Abdusalam Abdurexit, the reigning MVP of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and captain of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, recently shared his thoughts on his career and expectations for his team in an exclusive interview.
After an impressive 2023-24 season where he averaged 19.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, Abdusalam led the Flying Tigers to a second-place finish with 41 wins. Despite falling to the Liaoning Flying Leopards in the CBA Finals, the team demonstrated remarkable resilience and potential.
Early in the 2024-25 season, Abdusalam suffered an injury that sidelined him for half of the opening stage. However, the Flying Tigers remained strong, with young players stepping up to keep the team among the league’s frontrunners.
“In the first stage, we were missing key players like Zhao Rui, Wu Guanxi, and Zhu Xuhang, and I also missed several games,” Abdusalam remarked. “So with those challenges, achieving the results that we did was truly not easy. But at the same time, we saw many young players step up. They are all extremely talented, and their contributions helped the team achieve those results under very tough circumstances, so I think it is really remarkable.”
The Flying Tigers recently secured their 18th win, defeating the Beijing Ducks 108-97, and maintaining an undefeated record on their home court in Urumqi.
Having served as captain since 2020, Abdusalam has embraced his leadership role, emphasizing the importance of unity and communication within the team.
“Actually, my mentality has not fluctuated too much, and now that I’m the captain, I feel like my role has shifted from being someone who speaks out, to someone who listens,” he explained. “Both on and off the court, the work is equally important to me, including in the locker room, and during training sessions. Every team has members from all over the place, including foreign players, and my responsibility is to help us become more like a family and brothers.”
The Flying Tigers, backed by some of the most loyal fans in China, are striving to return to the top of the league. Abdusalam expressed his gratitude to the supporters and shared his commitment to achieving great results.
“I want to thank all the fans who support us. Thank you for injecting energy into this team. We will continue to work hard, and live up to your expectations, and strive to achieve great results,” he concluded.
Reference(s):
CBA MVP Abdusalam on career, role as captain of Xinjiang Flying Tigers
cgtn.com
