Advancing to the quarterfinals! The strongest Taiwan men's basketball team in the last decade!

In the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup knockout stage, Taiwan was leading by 9 points with 55 seconds left in the game, but they were then outscored by Jordan with a 15-5 run, missing out on the quarterfinals.

In the final 3 seconds of the game,Ibrahimreceived an inbound pass, sprinted down the court, and hit a buzzer-beater logo three-pointer to seal the victory, with Jordan ultimately defeating the provincial team 97-96 and advancing to the quarterfinals.

From 82 points to 97 points, Jordan scored 15 points in the last minute, during whichIbrahimscored 9 points alone.

Looking at basketball history, this game was also incredibly explosive.

In the grand scheme of things, it seems to be fate.

Yesterday, in the same qualification match for the men's basketball Asia Cup quarterfinals, the two teams met again.

However, the outcome was different this time.

The Taiwan team defeated their old rivals 78-64, successfully avenging their previous loss and securing a spot in the quarterfinals.

In the game against Jordan, they also faced a comeback from their opponent, with Jordan narrowing the gap to just 3 points in the middle of the fourth quarter. Was the plot from three years ago about to repeat itself?

Chen Yingjun stepped up, hitting crucial shots to help the team regain a double-digit lead.

His ability to break through and decisiveness in key moments reminded many of the handsome players in the CBA...

Taking this opportunity, let's talk about the provincial men's basketball team that many brothers are interested in.

Before the start of the tournament, Taiwan's men's basketball team was ranked 12th among the 16 teams, lower than Qatar, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, only better than Syria, India, Iraq, and Guam.

The underdog provincial team made a significant impact right from the start.

Chen Yingjun scored 34 points, leading the team to upset the Philippines, led by Brownlee.

They won consecutive group matches against the Philippines and Iraq, although they suffered a heavy defeat to New Zealand, but then won against Jordan in the playoffs, setting up a challenge against the strong Iranian team in the next round.

After 12 years, the team has once again reached the quarterfinals of the Asia Cup, and my biggest impression is:

This might be the strongest Taiwan men's basketball team in the last decade!

What makes them strong? Their depth in outside shooting ranks among the top three in the Asia Cup.

Lin Bingsheng, the champion contributor from Guangsha, missed this Asia Cup due to a shoulder injury.

The 12-man roster: Guards: Chen Yingjun (CBA Beijing), Lin Tingqian (CBA Tianjin), Gao Jinwei (TPBL Taiwan Beer Yongfeng Leopards), Abassi (TPBL CTBC Flying Tigers), He Dan (NCAA Cornell University), He Bo (NCAA Harvard University). Forwards: Liu Zheng (CBA Shanghai), Ma Jianhao (TPBL Formosa Dreamers), Hu Longmao (TPBL Family Mart Braves). Centers: Zeng Xiangjun, Gao Baikai (TPBL Formosa Dreamers), Chen Guanquan (TPBL Taiwan New Warriors).

In terms of player composition, there are 3 players from the CBA league: Liu Zheng, Chen Yingjun, Lin Tingqian (Ma Jianhao and Hu Longmao both have CBA experience), 1 naturalized player: Gao Baikai, 1 former naturalized who became local: Abassi, and 2 mixed-race players: He Dan and He Bo.

Watching the provincial team play, you will surely be curious about the players' skin colors; this is the first impression.

The number 34 center, originally named Brandon Gilbeck, has the Chinese name Gao Baikai.

He came from Western Illinois University in the NCAA. In his senior season (2018-19), he averaged an astonishing 3.4 blocks per game, earning the title of NCAA block leader for that season.

Since 2021, he has been playing in the basketball league in Taiwan.

In the Asia Cup qualifiers, he recorded a total of 19 blocks in 4 games representing Taiwan. Joining the provincial team feels similar to Japan's naturalized player, Hawkinson.

This provided a strong reinforcement for a team that was weak in the center position.

However, from another perspective, the team is very dependent on him. If Gao Baikai gets into foul trouble, the rotation, rebounding, and rim protection will face significant issues for the Taiwan team.

Everyone is also interested in the mixed-race brother duo of Taiwan's men's basketball: He Dan (Adam Hinton) and He Bo (Robert Hinton).

Their father, Robert Hinton (a Harvard Law School Ph.D. and African American), and their mother, Zang Zhenzhuo. Due to their grandmother Pan Erhao living in Taipei, the brothers often visited Taiwan as children and got involved in the Taiwanese basketball scene, leading to their current story.

Thus, the surname He actually comes from the transliteration of their father's surname Hinton, which sounds similar, so they were given the surname He.

Between the two, who is more impressive? The younger brother, He Bo, is an ESPN 4-star high school student.

He is a guard at Harvard University (NCAA Ivy League), standing at 196 cm, averaging 14.6 points in the 2024-25 season, winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and Harvard MVP.

As for the older brother, he is 193 cm and plays guard for Cornell University.

In the past 4 games, He Dan averaged 12.3 points, while He Bo averaged 11.8 points, both of whom have nicely complemented the height and physicality that Taiwan's team previously lacked on the wings.

What about that Black athlete?

The number 1 player Abassi, who can speak fluent Mandarin, is a forward. He was born in Japan, returned to Senegal with his family at the age of 3, and settled in Taiwan at the age of 8.

The FIBA has ruled him a local player as of 2023.

In this Asia Cup, he averaged 9 points, and my impression is that he has good physicality but limited technical skills.

These four players with unique backgrounds, combined with familiar CBA players like Chen Yingjun, Liu Zheng, and Lin Tingqian, make up this deep Taiwan men's basketball team.

However, if they want to defeat Iran and reach the semifinals, apart from Chen Yingjun needing to break through individually, their biggest concern remains the interior and rebounding.

In the group stage, they suffered a 40-point defeat to New Zealand, with a rebounding disparity of 57-17, which is outrageous.

But no matter what... as shown in the picture.

In the end, old fans still can't forget.

In the 2013 Asian Championship, Lin Zhijie’s roar and exuberant celebration flash before my eyes once again.

And that time, they made it to the semifinals.

One thing to reflect on: they really know how to develop guards.