Hoops & dreams

There's an old saying in the West that you should never meet your heroes, they'll only disappoint you. Fortunately, Wang Hedi didn't grow up in the West.

He grew up in Leshan, Sichuan province. It was there, around 15 years ago, as a primary school student, he found himself flicking through a basketball magazine. Inside was the story of a man who would become a sporting legend, LeBron James.

Like the young student, James was born in a small city, in his case Akron, Ohio. Raised by a single mother, James defied the odds by rapidly rising to prominence, from high school success to entering the NBA at the age of 18, before being crowned "King "of the court.

The tale of James' early resilience and triumph deeply moved Wang, who began eagerly tracking his newfound hero's career, only to be further inspired by the fearless manner in which James played.

"The forceful and aggressive way James slams the basketball through the hoop is visually striking, and it really pumps me up," Wang says.

This devoted fan, much like his idol, grew to venture beyond the confines of his hometown, emerging as one of China's hottest young acting prospects.

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago, Wang found himself not only living his childhood dream after being invited to participate in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Feb 16 — scoring 18 points in just 21 minutes, setting a new record for the highest points scored by a Chinese celebrity in the process — but finally got to meet his hero, exchanging first a handshake, then an embrace before finally procuring the highly sought-after autograph of basketball royalty, King James himself.

"That was undoubtedly a dream-come-true journey for me," Wang said during a break at a recent photo shoot in Beijing.

The 25-year-old's display on the NBA court, transitioning from a substitute player to the second-highest scorer for Team Shannon — named after head coach, legendary NFL tight end, Shannon Sharpe — delighted a multitude of Chinese basketball fans, especially when he sunk a spectacular four-point shot to cap his stellar performance.

"Wang really stood out in the game. He became the game's best sixth man," said Su Qun, Tencent Sports' basketball commentator.

While not so proficient in English, Wang sees basketball as a means of cultural communication.