Waking Up to a Major Decision by Guangdong Boss: Zhu Fangyu Prepares Guangxi Team, Yang Yi Works on Three-Pointers During Break

On September 8 Beijing time, after Guangdong Southern Tigers played two warm-up games, Boss Chen made an important decision: the entire team would take a break for rest and recovery! Guangdong's management has generally been relatively people-oriented, avoiding frequent months-long training camps that leave everyone physically and mentally exhausted. Training and games of course require full effort, but enough time for recovery and adjustment is also necessary to achieve a balance between work and rest. Meanwhile, former Guangdong star Zhu Fangyu has recently been reported to be preparing a Guangxi men's basketball team. He plans to work with another Guangdong legend, Wang Shipeng, to integrate Guangxi basketball resources and form a new Guangxi team to compete in the NBL. As for Yang Yi, although the whole Guangdong team is on break, he still chose to return to the training gym to practice his three-point shooting. Hard work may pay off, and hopefully Yang Yi can enter the team's rotation lineup next season!

There had already been signs that Zhu Fangyu was preparing a new Guangxi men's basketball team. After stepping down as Guangdong's general manager, Zhu Fangyu frequently returned to his hometown, either holding discussions with local government officials or meeting old acquaintances in Guangxi.

For Zhu Fangyu, basketball is his profession. Even after no longer serving as Guangdong's general manager, he still wants to establish a team of his own. Guangxi has had professional basketball teams before. Guangxi Weizhuang was once a dominant force in the NBL, but later withdrew from the league for various reasons and has effectively disbanded. Zhu Fangyu is not trying to revive Weizhuang; he wants to prepare an entirely new team. Of course, Zhu Fangyu would serve as the general manager of this new team, taking full responsibility for preparation and operations. Local Guangxi support for Zhu Fangyu is also strong, as his status and ability make him a suitable person for the project. Some fans have suggested that Zhu Fangyu could recruit Guangdong-related players to join the new Guangxi team. With the close relationship between Guangdong and Guangxi, even before considering results, the attention level would be very high.

After conducting several months of training camps, Guangdong also played two warm-up games, and the players generally felt very tired. Boss Chen gave the entire team a break at an appropriate time, saying everyone had worked hard and should rest well to preserve energy for the next stage of preparation.

Guangdong still has several warm-up games ahead. On Saturday the 12th, they will face the U.S. STTP Ohio men's basketball team, and they will also play warm-up games against Australian teams. Unlike other teams, Guangdong did not participate in this year's CBA Summer League, instead playing warm-up games with fellow Guangdong province teams Shenzhen and Guangzhou, while also joining Shenzhen in a warm-up cup competition. This avoided long-distance travel, while the level and quality of the games remained good.

Yang Yi stood out in the second warm-up game between Guangdong and Shenzhen, scoring 19 points and hitting three three-pointers in the second half, challenging the previous perception that his shooting was weak. In fact, Yang Yi has also worked very hard. During Guangdong's recent break, he trained alone at the gym to improve his three-point shooting. If Yang Yi can truly develop his three-point shot, he would certainly become Xu Jie's first backup, as Yang Yi has good speed and explosiveness, and with a reliable three-point shot, he would inevitably enter the team's main rotation. Hard work brings rewards. Hopefully Yang Yi can continue improving; if height cannot be changed, he can keep developing his three-point ability, and one day he may master the shot.