American reporters revealed: The Nets will sign Zeng Fanbo to compete in the NBA Summer League!

In the early morning of June 28, a report by Rob Murrows, a reporter from the American sports media "Ball Report", quickly ignited the Chinese basketball circle: Beijing Shougang forward Zeng Fanbo will soon sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Brooklyn Nets and will represent the Nets in the NBA Summer League!

Just a few hours later, "Zeng Fanbo Studio" responded cautiously on social media: "There is no detailed progress in the NBA matters yet", and emphasized that Xiao Zeng's primary goal is to "recover health and work hard to participate in the national team training camp."

The reason why this signing news attracted great attention is due to Zeng Fanbo's special basketball trajectory. The 2.08-meter-high Chinese forward was once a four-star high school student in the United States. He participated in the NBA draft in 2022 but unfortunately lost; after being out of the election, he signed a similar Exhibit with the Indiana Pacers. 10 contracts and played in the summer league, but ultimately failed to stay in the NBA, and then returned to Beijing Shougang to compete in the CBA; last season, Zeng Fanbo ushered in a career breakthrough in the CBA arena, and he averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, becoming an indispensable forward force for Beijing Shougang; in the playoffs, he took a step further, increasing his average data to 15 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks, showing his comprehensive ability on both offense and defense

Beijing played against Shanxi in the CBA semi-finals on April 29 this year. In the second round, a heart-wrenching scene occurred in the third quarter of the game: Zeng Fanbo broke through and made a layup with Shanxi team center Liu Chuanxing. After losing balance, the back of his head and waist fell to the ground at the same time. The scene showed that Zeng Fanbo immediately lost consciousness after falling to the ground. What was even more shocking is that when the Shougang team doctor rushed into the field, he found that Shanxi was not equipped with emergency doctors at home. "Where is the doctor?" The anxious questioning of Shougang staff in the video exposed the shortcomings of medical security in the process of CBA's professionalization. Due to the lack of professional support, the team had to unconscious on their own. The player was sent to the hospital

After a local hospital in Taiyuan, Zeng Fanbo suffered a lumbar transverse process fracture and then returned to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital for further diagnosis. Clinical observation also showed that he had short-term amnesia symptoms, which meets the indication of concussion

The lumbar transverse process fracture has a much greater impact on athletes than imagined. The transverse process located on both sides of the lumbar spine serves as the attachment point of muscles and ligaments, and its fracture will directly affect spinal stability. Medical experts pointed out that this type of injury usually requires 3-6 months of recovery and recovery prematurely. The injury may cause a second injury and even endanger his career. This injury not only made Zeng Fanbo miss the CBA Finals last season, but also may affect his participation in the Asian Cup of Men's Basketball Team, which opened in Jeddah on August 5. In the rumors of signing the Nets, time conflicts have become a key factor. According to media person "StarXia Australian Basketball", the training time of the summer league and the national team overlap. Unless the Nets directly provide a two-way contract, it is difficult for Zeng Fanbo to make a move; in the NBA contract system, Exhibit 10 contracts are a special existence. They are not included in the team's salary cap. They are essentially a non-guarantee contract with incentive clauses. If players play in the Development League for 60 days, they can get a prize of 50 million to 50,000 US dollars. More importantly, this contract has the opportunity to be converted into a two-way contract and then strive for a formal NBA seat. Last year, Cui Yongxi signed with the Nets through the same path, but unfortunately he finally bid farewell to the NBA stage due to injury. Now the Nets have once again turned their attention to the Chinese forward line, which is regarded by the outside world as a recognition of Zeng Fanbo's talent. He not only has excellent athletic ability, but also has a stable three-point shooting, but also shows the momentum of "one man to keep a close eye" on the defensive end. He is often compared with Sun Yue back then

Zeng Fanbo faces a key career choice, Jingshougang has prepared a "good contract" to keep the new generation core, and choosing the NBA means embarking on a path full of uncertainty: from the summer league to training camp to the two-way contract, every level needs to stand out in fierce competition. "After suffering several major injuries, he will have a greater chance of staying in China in the future than ever." Basketball analysts pointed out that although the 22-year-old is still young, the continuous injuries have increased his risk factor for challenging the NBA

Zeng Fanbo's basketball path has always been intertwined with hope and challenges. The shadow of the lumbar transverse process fracture has not completely dissipated, and the NBA's call has come to the front of the goal. According to sources familiar with the situation, the 22-year-old striker has begun to resume training and prepare for possible opportunities