Mu Tiezhu's farewell ceremony: Zheng Haixia choked with sobs, Yao Ming looked solemn, almost all members of the Bayi team were present

On September 14, 2008, Mu Tiezhu, the "Asia's number one center" who once dominated the basketball court, left us forever due to a sudden heart disease.

Four days later, he was buried in Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery.

Mu Tiezhu once joined the Bayi Basketball Team. Under his leadership, the Bayi Men’s Basketball Team defeated the American University Star Team twice. He even played a game against the Suzhou Team. Someone scored 80 points.

The day of the farewell ceremony happened to be the day before the current Bayi basketball team went to Guangxi to prepare for the CBA warm-up match. The team specially postponed its schedule for one day and arrived at the scene to pay tribute to this former big brother.

On that day, many well-known domestic athletes put down their work anyway and came to the scene to pay tribute.

Mu Tiezhu’s life is a story and a legend.

In June 1949, Mu Tiezhu was born into a poor family in Heze, Shandong during the turbulent years.

In that era of turmoil, Mu Tiezhu’s sister brought her family to Xinjiang in order to make a living.

Mu Tiezhu then followed his sister as a "supporting youth" in Xinjiang.

As the days passed, Mu Tiezhu became taller and taller. He was already 2.20 meters tall, and he ate twice as much as his family members. In order to have three meals of food and clothing, Mu Tiezhu had no choice but to He sells chickens on the street to earn living expenses.

In that era, ordinary people did not have enough food, and they were not that tall. Therefore, whenever Mu Tiezhu took to the streets, there would always be a group of people around him looking at him curiously.

One day, Mu Tiezhu, who was surrounded by a group of people, was noticed by the Dongming County Sports Committee who was passing by on the street. The Sports Committee enthusiastically suggested that he was suitable for playing basketball because he was so tall, and recommended him to Shandong. Sports team plays.

But when he arrived in Shandong, Mu Tiezhu failed to hit the ball and was kicked back, saying that he had no basketball foundation and could not be taller than him. Their team needed "immediate combat power."

This matter was known by the National Sports Commission. They heard that there was a "giant" that the Shandong Sports Team did not want to settle down. They felt that it was a pity that the talent was not cultivated, so they used 20 basketball players. Mu Tiezhu was replaced by the National Sports Commission.

But who knows, Mu Tiezhu never touched basketball even once in the Sports Committee. Because at that time, in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the sports-related facilities were not so complete, and there was no good system to train Mu Tiezhu. , resulting in him being assigned to train with a track and field coach.

But as the saying goes: "If you can't make a fool of yourself, you can reach a thousand miles"

Mu Tiezhu's fool appeared!

After a year of training from the National Sports Commission, Hubei Huangshi Amateur Basketball Team coach Yu Bangji is reorganizing the basketball team. He is worried that there is no center to sit at the basket, and Mu Tiezhu is about to be transferred to Hubei. Huang Shi asked coach Yu Bangji if he would give him a chance. The coach saw that his height was completely impeccable and he could be trained to become the team's main center.

Yu Bangji thought that Mu Tiezhu was a good prospect, and offered him a monthly salary of 15 yuan, including food and accommodation. He was given two sets of cotton-padded jackets and a shirt every year. He hoped that Mu Tiezhu could stay in the team for training. This was a very good treatment at the time, and Mu Tiezhu agreed without even thinking about it.

Ever since, Mu Tiezhu joined the Hubei amateur basketball team and started a legendary basketball career.

Coach Yu Bangji’s background is not simple. He was a member of the basketball team established by General Sun Liren before the founding of New China. He has a solid foundation, so under his command, Mu Tiezhu received complete training, combined with With his height and natural athleticism, he quickly grew into an excellent center.

In the Huangshi Amateur Sports Team, he quickly became the backbone of the team, killing everyone on the court.

Obviously, the difficulty of the amateur team competition is already a piece of cake for Mu Tiezhu.

At this time, his performance happened to be discovered by the "August 1st Basketball Team" which was being reorganized. After being recommended by coach Yu Bangji, he joined the team.

The Bayi Basketball Team, affiliated to the Chinese military, is a team full of talents. It once had brilliant achievements in history. Before the establishment of the Chinese Professional Basketball Association (CBA), it won 7 times in the National Games. champion.

In 1972, Mu Tiezhu came to the team with outstanding results and was ready to show off his skills.

In 1973, the Bayi Basketball Team underwent internal reorganization and established the New Bayi Basketball Team. Mu Tiezhu competed as a basketball player of the team for the first time. His skills surpassed those of the others and allowed the coach to determine the ball. The team will use him as its main center in the future.

The two National Games from 1975 to 1979 were Mu Tiezhu’s highlight moments. He led the team to win two championships, making the Bayi team the leading basketball team in the country.

This giant has truly become famous all over the country.

In the same year, China and the United States established diplomatic relations. Against a historical background, the American college basketball team came to China for the first time for an exchange game. Mu Tiezhu led the team to defeat this team known as the "American University" in two consecutive games. A team composed of star players.

He stood in the penalty area, opened his arms, turned around with the ball and "hooked" it into the basket, scoring frequently under the basket, and the US team players were completely unable to parry.

Mu Tiezhu's performance made athletes and fans across the country and even the world turn their attention to this rising basketball star. His light is really too dazzling.

Mu Tiezhu led the Bayi Basketball Team further into the international arena. In 1981, they defeated the Philippines team, which had won the championship for many years, in the Asian Club. This was also the first Asian club championship in the history of the Chinese men's basketball team. .

With Mu Tiezhu guarding the penalty area, the Bayi Basketball Team has become a feared team in Asia. They once crushed their opponents and beat Japan and South Korea by 30 to 40 points.

In that era, it can be said that as long as Mu Tiezhu is there, the Bayi team can defeat almost all the invincible opponents in the world.

Mu Tiezhu also scored 80 points in a game against Suzhou.

You must know that at that time, no one had the ability to score more than 40 points. He could handle almost the entire Bayi team's points by himself, which was comparable to Chamberlain's 100-point score in a single game of the American Professional Basketball Association. record.

But even with the glory and glory, Mu Tiezhu still trains diligently every day and does not dare to relax, because he knows that he is carrying not only results but also the honor of the Bayi team and even the country.

He insists on completing several kilometers of jogging every day to train his body to maintain the best performance on the court.

But years of fighting have gradually accumulated injuries of various sizes to Mu Tiezhu's body.

The fierce running of the basketball and the fierce collision under the basket as a center all caused Mu Tiezhu's physical injuries.

Until 1987, the "advanced" 38-year-old Mu Tiezhu was diagnosed with various old diseases such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and lumbar disc herniation over many years because he practiced too hard. The injury recurred, and he understood that this was a warning from his body, so at the Asian Games of the same year, he announced his retirement and recuperated his body at home.

In this way, Mu Tiezhu ended his basketball career perfectly with countless honors.

His retirement life is ordinary and satisfying. For him, the most important task in life-basketball has been completed. He is satisfied if he can live a quiet life. He is not even mentioned in the media. There is little news about his retirement.

Although Mu Tiezhu has been so low-key, he will always be crowded with people whenever he appears. Once, Mu Tiezhu went to Donglaishun, Beijing, for dinner, which caused a stir in Wangfujing and Donglaishun. Traffic jam.

No matter where Mu Tiezhu appears in any city in China, someone will always blurt out: "Isn't this Mu Tiezhu!"

At one point he was invited to take photos He has appeared in 4 movies and starred in "The Foolish Manager" with famous actors such as Song Dandan, which left a deep impression on the audience.

However, in 2008, the unfortunate news came that Mu Tiezhu died in the hospital due to a heart attack at the age of 59.

Four days later, the state arranged for him to hold a farewell ceremony at the "Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery"; many famous historical heroes and martyrs of the Communist Party of China are also buried here. Mu Tiezhu can be said to have won The highest level of courtesy in the country.

