Former CBA MVP Ding's hard journey back to basketball

BEIJING - Over the past three and a half years, Ding Yanyuhang has gone through countless days of treatment and rehabilitation on his right knee. Despite his determined nature, there were moments when he doubted his ability to return to the basketball court.

"For half a year, one year or two years, you don't know exactly how long it would take to recover from injuries. Time could kill your faith," the two-time Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) regular season MVP winner told Xinhua in a recent interview.

But thanks to his unshakable love for the sport, Ding has finally overcome these tough times and made a successful return to the court.

"Even if nobody else has confidence in you, you should have it in yourself," said the 28-year-old.

Thrilled to return

Ding joined the Shandong Heroes during the 2011-12 season and won back-to-back CBA regular season MVP titles in 2017 and 2018.

After the 2017-18 CBA season, he was signed up by the Dallas Mavericks before being waived by the NBA club.

Plagued by a serious knee injury, Ding didn't play a single CBA game until the start of the 2021-22 season.

"I missed this familiar floor every moment over the past three and a half years," said Ding.

Returning from his lengthy lay-off, Ding finished with 19 points in 24 minutes and 48 seconds against the Beijing Royal Fighters in the opening round of the new season on Oct 16.

He has averaged 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in less than 27 minutes thus far, statistics far below those of his MVP-winning seasons.

Many people have also noticed big changes in Ding's offensive style, from cutting into the paint for layups to attempting more jump shots.

"Sometimes the coach wants me to play more minutes, but on other occasions when I don't feel confident about my knees, he will give me fewer minutes. I'm confident about getting more stable with time," he said.

"I don't dare to have too much strong competitive contact," admitted Ding. "On the one hand, I am not 100% physically. On the other hand, I'm still trying to rediscover my style of play, but actually I'm not quite sure about it."

"Physically, I feel 60 to 70 percent fit now. I hope to get back to how it was in the past, but it takes time," he added.

Ding admitted it was not easy without playing basketball for such a long time, especially when injuries cost him his most previous three years between 25 and 28, commonly regarded as the peak years of a professional's career.

"I was not always optimistic about my comeback. Maybe it was fine in the first year, but my hope would diminish as time passed by. I've experienced a lot over the past three and a half years, not only with my skills but also my mentality," he noted.

Having heard a lot of negative comments doubting that he would return to play, Ding wanted to prove his naysayers wrong.

"When I stood on the court again, everything paid off," he said.

Inheriting his sporting prowess from his athlete parents, Ding fell in love with basketball in primary school.

"Basketball is the only thing that I have dedicated my life to. I would never come to terms with the fact that my career was brought to an abrupt end by injuries. I dreamed of returning to the court, regardless of whether it took three years or five years," he recalled, adding that while nursing his knee injury, he wondered many times how his first game back would go.

"When it finally arrived, it was a real moment of excitement."

It has been a decade since Ding made his CBA debut, and his focus has shifted to cherishing the moments and memories of standing on the court, in contrast to his excitement and passion as a rookie.

"Many people said that you could not return without playing basketball for over three years. Even if nobody else has confidence in you, you should have it in yourself," he commented.

A familiar feeling came to Ding the moment he returned to Shandong and trained together with his new teammates.

"It gave me a sense of belonging when I returned to this team, as I could train and have fun with my teammates," he noted.

Well aware that injury is unavoidable for every player, Ding has mellowed over the past three years.

"After winning two MVPs, I was hitting a peak time in my career before my injuries. All of a sudden, I slumped from the top to no basketball action. While rehabilitating, I felt really low at first, but then I thought that everything happens for a reason," he said.

Shedding light on his short-term goals, Ding said he hoped to improve his physical shape and offensive play to help the team.

"Health should come as the top priority. I hope to run, jump and defend freely on the court, as my leg can still feel the impact now," he admitted.

"I hope to attack the basket more often and get my form back."

Ding was ruled out of China's national team for the 2019 FIBA World Cup due to injury but was named in the 3x3 national team's training camp early in 2021 before withdrawing due to a lack of form.

Ding said that his goal of playing for the national team remains unchanged, recalling the days of watching the World Cup on TV while rehabilitating in the United States.

"I remember it quite clearly. If there is any chance [of playing for the national team], I will spare no effort to go for it."

Joking that he has had an early taste of post-retirement life over the past three years, Ding is wary of stretching his expectations a little longer.

"I have confidence in myself, but I'm not sure about my physical shape and those uncertainties in the future."

"I want to go all out, play every game as well as I can and seize the moment," he said. "I'm just cherishing this moment, and marching forward step by step."

Against all odds, Ding is back to playing basketball. He should have every reason to see something brighter.

"It's a process of getting better and better. Even though I don't score many points, if I do more driving layups and give more weight on my knees, I can settle for it."