Sun Yingsha resonates with Kobe

After helping her teammates bring home the Women's Team World Championship trophy, Sun Yingsha has returned to her daily training routine. In a recent interview with CCTV's Sports Zero Distance, she revealed that she read Kobe Bryant's autobiography during closed training, which deeply moved and resonated with her.

At the London World Championships, Sun Yingsha, as China's No. 1 women's player, won all nine of her matches and was named Women's Team MVP. She was the biggest contributor to the national team's successful defense of the Corbillon Cup. Behind this achievement lies her daily dedication and the high standards and strict demands she placed on herself during closed training.

While preparing in Chengdu, Sun finished reading the autobiography that inspired her: "I just finished Kobe's book. What struck me most was how, when he went to practice early in the morning, the gym was completely quiet. He loved that feeling of being there alone — and he truly treasured it. I completely understand that. He said that once he really gets into a game, sometimes he can't even hear the cheers from the crowd, because he's so used to training alone in the gym. I can truly relate to that point he made."

Whenever she comes across something meaningful in the book, Sun takes a photo and shares it with her teammates, exchanging insights with them. "We all keep each other positive and motivated. When I'm tired, they push me; when they're tired, I push them." So during grueling training sessions, when it's time to increase the load and difficulty, the team encourages Sun, and she smiles and fires herself up by saying: "Bring it on! Chinese Kobe!"