The funeral was a sad scene. All his former teammates came to the grave to pay their respects sadly.

Zheng Haixia, a former women’s basketball teammate of the Bayi Team and China’s number one female center, also came to see her comrade on her last journey. As soon as she arrived at the scene, she burst into tears and was completely unacceptable. She once told her friends that since Mu Tiezhu left, she often felt depressed and wondered why such an outstanding person would suddenly disappear.

At that time, basketball superstar Yao Ming, who was in high demand, specifically canceled all his schedules and rushed to Babaoshan.

Yao Ming had previously met at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the two had a great chat. Happy, I didn't expect that the senior who seemed to be tough a while ago has passed away. Yao Ming looked solemn in front of his soul, silent, and couldn't be alone for a long time.

Mu Tiezhu’s former teammates said this about Mu Tiezhu:

The death of a legend shocked and saddened everyone. On that day, Mu Tiezhu lay peacefully surrounded by flowers. In the coffin, with countless honors, sleep forever.

On that day, many well-known athletes put down what they were doing and came to the scene to pay tribute to this former basketball legend.

It has been about 13 years (2021) since Mu Tiezhu retired, so how is his widow doing now? What are you doing again?

After Mu Tiezhu retired at that time, except for occasional appearances in filming movies and interviews, he almost disappeared from public view, and there was no news about his wife and children.

In fact, after he married his wife Wang Zhuanhong, they had a son and a daughter. The family lived in a bungalow and lived a low-key and simple life.

After Mu Tiezhu retired, the family's only income was the couple's pension, which together accounted for about 3,000 yuan per month.

For a star athlete, this pension does not seem to be in line with his worth, but Mu Tiezhu did not complain, but cherished everything he had even more.

We can get a glimpse of Mu Tiezhu’s family situation from media interviews conducted long ago.

He told the media that his eldest daughter is called Mu Rong and his youngest son is called Mu Tong. The two children were influenced by their father and both like basketball and NBA.

But Mu Tiezhu never asked his children to "inherit the mantle". Instead, he hoped that his children would develop freely.

Mu Tiezhu felt that he was in debt to his children because he worked outside for a long time and had no time to spend with his children. However, in fact, the two children admired their father very much because they both knew that their father was traveling outside all year round. In addition to making money, he also brought glory to the country.

In addition, after all, Mu Tiezhu is 2.20 meters tall, and the height of the two children is also the focus of attention from the outside world.

As the children grow up, the mystery is gradually revealed.

The eldest daughter is about 1.7 meters tall, which is relatively tall among girls. The younger son is 1.8 meters tall, which is considered the basic height of a basketball player, but he does not play basketball. Is to continue studying.

To be honest, Mu Tiezhu did not deliberately train his children to become basketball players. He said:

Now, his sister Mu Rong is 41 years old and works in a bank. His younger brother Mu Tong was admitted to Beijing Union University and worked in a company after completing his studies.

The children all lived a peaceful and happy life, and his wife Chen Zhuanhong, because the children’s financial resources gradually stabilized, moved out of the small bungalow and lived in a pretty good house. .

Mu Tiezhu is a low-key person, and his conscientious professionalism is worth learning from. Mu Tiezhu's social influence is so great that it goes far beyond basketball. Mu Tiezhu has created a piece of history and good stories of his own.

In the 1970s and 1980s, due to China's special historical background and social development status at that time, Mu Tiezhu did not become an internationally influential basketball superstar like Yao Ming today, but in people's minds, that Mu Tiezhu at that time was equivalent to Yao Ming now.

In the last century, my country has created a lot of sports myths, including the five consecutive championships of the women's volleyball team, the dominance of table tennis, and the wonderful performance of the women's basketball team Zheng Haixia in addition to Mu Tiezhu in basketball.

These are all earned through the sweat and sweat of the athletes. Their dedication and hard work have created our country’s sports glory. I hope that today’s athletes can continue to bring us more surprises. , continue to win glory for the country!