The ball's in their court

They might not have everything it takes to go pro, but the country's streetball superstars are quickly becoming basketball's blue-collar heroes, Xing Wen reports.

Throngs of spectators crowded the edges of the outdoor court, with the first row sitting on the ground and those behind jostling to get a good view of the flashy dribbles, jump shots, layups, backboard alley-oops and three-pointers made by the nimble streetball players.

The murmur of the crowd is punctuated only by the sharp sound of the ball bouncing on the concrete, while the thumping beat of hip-hop dance tracks - delivered by a live DJ standing courtside, spinning vinyl and expertly working the decks - provided the perfect backdrop to further amp up the mood.

A mood that was at fever pitch by the time the high-flying dunk contest began.

Arguably the most exciting part of such streetball events, nothing gets the crowd on their feet roaring approval more than a man of seemingly ordinary stature, flying like Superman while at the same time passing the ball from hand to hand under a raised leg and crashing it dramatically down through a hoop 3.05 meters in the air, before making a perfect on-court landing.

Yi Jinhong, 26, topping 1.78 meters, is adept at eliciting awe and applause by executing this feat - in fact, he's become fairly famous for it in China thanks to his participation in Tencent's recent online reality show, Game On.

Growing up in a mountainous village in Yuxi, Yunnan province, Yi's eagerness to play basketball began to germinate when he watched this type of basketball game being routinely held between nearby villages as entertainment during the Spring Festival holidays.

"That, as well as watching Michael Jordan on a black-and-white television I had at home gave me a strong desire to play," he recalls.

At that time, Yi knew that it was hard for his family to afford a ball for him to play with, so he figured out a way to play the game without one - to just leap and try to touch the rim of the hoop again and again.

Yi says he had to perform heavy manual work from a very young age, such as chopping wood and carrying buckets of water, which helped him build muscle and the physical strength required for jumping high in the air.

It explains why, perhaps, that he was able to grab the basket fully by the time he reached high school. In 2012, after he entered Yuxi Normal University, he was invited to join the university squad due to his outstanding bounce and vigor on court.

Yi grabbed the opportunity with both hands, leading a highly disciplined lifestyle by getting up at 4 am to exercise and ensuring he was in bed by 8 pm. During the day, he would do sets of squats, lunges and calf raises, practice dribbling and shooting, and try to get closer to a successful slam dunk.

He trained like a madman, not only for his fascination with the sport, but also with the intention to achieve success and support his poverty-stricken family.

"I noticed that it might be easier for graduates with athletic ability to get a decent job," says Yi. "I could earn decent money by playing basketball at intercompany competitions during my spare time."

Winning from the tipoff

In 2016, he joined a dunking team named Made in China and got the chance to perform at some streetball events across the country, which requires players to display their dunk throwdowns, a feat that has already brought him to the forefront of Chinese streetball.

Many hoops fans consider Yi's height as the main factor hindering his professional basketball career, but it is Yi himself who actually knows where the shoe really pinches.

"When I was young I usually ate rice mixed with soup and pickles, which was obviously not enough nutrition to fuel my physical growth. I often suffered from stomachache or digestion problems as a result of my poor diet as a child.

"I have to accept that a lack of training in the basic skills of the game during my early years is also a barrier to life as a professional basketball player," Yi admits.

Although he couldn't make basketball his professional career, Yi still has a large stage where he can show off his stunts, thanks to the burgeoning streetball scene. The format's less formal structure, loose interpretation of the professional game's rules and its openness to every passionate participant, regardless of their experience or height, have worked in the favor of other players blessed with skill, but who may be lacking in other crucial areas to make it in the professional game.

For Li Guanyang, a postgraduate student from Xi'an Technological University, it's those Chinese streetball heavyweights, and not the professional basketball superstars, that motivated him to keep lifting his degree of skill and physicality.

"It's nearly impossible for a mediocre basketball hobbyist to rival a player from the NBA or China Basketball Association," says the 26-year-old. "However, I believe I can be among the top streetball players in China, mainly because they are physically ordinary, just like me."

An obedient child, whose parents hoped that he would concentrate on his studies, Li, who stands at 1.93 meters in height, seldom got the chance to train systematically in the basics of basketball before he became a member of the university team in 2011.

