Xinjiang Today: It takes a lot of love to play basketball at this level and it takes a lot of hard work. How did you come to love the game of basketball? 

Abdusalam Abdurexit: Actually, loving basketball is like loving a person. Sometimes, when you love the right person or find a passion for a career, your life just lights up. That's why I feel I made the right choice with basketball.

Many people who love basketball model their game after a famous player, someone who inspires them. Who has inspired you and who have you modeled your game after?

My favorite basketball player when I was young was Michael Jordan. Because I am from Xinjiang, I have been a fan of the Xinjiang team and one of its players Shirelijan Muxtar. Shirelijan has influenced me a lot, including after I joined the team.

What are your strengths as a player and what skills do you want to work on improving? 

I'm particularly skilled at low-post one-on-one back-to-the-basket techniques because Jordan has been my favorite player since I was a child. I've also been watching highlights of [U.S. players]Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant since I was young.I really like their back-to-the-basket plays. I've been imitating them since I was young and refining my own skills.

If there's any area where I'm lacking, it might be in physicality and shooting techniques. I might be a bit weak in those aspects.

What is it like being a top basketball player in China, with fans and just day to day? 

Actually, it's okay. I hope that I can continue to improve my skills and keep moving forward. I also hope to bring exciting performances to all these people who love basketball and to become their role model. Many people in Xinjiang watch the Xinjiang team's games. They won't leave you because you play badly. They will always rally together to support the team and the athletes.

There was a time when you were injured, and you went to the United States for treatment. Can you tell us how you were feeling during that time and how that experience influenced your life after?

That experience taught me how to become a truly professional athlete, how to take care of my body, how to protect it, and how to listen to the signals my body gives me. After this injury, I enriched my knowledge about sport, including sports rehabilitation, diet and sleep. When you have a healthy body, basketball can take you to many places and let you see a lot of things along the way. But sometimes basketball can also bring you harm, like injuries and stress. While we enjoy the joy and scenery that basketball brings, we must also avoid the harm it can cause.

If you ask whether it has affected my entire career, it certainly has. I can't say what my future career would have been like without this injury, but this experience is something I have to accept. I'm not trying to glorify the injury or anything, like thanking the injury or the low point, but having gone through such things, I have to look forward. And I am happy that I could come out of this phase of my life.

What is basketball culture like in China? What importance does it hold among Chinese fans? 

Actually, basketball is a sport with a lot of grassroots participation in China. And now, competitions at all levels, including the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and lower-level leagues, are developing. For example, in addition to the CBA, there are also NBL (National Basketball League), CUBAL (Chinese University Basketball Association League), and the very popular "Village BA" [Village Basketball Association, a rural basketball tournament that first debuted in a county in Guizhou Province and later evolved to become a nationwide sensation—Ed.] in recent years.

If we compare the development of basketball in China with that in the United States, there is definitely still a significant gap, and the basketball culture may also lag behind quite a bit. I was fortunate to participate in the U.S. National Basketball Association Summer League in 2018 and 2019, which was truly an eye-opening experience for me.

I never thought that one day I could join the Xinjiang team and even become its captain. It feels like a dream come true. Since I joined the team, many of the senior players have taught me how to play better and I am still learning. Now, as the captain, the responsibility is even greater.

As the Xinjiang team has already won one CBA championship, I now just want to concentrate on pursuing a second one. The first time we won, I was a young player and didn't contribute much. But I saw how the whole city of Urumqi celebrated with us when we won. And that feeling is still vivid in my memory. So I hope to contribute more to winning the next championship flag.

This team holds significant weight in the hearts of all its supporters. So I hope to pass on the experience that my senior teammates have given me. I don't want that to stop with me.

Has your upbringing in Xinjiang as a Uygur influenced your basketball journey at all? 

Actually, it didn't have much influence. I played basketball like other children. I enjoy the sport and it is the work I love. There are athletes from all over the country in our team. There are also many ethnic minority athletes in the team.

A TV series about your hometown, To the Wonder, has introduced many people to Altay and brought a story from Xinjiang to the Cannes International Series Festival. How did you feel when you saw this drama? What would you like people who live outside of Xinjiang to know about the region? (Read more about To the Wonder on pp.66-69)

By the time To the Wonder aired in 2024, it had been a long time since my previous return to Altay. When I did go back, it was just to visit my parents, elders and classmates, so my impression of Altay remained as it was when I was 17. Watching the series had a big impact on me. I was eager to plan a road trip to Altay. The drama was a big surprise for me. It was exactly like my memories of my hometown. I shared some clips with my old friends and classmates.

In my heart, my hometown is very beautiful. I also hope that more people can come to Xinjiang to experience it firsthand. I think the beauty of Xinjiang cannot be described, not even in thousands of words. When you really come to this land, I think you will love it here. XT

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About Abdusalam Abdurexit 

Date of birth: May 20, 1996 

Place of birth: Altay, Xinjiang 

Height: 2.03 meters 

Profession: Professional basketball player 

Position: Forward 

Team: Xinjiang Flying Tigers 

Career Highlights: 

2015: Made his debut for the Xinjiang 

Flying Tigers in the CBA 

2017: Won the CBA Championship with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 

2020-21 Season: Became the captain of the Xinjiang Flying Tigers 

2021-22 Season: Named the CBA Most Improved Player and selected for the CBA All-League First Team 

2023-24 Season: Awarded the CBA 

Regular Season Most Valuable Player 

National Team Achievements: 

November 2017: Selected for China's national men's basketball team 

September 2018: Helped the national team win the gold medal at the 2018 

Jakarta Asian Games 

2019: Represented the national team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup