Chinese-Canadian basketball phenom Ben Li dreams of future with China national team – ‘that’s up there with making the NBA for me’
- The 19-year-old Lehigh first-year was the first fully ethnic-Chinese to feature in an All-Canadian game
- Li recalls being quarantined for his first two weeks of college, training with China under-19s, and learning from Jeremy Lin
Chinese-Canadian baller Ben Li is excited by the prospect of one day guiding the China national team to new international heights.
The 19-year-old NCAA division I college player has already been labelled the “Chinese Zion Williamson” by media for his mountainous 1.98m, 104.3kg stature and explosive dunking ability. While there is much work to do, Li has so far laid out a very encouraging blueprint to the top.
“The bigger goal, in the near future, is to represent China on the big stage competing against countries from the rest of the world. Just thinking about that is surreal in itself. That’s up there with making the NBA for me,” said Toronto-born Li, stressing that his “number one priority” is to perform in his first-year year in Lehigh University, Pennsylvania having just embarked in August.
“Those are some goals I want to hit that would mean a lot. A lot. I definitely would want to play alongside China – when the time comes. I’m always pushing to make sure I’m on that right path.”
Though he spent much of his life in his native Canada, Li – Chinese name Li Hongquan – is well aware of his ethnic heritage. He explained that were it not for global pandemics, he would be taking his annual family trip to China, where he has already made waves in the domestic basketball scene.