Miao Lijie’s Legacy Cemented: Chinese Basketball Icon Enters FIBA Hall of Fame
Honor Belongs to Each of Us: Miao Lijie Enters FIBA Hall of Fame
Chinese women’s basketball star Miao Lijie was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Singapore last weekend.
The International Basketball Federation announced the list of inductees into the Hall of Fame in April this year. Miao Lijie is the fourth Chinese basketball player to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of Mou Zuoyun, Zheng Haixia, and Yao Ming.
Miao Lijie was born in Bin County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province in 1981. She started playing for the national team in 1997 and has achieved a series of outstanding results, including:
- 2001 East Asian Games champion
- 2001 Women’s Basketball Asian Championship champion
- 2002 Busan Asian Games champion
- 2004 Women’s Basketball Asian Championship champion (MVP)
- 2006 Doha Asian Games champion
- 2009 Women’s Basketball Asian Championship champion
- 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games champion
- 2011 Women’s Basketball Asian Championship champion
Miao Lijie is a legendary star in the WCBA, setting a record of 67 points in a single game that still stands today. She has won the WCBA regular season MVP five times, the most in the league’s history. In 2005, she signed with the WNBA team Sacramento Monarchs and won the championship that season.
During her induction speech, Miao Lijie said: “I am deeply honored to be here, and I sincerely thank the FIBA Hall of Fame for recognizing my basketball career. I thank the country for its training for many years, thank my coaches for their support and help along the way, and thank my dearest teammates. This honor belongs not only to me, but to each and every one of us.”
The Chinese Basketball Association commented: “Miao Lijie’s entry into the FIBA Hall of Fame is not only a recognition of her personal achievements by the international basketball community, but also has a profound impact on the younger generation of Chinese basketball. Miao Lijie and the spirit of the Chinese women’s basketball team she represents will surely inspire more young Chinese players to strive for their dreams and move forward courageously!”