18 | Wednesday, September 25, 2019 YOUTH CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION

hrongs of spectators was not afforded to him as a child, crowded the edges of the by providing systematic training in outdoor court, with the the basic skills of the game. first row sitting on the “Through my training camp and Tground and those behind jostling to the videos I post on social media, I get a good view of the flashy dribbles, offer practical instruction that I jump shots, layups, backboard alley­ hope will help them,” he says. oops and three­pointers made by the Streetball events not only nourish nimble streetball players. the basketball dreams of amateurs The murmur of the crowd is punc­ like Yi and Li, but also offer profes­ tuated only by the sharp sound of sional players further opportunities the ball bouncing on the concrete, within the game when their compet­ while the thumping beat of hip­hop itive careers start to wane. dance tracks — delivered by a live DJ Despite retiring from the profes­ standing courtside, spinning vinyl sional game in 2017, Wang Jing, 41, and expertly working the decks — who used to play in the CBA and the provided the perfect backdrop to men’s National Basketball League, further amp up the mood. continues to electrify hoops fans by A mood that was at fever pitch by participating in streetball games the time the high­flying dunk con­ using his well­honed skills and test began. impressive physical strength. His Arguably the most exciting part of spirit of persistence and aura of con­ such streetball events, nothing gets fidence always win him respect the crowd on their feet roaring from both players and spectators approval more than a man of seem­ alike. ingly ordinary stature, flying like “I decided to involve myself in Superman while at the same time streetball, mainly to network with passing the ball from hand to hand people who share the same passion under a raised leg and crashing it as me, in the hope that one day I dramatically down through a hoop might launch a basketball­related 3.05 meters in the air, before making business with them,” says Wang. a perfect on­court landing. The savvy player admits that he Yi Jinhong, 26, topping 1.78 was surprised to see today’s flour­ meters, is adept at eliciting awe and ishing grassroots hoops scene, espe­ applause by executing this feat — in cially the popularity of the annual fact, he’s become fairly famous for it streetball tournaments like the Sun­ in China thanks to his participation Yi Jinhong, 26, a Yunnan­based streetball player, performs a slam dunk on reality show Game On. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY set Dongdan, which was held in Tencent’s recent online reality between May and July at Dongdan show, Game On. Basketball Park in Beijing. Growing up in a mountainous vil­ “At dawn, participants from all lage in Yuxi, Yunnan province, Yi’s over the country queued up to regis­ eagerness to play basketball began ter, and the courts are packed solid to germinate when he watched this with spectators. I was lit up by peo­ type of basketball game being rou­ ple’s passion,” he says. tinely held between nearby villages Wang adds, as a more loose and as entertainment during the Spring The ball’s in their court fast variation of standard profes­ Festival holidays. sional games, these streetball “That, as well as watching Michael events, where a dazzling range of Jordan on a black­and­white televi­ They might not have everything it takes to go pro, but the country’s streetball individual skills can be showcased sion I had at home gave me a strong freely, are a delight to watch. desire to play,” he recalls. superstars are quickly becoming basketball’s blue­collar heroes, Xing Wen reports. Therefore, last year, Wang started At that time, Yi knew that it was to host streetball tournaments in hard for his family to afford a ball for Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to him to play with, so he figured out a better promote his beloved sport way to play the game without one — through the streets and lanes of to just leap and try to touch the rim China. of the hoop again and again. Yi says he had to perform heavy Girls make a power play manual work from a very young age, Xiao Ying, 24, a female basketball such as chopping wood and carry­ enthusiast, says the intense mixed ing buckets of water, which helped gender streetball games have him build muscle and the physical helped to hone both her offensive strength required for jumping high skills and her endurance. in the air. “It’s common to have to guard It explains why, perhaps, that he against a man who won’t take me was able to grab the basket fully by seriously on a streetball court,” says the time he reached high school. In Xiao. “I also have to learn how to 2012, after he entered Yuxi Normal prevent myself from hurting others, University, he was invited to join as well as getting hurt myself.” the university squad due to his out­ In 2014, the freshman was select­ standing bounce and vigor on ed to be a member of her Lanzhou court. Jiaotong University team because Yi grabbed the opportunity with she was good at running. both hands, leading a highly disci­ “Initially, if I wasn’t sitting on the plined lifestyle by getting up at 4 am bench, my role in a game was simply to exercise and ensuring he was in to defend against the best scorer in bed by 8 pm. During the day, he the other team by running with her, would do sets of squats, lunges and which depressed me,” she recalls. calf raises, practice dribbling and However, she kept improving her shooting, and try to get closer to a shooting, dribbling and passing successful slam dunk. skills and sought out chances to play He trained like a madman, not in off­campus streetball games. only for his fascination with the One day, during a game, a male sport, but also with the intention to player of towering stature bumped achieve success and support his into her and knocked her over. poverty­stricken