The Liaoning Flying Leopards have won the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Championship for the 2021-22 season. In an interview with Xinhua News Agency on Friday, the team's general manager Li Hongqing said, instead of building a new dynasty, the Flying Leopards want to grow more talents for Chinese basketball.

"The Flying Leopards have been fully-prepared to win this title," Li said. "We have learnt our lesson and made specific improvements in everything ranging from coaching crew building to medical staff recruitment. But compared with winning the championship, we prefer to see better performance and results for Chinese basketball as more talents emerge."

Guo Ailun, Zhao Jiwei, Han Dejun and other veterans were still the core of the Flying Leopards on their way to the CBA throne this season, but the rise of Fu Hao and Zhang Zhenlin was also key to the team's success.

"Fu is from a basketball family," Li said. "He and his family know what to do to improve his skills. His mom Zhan Shuping worked as his shooting coach during the Spring Festival."

Zhang is going to the U.S. this summer and will participate in the NBA Draft on June 23. Both Li and the Flying Leopards have been supportive for him. "I have been dreaming about having a player trained by the Flying Leopards appear in the NBA, the world's top basketball league," Li told Xinhua. "Zhang Zhenlin is hopeful to do it. The team wants to help him refine his abilities in the CBA so he can get closer to the NBA."

Li added that Zhang must work hard himself because it's only meaningful if he can join an NBA team and receive regular time on court.

The Flying Leopard's success couldn't have happened without the excellent work by the medical and coaching crew. The 2021-22 season was long with all the breaks, so it's important for the franchise to stay healthy. The team has avoided major injuries on their way to the CBA Finals thanks to the support a professional medical group.

Li revealed that the coaching crew led by Yang Ming did a remarkable job of helping American forward Eric Moreland fit in and build chemistry with the team. "They kept communicating with Moreland patiently to help him build chemistry with the squad," Li said. "Our coaches have done a lot of work that many didn't see. They convinced Moreland that the team trusts him and helped him learn his role. It was win-win for both of us in the end."