CBA star savoring every second on court after returning from injury nightmare

Ding Yanyuhang reacts during Shandong's CBA league loss to Liaoning on Oct 19 in Zhuji, Zhejiang province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Over the past three and a half years, Ding Yanyuhang has gone through countless days of treatment and rehabilitation on his right knee. He admits there were moments when he doubted he would ever return to the court.

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

Thanks to his unshakable love of the sport, Ding has overcome those tough times and made a successful return to the court.

I was not always optimistic about my comeback. I didn’t feel so bad in the first year, but my hope diminished as time passed. I’ve experienced a lot over the past three and a half years, not only with my skills but also my mentality. When I stood on the court again, everything paid off

Ding Yanyuhang, two-time CBA regular-season MVP

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

Ding joined the Shandong Heroes during the 2011-12 season and won back-to-back CBA regular-season MVP titles in 2017 and 2018 to earn himself a contract with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Ding hurt his right knee during the 2017-18 CBA semifinal playoff series against the Zhejiang Lions, and made it worse by playing through the pain for Team China at the 2018 Asian Games.

He rushed back to the court without sufficient rest to participate in the NBA Summer League, before undergoing surgery in the United States and ultimately being waived by the Mavericks.

Returning from his lengthy layoff this season, Ding finished with 19 points for Shandong against the Beijing Royal Fighters on Oct 16 in his first official game back.

He has averaged 15.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists thus far, numbers well below those of his MVP seasons.

There has been a noticeable change 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 when I don't feel confident about my knees, he will give me fewer minutes. I'm confident about getting more stable over time," he said.

"I'm careful not to have too much physical contact," admitted Ding. "Physically, I am not 100 percent yet, but I'm still trying to rediscover my style of play and, to be honest, I'm not quite sure about it."

"I feel about 60 to 70 percent fit now. I hope to get back to how I was before, but it takes time," he added.

Losing out on playing between the ages of 25 and 28, regarded as among the peak years of a pro hoops career, Ding admitted he had many dark days. However, he persevered to prove the doubters wrong.

"I was not always optimistic about my comeback. I didn't feel so bad in the first year, but my hope diminished as time passed. I've experienced a lot over the past three and a half years, not only with my skills but also my mentality," he said.

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

Keeping the faith

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 ever dedicated my life to. I could never come to terms with the fact that my career was brought to an abrupt halt by injury. I dreamed of returning to the court, regardless of whether it took three years or five years," he said.

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

"Many people said that I would not be able to return having played no basketball for over three years."

It has been a decade since Ding made his CBA debut. In contrast to his excitement and passion as a rookie, now his focus has shifted to savoring each moment of being on court.

Returning to train with his Shandong teammates again gave him a familiar feeling he had craved for so long. "It gave me a sense of belonging when I returned, as I could train and have fun with my teammates," he said.

Now he looks back on his injury absence with a more philosophical outlook.

"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 at all. While rehabilitating, I felt really low at first, but then I thought that everything happens for a reason," he said.

National team hopes

In terms of his short-term goals, Ding said he hoped to improve his fitness and offensive play to help Shandong.

"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 country's 3x3 Olympic squad early this year 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 US.

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

Joking that he has had an early taste of retirement life over the past three years, Ding is wary of expecting too much too soon.

"I have confidence in myself, but I'm not sure about how my body will cope and that uncertainty will likely persist in the future," he said.

"I want to go all out, play every game as well as I can. I'm just cherishing each moment, and taking things step by step.

"It's a gradual process. Even if I don't score as many points as I did in the past, if I can do more driving layups and allow my knees to take more weight, I can settle for that."