"In the beginning, others said that I was not suitable to play basketball, but now I have proven that I can. I don't believe in fate, I only believe in myself." Recalling the experience of six months ago, the one-armed boy Zhang Jiacheng said.

Last year, Zhang Jiacheng watched a football match in Zhuhai. During the intermission, he singled out with the players and successfully defeated the opponent. This moment was posted online by the audience. After that, Zhang Jiacheng became famous on the Chinese Internet. Zhu Fangyu and Yi Jianlian liked his post. Even the famous NBA star Damian Lillard encouraged him, and Stephen Curry looked for him on Weibo and recorded a blessing video to encourage him. The Nets sent his idol, Kyrie Irving's jersey and invited him to watch the game in New York. CBA invited him to attend the rematch ceremony to jump the ball for the Guangdong Men's Basketball Competition...

After that, Zhang Jiacheng also registered as a youth athlete in Guangdong Province. He also went to many cities in China to participate in charity basketball games.

Zhang Jiacheng is preparing for training.(Photo: Nanfang Daily)

In order to facilitate his training and preparation for the Guangdong Basketball Tournament, Zhang Jiacheng and his family moved to Dongguan. In Dongguan, Zhang Jiacheng can also get more professional training. In December 2020, Zhang Jiacheng participated in the Guangdong Basketball Tournament as a member of the U14 team for the first time. In the end, his team won the game.

Zhang Jiacheng feels that becoming famous has not changed his life too much. He couldn't live without basketball before, and it is the same now. "If no one pays attention to me in the future, I will not feel lost. These have no effect on my playing basketball. Whether they pay attention to me or not, I will continue to play basketball." Zhang Jiacheng said.

Zhang Jiacheng is practicing basketball.(Photo: Nanfang Daily)

Zhang Beihai, Zhang Jiacheng' father, believes that Zhang Jiacheng does not value fame and wealth. "Other people's encouragement and support for him helped him find confidence and become more optimistic."

At present, Zhang Jiacheng only participates in public welfare activities. “We don't want him to be commercialized. We will also choose to participate in activities on weekends and holidays to avoid affecting his study.” Regarding Zhang Jiacheng’s future career planning, Zhang Beihai hasn't figured it out yet. "It depends on what he thinks, let him choose by himself."

 

Reporter | Ou Chuxin

Video-shooting | Dong Tianjian

Video-editing | Zhou Xinyu

Author | Alice

Editor | Steven, Jerry