On July 31, Tsinghua University won the 24th CUBA Men's basketball first-level national championship with 0 losses.

This is the third time in a row for Tsinghua to become the champion of CUBA. It is also the first time in the history of Tsinghua University that both Men's and Women's basketball teams have won first place in CUBA at the same time! Zou Yang was named the FMVP in the latest game.

Today, let’s meet some TsinghuaRen who have made remarkable achievements as players of the school’s basketball team and pursued their dreams to become professional basketball players.

On June 20, 2021, the Tsinghua basketball team successfully defended the CUBA championship.

It was the second CUBA championship for Zeng Maozhou, the team’s former captain, and the final one. After his exhilarating victory, he retired from the team and started his studies as a postgraduate student at the School of Public Policy and Management.

For Zeng, his life after retiring from the team is completely different.

“When I was in the team, we used to train every afternoon, about three hours each time. Now I could freely choose to play basketball whenever I want and I don’t have to take training classes. I still maintain a relatively moderate frequency in exercising to strengthen my physical fitness.”

Zeng started to play basketball when he was five or six years old, and later he started to undergo professional training. Step by step he managed to be admitted to Tsinghua and become the captain of the school’s basketball team.

“Basketball is a team sport. Team interest outweighs individual interest, so we are always very united in the games. That helps me a lot to understand the essence of team spirit.”

The CUBA final last year meant not only a continuation of Tsinghua’s basketball “dynasty”, but also the preservation of Tsinghua’s basketball spirit. In the final, Wang Lanqin, the present captain, obtained the FMVP, following in the steps of former captain Zeng Maozhou.

While talking about his FMVP title, Wang modestly attributed it to the whole team. “I think the achievement belongs to the team. Without full support from my teammates and coaches, I wouldn't have been able to get the FMVP, so I'm really grateful to my beloved team.”

“As the point guard, the most important thing is to unite the whole team, and it’s also crucial to help every member of the team, including myself, to give full play to our capacities, as the organizer.” Team spirit is indispensable for a basketball player, as the sport requires collaboration and cohesive force.

He also nurtures a strong sense of responsibility during his journey with basketball. “When I was a kid, playing basketball was probably just a simple hobby for me, but gradually I felt that basketball had brought me a sense of responsibility. I learned to work together and cooperate with my teammates to achieve more and more victories.”

Wang is pursuing his dream of being a professional basketball player. On July 24, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) concluded the 2022 CBA Draft, with Wang Lanqin from Tsinghua University selected as the first overall pick for the Nanjing Monkey Kings. He also becomes the 100th player to be drafted in CBA Draft history.