That's why he used to feel inferior when facing an opponent who had learned to play the game from a young age.

To overcome this negative mindset and compete in more games, he started taking part in both intercollegiate contests and streetball events in 2013.

"Streetball games taught me how to guard against players from different backgrounds, and I found that I could quickly improve my own game by mimicking their moves and learning from their variable tactics," says Li. "I was also inspired by the spirit of streetball players who always put everything into each game."

Adding a professional touch

In 2014, after clinching the win in a streetball game in Beijing, Li was informed that he had been entered into a basketball summer camp where he would get to experience a lifetime highlight - competing one-on-one against NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

"To me, it was an unbelievable moment when he pulled off a feint to try and get past me," Li enthuses. "Although he definitely didn't get into high gear during the game, the fact that I've played against one of the greatest basketball players in the world boosted my ego tremendously. I now have no excuses for cowardice when guarding against other players."

From then on, he became more confident and has never flinched when facing up to high-level players. In the last two years, Li has become a rising star with conspicuous performances in domestic streetball tournaments, such as the Sunset Dongdan and the King of Underdogs.

Instead of pursuing a career related to his academic choices, the electronic and information engineering major has chosen to give junior basketball lovers an opportunity that was not afforded to him as a child, by providing systematic training in the basic skills of the game.

"Through my training camp and the videos I post on social media, I offer practical instruction that I hope will help them," he says.

Streetball events not only nourish the basketball dreams of amateurs like Yi and Li, but also offer professional players further opportunities within the game when their competitive careers start to wane.

Despite retiring from the professional game in 2017, Wang Jing, 41, who used to play in the CBA and the men's National Basketball League, continues to electrify hoops fans by participating in streetball games using his well-honed skills and impressive physical strength. His spirit of persistence and aura of confidence always win him respect from both players and spectators alike.

"I decided to involve myself in streetball, mainly to network with people who share the same passion as me, in the hope that one day I might launch a basketball-related business with them," says Wang.

The savvy player admits that he was surprised to see today's flourishing grassroots hoops scene, especially the popularity of the annual streetball tournaments like the Sunset Dongdan, which was held between May and July at Dongdan Basketball Park in Beijing.

"At dawn, participants from all over the country queued up to register, and the courts are packed solid with spectators. I was lit up by people's passion," he says.

Wang adds, as a more loose and fast variation of standard professional games, these streetball events, where a dazzling range of individual skills can be showcased freely, are a delight to watch.

Therefore, last year, Wang started to host streetball tournaments in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, to better promote his beloved sport through the streets and lanes of China.

Girls make a power play

Xiao Ying, 24, a female basketball enthusiast, says the intense mixed gender streetball games have helped to hone both her offensive skills and her endurance.

"It's common to have to guard against a man who won't take me seriously on a streetball court," says Xiao. "I also have to learn how to prevent myself from hurting others, as well as getting hurt myself."

In 2014, the freshman was selected to be a member of her Lanzhou Jiaotong University team because she was good at running.

"Initially, if I wasn't sitting on the bench, my role in a game was simply to defend against the best scorer in the other team by running with her, which depressed me," she recalls.

However, she kept improving her shooting, dribbling and passing skills and sought out chances to play in off-campus streetball games.

One day, during a game, a male player of towering stature bumped into her and knocked her over. Without any complaint, she quickly picked herself up and set off across the court, continuing to guard against the tall man. That gutsy attitude won the admiration of the leader of local streetball team New Sky, who immediately invited her to join the squad.

Since then, she has traveled with the team to many cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, to play in streetball tournaments.

"I became obsessed with the virtues of hard work and fostering team spirit within a basketball team," she says. "I do wish that more girls could feel the joy of the sport.

"I've met streetball players with attitude and talent from both home and abroad, and last year I even started a romance with one of them," she says delightedly.

The streetball couple are now based in Changsha, Hunan province, and regularly co-host streetball games with universities and local companies.

These days, Xiao has found another way to stay involved with the game despite the hours of back-to-back intensive contests - being a game commentator.

"Before developing a clear style," Xiao explains, "I am accumulating basketball terms, acquiring sports commentary knowledge and learning how to set the mood."

Contact the writer at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Global 09/25/2019 page14)