball team, Gong competed for China in the 1989 Asian Games, the 1994 FIBA World Championships and in the 1996 Olympics. In 2002 at the age of 33 he was still playing internationally, representing China in the Asian games and the FIBA world tournament.

As for the Chinese Basketball Association, Gong played center for the Shandong Lions, in the 1997-1998 season winning the league scoring title. He was named to the list of the 50 greatest Chinese basketball players of the second half of the 20th century.

As a basketball player Gong Xiao Bin represented his native Shandong Province both as a sports role model and as a player, leading the Shandong men's team at the Chinese National Games, including the 1997 games in Shanghai at which Shandong Province finished 3rd overall.

Retirement

Gong retired from play in 2003 and began a new career coaching basketball, for the CBA's Shandong Lions.

Reference

*This article originall translated from

ee also

*List of individual Chinese Basketball Association scoring leaders by season

External links

*zh [http://sports.sina.com.cn/star/gongxiaobin Gong Xiao Bin at sina.com]
*zh [http://www.shjubao.cn/epublish/gb/paper148/20030531/class014800010/hwz953947.htm 刚退役就挂帅　巩晓彬事出无奈 An article about Gong's retirement]