NBA hope Zeng Fanbo signs for G League Ignite aiming for 2022 draft
- Chinese teenager joins team of elite prospects ahead of their second season after turning back on Gonzaga in April
- ‘It is a great opportunity for me to chase my dream,’ youngster says as he aims to emulate Yao Ming
Chinese NBA hopeful Zeng Fanbo has signed for the G League Ignite with the aim of joining the NBA draft next year.
“This is the best and fastest way to become a pro, and also get better every day. This was the best decision I could make while I was in China,” Zeng told ESPN of his move to the development league.
Zeng made the decision in April, going back on his commitment to playing NCAA basketball with Gonzaga.
“It is a great opportunity for me to chase my dream,” the 6’11” (211cm) power forward told the NBA after officially joining the Ignite. “It is a dream come true.”
“It is a great opportunity for me to learn from coach Hart and all the top players. It is a great learning opportunity for me.”
Zeng was born in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, and was part of the Beijing Ducks youth programme. The Ducks sent him to the US for a high school try-out when he was 14 in 2017 a year before he moved to Windermere Prep in Florida.
Chinese NBA hope Zeng Fanbo picks G League Ignite over Gonzaga
Zeng spent two years at the school where he was ranked as No 33 on ESPN’s list of high school prospects ahead of committing to Gonzaga. The teen then returned to China last March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, where he played for Beijing in the CBDL, the Chinese reserve league.
He returns to the US to join the G League Ignite ahead of their second season.
Last season the Ignite featured talents such as Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix and Isaiah Todd as well as Princepal Singh. Green and Kuminga starring for the team as they reached the play-offs in their debut season.
Zeng will play alongside fellow NBA prospects Jaden Hardy, Michael Foster, MarJon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels and Scoot Henderson.
“They are young and great players, and I want to get together with them as a team and as a family.”
“Of course I am going to miss my family and my parents, and my friends who have always been around me.”
China’s NBA hope Zeng misses out on Hoop Summit team
The teenager told the NBA that he was looking forward to getting to Walnut Creek, California, where the team is based.
“I’m looking forward to my new PS5 and NBA2K22,” the 18-year-old said. “When I get there I am going to FaceTime my parents and go to Chick-fil-A and get a chicken sandwich with Chick-fil-A sauce.”
Philippines prospect Kai Sotto signed for the Ignite last season but left before playing a game after travelling home for national duty. He has now signed for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s NBL ahead of NBA draft eligibility in 2022.
Zeng has made his NBA ambitions clear: to follow in the footsteps of Yao Ming and the other Chinese players who have played in the league.
“I really appreciate people believing in me and I’ll use that as a motivation. I’m far from being compared to the greatest Chinese players that ever played. I’m lucky enough to have someone like Yao as a pioneer,” he told ESPN last year.
“He paved the way for Chinese players, especially players who play in the States. I can only work harder to achieve what they have achieved. It’s a huge motivation for me rather than pressure. I really hope that some day I’ll be playing in the NBA.
“Most importantly, I wish I can contribute wearing the Chinese national jersey and represent my country on a global stage. That’s the ultimate goal. I hope that I can influence Chinese basketball, and even the youth.”
Zeng was called up to his first China national team training camp last August.
