JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - Wang Junjie and the present-day Team China have been authoring quite a story in the ongoing FIBA Asia Cup 2025 after bringing the program to its first Semi-Finals in a decade.
The tournament's only 16-time champions struggled to get past the Quarter-Finals since winning it all in 2015 at home until the current batch broke the curse of sorts at the expense of long-time rivals Korea.
Still, the 20-year-old big man chooses to stay on even keel.
"We still have a long way to go to reach the glorious history created by our predecessors," he said. "It's too early to talk about pride for now; I just hope that through my own efforts, I can help the team keep making progress."
The Chinese, like some of the other participating nations in the tourney, are in the process of integrating younger talent into their scheme of things, and among those seen to be part of their future is Wang himself.
...as long as we step onto the court, our goal is to fight against the opponent and strive to win.
A standout of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup back in 2023, the 2.06 M (6'9") power forward is just in his first go-around with the men's team, although he's been proving himself worthy in the Jeddah games.
Most especially on Thursday during the all-East Asian Quarter-Finals.
There, Wang finished with 21 points, 15 of which he made in the first half, on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor alongside 7 rebounds to help lead China to the 79-71 victory - and reach the final four.
He's actually been one of the more consistent cogs of Guo Shiqiang but that showing against the Koreans was easily his best to date, thus hiking his per-game averages to 13.8 points on 62.9-percent shooting.
"I always believe that I should fulfill the tasks assigned by Coach," he said.
"When there's an opportunity, I should resolutely take the shot," added Wang, who had also played in BWB camps. "This aggressiveness comes more from my execution; the resolute execution of the coach's intention."
To think that he hasn't had a lick of pro hoops makes it all the more impressive.
Yes, Wang has yet to set foot in the professional ranks as he's still a student-athlete with the University of San Francisco in the United States. Yet now he's experiencing the best that Asian basketball could offer.
That's why he's taking everything like a sponge, soaking in the opportunity that only other young hoopers could dream of - all while picking the brains of some of his revered teammates in the national team.
"I haven't played in a professional league yet, but I have already participated in the Asia Cup," he reflected.
"The veteran players in my team have given me a lot of guidance on experience, whether it's on the defensive end, the offensive end, or handling some temporary situations on the court," added Wang.
"My coach and the veteran players in my team have been constantly providing me with all the help, which have allowed me to quickly adapt to this competition," the former NBA Global Academy member continued.
Needless to say, Wang is having the time of his life with Team China in this city. But of course, the job isn't finished yet as they're now gearing up for the Semi-Finals, where they will take on New Zealand.
He knows the challenge that lies ahead, but is more than up for it.
"New Zealand is a very tough opponent," Wang offered. "Their physical confrontation has left us with a deep impression. Moreover, they have performed extremely well in handling various technical aspects."
"But as we have mentioned before, as long as we step onto the court, our goal is to fight against the opponent," he added, "and strive to win the game."
The FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Semi-Finals is set Saturday, August 16, at the King Abdullah Sports City.
FIBA