Bonding on both sides of the ball
Sino-US ties on the basketball court remain stronger than ever
Passing the torch
Zhang's journey to the West is just the latest example of how closer exchange between the two countries' sports communities helps reshape China's talent system, with over 30 young prospects, including females, set to play in the US high-school and NCAA Division I leagues in the 2026-27 season.
None of this would be possible without fearless pioneers. Back in 2001, FIBA Hall of Famer Wang Zhizhi became the first Chinese player to step onto an NBA court, drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1999, breaking new ground for Sino-US basketball exchanges.
He was soon joined by Mengke Bateer, who, in 2002, became the first Chinese player to start an NBA game and went on to win an NBA championship ring with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003 — another first for a Chinese player.
Together with Wang and Yao, the trio earned the NBA nickname the "Walking Great Wall", turning the North American league into arguably the most-followed international sports property in China in the early 2000s, while opening a door to the hoops community in the US to tap into the talent pool in China.
Most Popular
- Bonding on both sides of the ball
- Wang Shun looks beyond the finish line at Asian Games
- China claims table tennis women's team title at Asian Games
- Chen the heroine as Chinese women end 12-year wait to reclaim badminton team title
- Yu leaves the competition in her wake, claiming a third Games gold and another Asiad record in the 400 IM
- Chinese men's team proves it has the apparatus to win, as it ousts host Japan in artistic gymnastics final
