Shooting stars aiming high in school league

The prep-to-pro model of player development that has produced NBA superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has long inspired young hoopsters in China to dream big early on.

Now a burgeoning high school league initiated by Nike is giving them an opportunity to enjoy their games like never before.

With a raucous crowd cheering them on at west Beijing's Wukesong Arena on April 30, there was an atmosphere reminiscent of the 2008 Beijing Olympics final staged under the same roof.

The stars were high schoolers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei competing in the league's Greater China Invitational, an eight-team knockout tournament featuring regional champions and runner-up squads.

In a sold-out final watched by celebrities including Chinese national team players Yi Jianlian and Ding Yanyuhang, Nengren Home Economic and Commercial Vocational School from New Taipei City beat the host's Tsinghua University High School, 65-60.

The big-time exposure the high school players enjoyed made their senior counterparts feel envious.

"I felt connected to them because we played the Olympics on the same court," said Yi, who was a starter on China's 2008 Olympic team.

"The vibe becomes special every time you step on a court like this. The exposure, the overwhelming crowd and the intensity all combine to make it a coveted experience. This is of great significance for their future careers."

Yi's national teammate Ding said he expects to see the student players continue pursuing their basketball dreams, motivated by a desire to graduate to the pro ranks.

"To perform on such a big stage was something that I never could imagine back in my youth career. Now this is where they start to live up to their own dreams," said Ding, who presented the final MVP award to Nengren shooting guard Lin Yan-ting.

"With the great support they have now, I hope they keep working hard toward their goal and maybe become pros in the future," he added. The route from high school tournaments to pro leagues remains a bumpy one in China due to the emphasis on academic excellence in the country's education sector and the lack of connections between the two systems.

Unlike the talent-cultivating system in the United States, where pro athletes come from the collegiate ranks, elite players in China such as Yi and Ding were identified early on and selected into the State-run system for training, isolated from ordinary schools.

Without a sound college system as a springboard to pro competition, most of China's talented players in ordinary high schools must give up their pursuit of a serious sports career, focusing instead on the all-important college entrance examination.

However, some individual examples such as retired Chinese Basketball Association player Liu Ziqiu and active CBA All-Star Zeng Lingxu, both graduates from Tsinghua University, have proved the mettle of school-bred players in the pro grind.

"I hope more student athletes follow their footsteps and join us on the higher platform," said Yi, the sixth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2007 NBA Draft, who went on to play six seasons in the world's No 1 pro circuit.

"To draw more talent through the schools is the right direction for our system, just like the US model. I hope the Nike high school league broadens the vision of more students, the educational authorities and sports governing bodies to expand access for young players."

Launched in 1998, the Nike high school league's mainland division involves a total of 65 boys and girls teams in three regional conferences in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The league has developed into an emerging talent scouting platform for top Chinese universities such as Tsinghua and varsity programs of the NCAA.