by sportswriter Su Bin
BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- As the final seconds ticked away in the last game of her playing career, Shanghai veteran forward Huang Jing struggled to contain her emotions.
The 40-year-old had nine points and three steals in a seventh-place classification game at the Chinese National Women's Basketball Championship on Aug. 29 before coach Zhan Shuping rested her throughout the fourth quarter.
"Stepping away from a career spanning over two decades as a player, for sure I will feel sad. But once I got my emotions in check, I realized I would still stay on the basketball path - only shifting from player to coach. I will keep contributing to basketball, just in a different way," Huang told Xinhua.
When she took the floor in the opening round of the 2025-26 Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) season on Dec. 1, 2025, Huang became the first player aged 40 or older to compete in league history.
She had planned to retire after the season, but postponed the decision after Shanghai was left shorthanded by national team call-ups and injuries, remaining with the squad through the national championship.
"To still compete on the court at 40 is no small feat. It is both an honor and a responsibility," Huang said. "Mentally I never feel my age, nor do I feel that I can no longer play."
Huang's path into basketball began in fifth grade, when she met her first coach. She later joined the youth team of a local sports school before progressing through the junior and senior ranks.
When Huang made her WCBA debut with Shanghai in 2004, the roster included several established veterans. With playing time limited, she carved out a role through defense and rebounding.
Her progress was soon interrupted by injury. Huang hurt her knee in training shortly after her rookie season but, unsure of the severity, opted against surgery. She later re-injured her right knee while training with the national youth team and was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, forcing her to put her career on hold and undergo surgery.
"In those tough days, I could not tell what my future would hold," Huang recalled.
In 2008, she stepped away from competitive basketball and enrolled at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Yet the game continued to pull her back.
When a coach with the university team asked whether she would consider returning to the professional league, Huang decided to give it another shot.
Shanghai was going through a difficult period at the time, having been relegated to the second division after poor results and lacking experienced players. Huang and Zhuang Xuewei, who also returned from university, helped the team earn promotion back to the WCBA.
"University life shaped me. Back on court, I no longer relied purely on athleticism. I learned to read the game, and my mindset underwent huge change," Huang said.
What followed was a second playing stint lasting 15 years, highlighted by her appearance at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, her only major tournament with the national team.
"To wear the national team jersey is a privilege, and it has long motivated me to keep going," she said.
Zhan took charge of Shanghai in 2023 and became another important influence on Huang as her playing career neared its end.
"Coach Zhan works with extreme rigor and hones fine details in training. From her, I have learned about conviction, mental toughness and how to lead a team," Huang said.
Huang's self-discipline also left an impression on Zhan.
"For three years since I took charge, she was almost never absent from training, arriving earliest and staying latest. Her discipline extends beyond the gym. Her daily routines and diet are exemplary, something young athletes need to emulate," Zhan noted.
"Her competitive level matches younger teammates. I never treated her as an older player. I held her to exactly the same standards as everyone else - and she always met them," she added.
Next season, Huang will remain alongside Zhan, this time as an assistant coach.
"As a coach, you must lead by example to earn players' respect. You need deep professional insight, not just personal playing experience. Absorb contemporary basketball thinking and teach it to young athletes," Huang said.
For Huang, the change of role does not alter the place basketball occupies in her life.
"Everyone has his or her occupation. For mine, I always strive to be the best I can," she said. "I do not feel that I'm 40 years old. This love for basketball defies age, sustained by years of self-discipline and perseverance."
A Shanghai native, Huang has spent her entire career representing her hometown.
"Shanghai has always supported me well, and I aim to bring positive energy to the team," she said.
Now, after more than two decades as a player, Huang hopes to pass on what she has learned to those following behind her.
"It's about legacy," she said. "I want to hand down my experience and new ideas to younger generations." ■
