Nirvana and rebirth! Zeng Fanbo hit the NBA with injuries: Can he rewrite his destiny this time?

When the Beijing Men's Basketball Team lost regretfully in the finals, Zeng Fanbo, who was sitting in a wheelchair on the sideline, became the most heartbreaking scene - the 22-year-old forward star was reimbursed for a lumbar transverse fracture, but he still stared at the arena with firm eyes. Just a week later, the US media revealed shocking news: Zeng Fanbo has signed with Harden's agency Equity Sports, and officially started his third journey to attack the NBA. From a young teenager in the Development League to the fastest-progress player in the CBA, from losing the draft to being praised by NBA scouts for "leap of maturity", this star of Chinese basketball is standing at the intersection of fate, quenching the courage to break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly with injuries.

Tempering in the fire: From a genius boy to an injury shadow, Zeng Fanbo's basketball path has been full of legends from the beginning. He was selected for the Beijing Shougang Youth Team at the age of 15 and went to the United States to join the Development League igniting team at the age of 18. He ran for the NBA draft under the title of "Chinese Durant" in 2022, but unfortunately lost in the second round. After returning to the CBA with unwillingness, he completed his transformation in three years: he averaged 14.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in the regular season this season, shooting 53% from the field and 41% from three-point shooting. His playoff data further improved to 15 points and 4.2 rebounds and 43% from three-point shooting. Even more amazing is that his defensive coverage extends from the third to the fifth, showing the potential of a top-tier forward with 1.5 blocks per game.

However, fate always loves to test the strong. In the semi-finals against Shanxi, Zeng Fanbo was hit hard by his opponent's center Liu Chuanxing during a breakthrough, resulting in a fracture of the transverse lumbar spine. The doctor diagnosed that it would take 2-3 months to rest, which means that he not only missed the Finals, but also was more likely to miss the best window to hit the NBA. But as he wrote on social media: "I still have a lot of dreams, and I want to see the world outside", the young man has not been defeated by injuries - he insisted on core strength training during his recovery, recovering from physical therapy every day, with a goal directed to the men's basketball Asian Cup in August.

Breakthrough: The top brokerage team and precise positioning

Zeng Fanbo's biggest bargaining chip to hit the NBA this time is the agency Equity Sports he signed. This top institution with superstars such as Harden and Embiid can not only provide him with professional physical training and tactical guidance, but also strive for him to try out through his extensive network resources. It is worth noting that agents Mike Silverman and Troy Payne have successfully operated several international players to enter the NBA. The strategies they formulated for Zeng Fanbo directly point to the core needs of modern basketball: as a space-type forward line of 2.08 meters, Zeng Fanbo's three-point range covers the NBA three-point line, and his awareness of running without the ball and ability to switch defenses is in line with the tactical trends in the small ball era.

NBA scouts clearly see his potential as well. Pelicans scouts revealed that they recommended Zeng Fanbo to management a few months ago, believing that he "feels much more mature than three years ago"; senior scouts from an Eastern Conference team showed a strong interest in his defensive versatility. This recognition is not accidental - Zeng Fanbo's efficiency on the defensive end ranks among the top three in the CBA forward line this season, especially when switching to defend outside players, his lateral movement speed and long-arm interference ability have repeatedly made the opponent fail.