family. Without any complaint, she quickly “I noticed that it might be easier picked herself up and set off across for graduates with athletic ability to the court, continuing to guard get a decent job,” says Yi. “I could against the tall man. That gutsy atti­ earn decent money by playing bas­ tude won the admiration of the lead­ ketball at intercompany competi­ er of local streetball team New Sky, tions during my spare time.” who immediately invited her to join Clockwise from above left: Streetball player Xiao Ying, 24, finds another way to engage in streetball games by becoming a game commen­ the squad. Winning from the tipoff tator. Li Guanyang performs a dunk on reality show Game On. Li (second from right), 26, helps boys get systematic training in basic playing Since then, she has traveled with In 2016, he joined a dunking team skills. Wang Jing (left), a retired CBA player, 41, has extended his career through streetball events. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY the team to many cities, including named Made in China and got the Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, chance to perform at some street­ to play in streetball tournaments. ball events across the country, tion of the professional game’s rules lifetime highlight — competing one­ “I became obsessed with the vir­ which requires players to display and its openness to every passionate on­one against NBA legend Kobe tues of hard work and fostering their dunk throwdowns, a feat that participant, regardless of their expe­ Bryant. team spirit within a basketball has already brought him to the fore­ rience or height, have worked in the At dawn, participants from all over the “To me, it was an unbelievable team,” she says. “I do wish that more front of Chinese streetball. favor of other players blessed with moment when he pulled off a feint girls could feel the joy of the sport. Many hoops fans consider Yi’s skill, but who may be lacking in oth­ country queued up to register, and the to try and get past me,” Li enthuses. “I’ve met streetball players with height as the main factor hindering er crucial areas to make it in the pro­ courts are packed solid with spectators. “Although he definitely didn’t get attitude and talent from both home his professional basketball career, fessional game. into high gear during the game, the and abroad, and last year I even but it is Yi himself who actually For Li Guanyang, a postgraduate I was lit up by people’s passion.” fact that I’ve played against one of started a romance with one of knows where the shoe really pinches. student from Xi’an Technological Wang Jing, a retired CBA player speaking about the greatest basketball players in them,” she says delightedly. “When I was young I usually ate University, it’s those Chinese street­ the annual streetball tournament held over May and July the world boosted my ego tremen­ The streetball couple are now rice mixed with soup and pickles, ball heavyweights, and not the pro­ at Dongdan Basketball Park in Beijing dously. I now have no excuses for based in Changsha, Hunan prov­ which was obviously not enough fessional basketball superstars, that cowardice when guarding against ince, and regularly co­host streetball nutrition to fuel my physical motivated him to keep lifting his other players.” games with universities and local growth. I often suffered from stom­ degree of skill and physicality. basics of basketball before he ent backgrounds, and I found that I From then on, he became more companies. achache or digestion problems as a “It’s nearly impossible for a medio­ became a member of the university could quickly improve my own game confident and has never flinched These days, Xiao has found anoth­ result of my poor diet as a child. cre basketball hobbyist to rival a team in 2011. by mimicking their moves and learn­ when facing up to high­level players. er way to stay involved with the “I have to accept that a lack of player from the NBA or China Bas­ That’s why he used to feel inferior ing from their variable tactics,” says In the last two years, Li has become game despite the hours of back­to­ training in the basic skills of the ketball Association,” says the 26­year­ when facing an opponent who had Li. “I was also inspired by the spirit of a rising star with conspicuous per­ back intensive contests — being a game during my early years is also a old. “However, I believe I can be learned to play the game from a streetball players who always put formances in domestic streetball game commentator. barrier to life as a professional bas­ among the top streetball players in young age. everything into each game.” tournaments, such as the Sunset “Before developing a clear style,” ketball player,” Yi admits. China, mainly because they are phys­ To overcome this negative mind­ Dongdan and the King of Under­ Xiao explains, “I am accumulating Although he couldn’t make bas­ ically ordinary, just like me.” set and compete in more games, he Adding a professional touch dogs. basketball terms, acquiring sports ketball his professional career, Yi still An obedient child, whose parents started taking part in both intercol­ In 2014, after clinching the win in Instead of pursuing a career relat­ commentary knowledge and learn­ has a large stage where he can show hoped that he would concentrate on legiate contests and streetball a streetball game in Beijing, Li was ed to his academic choices, the elec­ ing how to set the mood.” off his stunts, thanks to the burgeon­ his studies, Li, who stands at 1.93 events in 2013. informed that he had been entered tronic and information engineering ing streetball scene. The format’s less meters in height, seldom got the “Streetball games taught me how into a basketball summer camp major has chosen to give junior bas­ Contact the writer at formal structure, loose interpreta­ chance to train systematically in the to guard against players from differ­ where he would get to experience a ketball lovers an opportunity that [email protected]