2.10m tall Chinese basketball player goes viral

China's Zhang Ziyu during a U18 Women's Asian Cup match against New Zealand in Shenzhen on June 25, 2024. Credit – Fred Lee—Getty Images

AAs the Chinese women's youth basketball team takes to the court this week for the Under-18 Asian Cup, which is being held on home soil in Shenzhen, it's impossible to miss one powerful weapon in their arsenal: 17-year-old Zhang Ziyu, who towers over everyone on the court at 2.10 metres (6.3 feet).

Taller than any WNBA player, she has been called a “cheat code” and “undefendable” by social media users and compared to Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 retired Chinese basketball legend, and Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 first overall pick in last year's NBA draft from France.

It's not hard to see why Zhang is attracting attention: In her international tournament debut, she's already posting impressive numbers, shooting 9-of-9 for 19 points in 13 minutes as a substitute as China cruised to a 109-50 win over Indonesia on Monday and helped China beat New Zealand 90-68 on Tuesday.

She has scored a total of 55 points in her two games so far this week, and has barely needed to jump.

Women's basketball has seen a resurgence in global interest, thanks in large part to Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever guard and WNBA sensation coming off a record-breaking college career. Now, Zhang is having her own moment in the spotlight.

Born to professional basketball parents, Zhang was 1.67m tall in first grade and had reached 2.05m by the time he was in sixth grade, according to the state-run news agency. The Global Times.

Zhang's performances in China's youth leagues have seen her gradually gain popularity domestically as a rising star in the sport, particularly in 2021, when footage of the 14-year-old standout in China's National Under-15 Basketball League went viral. But she gained international fame this week, as video montages of her at the Asian Cup racked up millions of views and reactions on social media.

“But what do I see?” wrote Spanish sports journalist Luis Vallejo on X in response to a video of Zhang. “No, it’s not an artificial intelligence,” wrote another user. Others are already anticipating her potential WNBA career when she turns 20 in a few years.

Viewers in her home country also continue to enjoy Zhang's dominance on the court. On Chinese microblogging site Weibo, the topic “Zhang Ziyu is too strong” has been viewed more than eight million times. “This is harassment. There is no way to play the game now,” one post read.

For her part, Zhang remains humble about her rise. “I consider it a gift that was given to me,” she said of her height, in comments published by the International Basketball Federation. “I can easily reach the basket. But basketball is much more than that. I have a lot to learn.”

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