The King of Basketball from Guangxi, Boldly Entering the CBA

After five rounds of CBA matches, aside from the top three foreign players leading the scoring chart, an unfamiliar name appears in fourth place, sharing the top domestic scorer spot with Guo Haowen in fifth.

Who exactly is Pang Zhenglin? He was the third pick in this year’s CBA draft, chosen by Jiangsu. Born in 1999, he was already 26 when he entered the CBA. The bad news is his potential might be limited, but the good news is he is currently at his peak.

After five games, Pang Zhenglin seems to have secured the title of this season’s best rookie. Averaging 22.8 points per game, he leads domestic players in scoring, while also ranking second among them in shooting accuracy and boasting a 50% three-point shooting percentage. His scoring is high, and his efficiency is far ahead as well.

When he entered the CBA as the third overall pick, many expected him to be strong, and some doubted if he would adapt well, but no one could have imagined that after just five games, Pang Zhenglin would redefine everyone’s expectations of a rookie.

In his CBA debut, Pang Zhenglin scored 16 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists against veteran Zhao Rui; in the second game against Fujian, he posted 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists; in the third game versus Shanghai, Pang made his name known like a whirlwind to everyone.

Playing 32 minutes, he scored 32 points. After testing the waters in the first two games, Jiangsu gave Pang more trust and playing time, and he rewarded the team with a 30+ point performance. Yet, he wasn’t satisfied post-game because the team still hadn’t won; he said there were many avoidable mistakes during the comeback phase and poor handling of crucial moments.

By the fifth game, Jiangsu finally secured their first win of the season, which was also Pang Zhenglin’s first career victory. In that match, he shot 10-for-14 to score 34 points, with 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The two foreign players added 25 points and 13 rebounds, and 16 points with 4 assists respectively, while all other domestic players combined contributed only 13 points.

He learned from the loss to Shanghai and took firm control of the ball in critical moments. With one minute remaining, he calmly sank two free throws, followed by a floater to extend the lead, then assisted a teammate to seal the win. In the clutch, he scored 4 points and gave 1 assist, totaling 16 points in the final quarter, playing far beyond what one would expect from a rookie.

Strictly speaking, he isn’t exactly a “rookie” because before joining the CBA, he had already played six years professionally, earning every honor possible in the NBL before deciding to step into the CBA.

Born in 1999 in Heshan, a small town in Laibin City, Guangxi, where the population was under 100,000 in 2023, Pang Zhenglin initially played badminton as a child. Later, inspired by Guangxi native Zhu Fangyu’s dominance in the CBA, more kids in Guangxi took up basketball, including Pang.

His career began at the Laibin Sports School, then he was selected for the Guangxi Sports Team, followed by Guangxi Weizhuang Basketball Club, progressing from the third team to the first team. In 2019, at age 20, Pang embarked on his professional basketball journey, unaware then that he would become the pride of Guangxi basketball in the years ahead.

Transitioning from sports school to a professional team was a huge leap, with training volume and intensity several times greater. As a 1.83-meter point guard, Pang had to constantly face taller and stronger opponents while mastering complex tactics. He once thought about quitting but ultimately persevered.

Being physically slight, he focused on improving his three-point shooting, practicing extra shots after every training session, retrieving his own rebounds and shooting repeatedly until it became muscle memory. As his body grew stronger, his ability to drive improved, and he gradually adapted to professional basketball.

In the NBL, Guangxi Weizhuang has always been a strong team. Pang evolved from a rookie to the team’s core player. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Guangxi Weizhuang won back-to-back championships, with Pang achieving both the regular season MVP and Finals MVP in 2022.

In 2023, he claimed the regular season MVP again. Many said Pang was ready to challenge the CBA. But in his heart, he wanted to lead the entire team to the CBA, bringing his hometown team to the pinnacle of Chinese basketball.

Unfortunately, the promotion and relegation channel between CBA and NBL has not reopened. Many NBL teams gave up hope of promotion. After missing the NBL playoffs this year, Pang finally decided to take the next step, carrying Guangxi basketball’s pride onto the CBA court.

When he entered the CBA as the third overall pick, many expected him to be strong, while others doubted his adaptation. Yet no one imagined that after five games, Pang would revolutionize everyone’s view of rookies. At 26, he is older than most rookies, but for a guard, it’s the perfect age.

There are quite a few players from Guangxi in the CBA, including familiar names like Cui Yongxi and Liao Sanning, who are “Guangxi brothers” but came through Guangdong’s basketball system. Pang Zhenglin, however, truly emerged from Guangxi’s basketball system, carrying the hopes of his hometown fans and the title of Guangxi’s basketball king, making a name for himself in the CBA.