Zhang Ziyu has made her debut for China's U-18 basketball team, instantly becoming a viral sensation due to her extraordinary height and dominating performance. The 18-year-old Chinese player, standing at a record 226 centimeters (7'5"), completely overwhelmed opponents from Bosnia and Herzegovina in her first international appearances.
"Our opponents simply had no answer for Zhang's height and technique," said a team representative after the matches.
The games weren't even close – Zhang led her team to crushing victories with scores of 101:55 and 124:57. Videos of her towering over defenders and effortlessly scoring have collected hundreds of thousands of views online in less than 24 hours. No surprise there.
Born on May 2, 2007, Zhang comes from basketball royalty. Her father stands at 213 cm tall, while her mother, who represented the Chinese national team, measures 198 cm. Height runs in the family, clearly. Interestingly, Zhang was already 160 cm tall in first grade and exceeded two meters before even entering middle school.
The young center first caught public attention in 2021 during the Chinese U-15 championship final where she dominated with 42 points, 25 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Her opponents barely reached her elbow!
The following season, she helped her team secure another championship title while averaging nearly 35 points per game. In the final match, she scored an impressive 62 points – accounting for 79% of her team's total score.
2024 marked Zhang's first appearance for China's U-18 team at the Asian Cup, where she was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She averaged 35 points per game and set a tournament record with 44 points against Japan. Despite her remarkable performance, China ultimately lost to Australia in the final.
With such extraordinary physical attributes and basketball skills at just 18, what ceiling might exist for Zhang Ziyu's career? The basketball world is certainly watching with great interest.
