Family over everything: Why Chang Chun Sheng, a champion high jumper, chose basketball

TEHRAN (Iran) - It was all fun and games at first, until Chang Chun Sheng realized that basketball could be an avenue towards better opportunities.

Having turned 18 just last July, there's no doubt that he has his whole life ahead of him. But the youngster simply aspires to provide a better life to his family, the reason why he's taken the game more seriously than his first love.

"I have a family that needs my support, so I would like to try my best to give my family a better life. Because they deserve it," he said.

Chang wasn't naturally a hooper when he was much younger, having played the game just for leisure. He's originally a high jump athlete -- a decorated one, actually, as he won a championship in a high school meet.

So before the hardwood, he was enjoying much of his time on the track. But it was one trip to a basketball camp that made him fall for the game.

"When I was little, I played basketball for fun. When I went to junior high school, I joined a camp with Jay Chou and Taiwan Beer basketball club," he recalled.

"After that experience, I started to fall for basketball. And now, it has become an important thing in my life," Chang added.

He soon became a two-sport athlete. And the skills that he has have merited attention, enough to be discovered by scouts and coaches alike as he was able to bring the high-leaping ability he's developed to the hardwood.

"I feel lucky to have such a talent in playing basketball. If my coach hadn't found out that I can jump this high, I might not be playing basketball here and now.
Being able to jump high to me really helps a lot," he said.

Now, Chang is representing Chinese Taipei at the ongoing FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2022, where he's also emerged as one of the talents to watch out for in the future given the way he's been performing.

The 1.83 M (6'0") guard is presently the fourth-best scorer of the tournament with 20.0 points, alongside 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games.

Chang is leading a team that's been playing an uptempo game in the tilt, which, for him, is their strength to compensate for their size.

"You can describe our game as fast, furious, and great," said Chang, who idolizes Ray Chen. "Because our team is not as tall as the others, so we have to be. We have the best atmosphere among all teams. That’s our strength."

Chinese Taipei have been to the U18 Asian Semi-Finals twice in the past five editions, but have never been to the Final. It's definitely the goal of the program, but Chang said that the aim for now is to reach the penultimate round first.

They can do so on Wednesday when they take on Japan in the Quarter-Finals at the Azadi Basketball Hall, where the winner will also clinch one of the four tickets to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup next year.

"We just focus on our goal, which is going to at least the Semi-Final," he said.

FIBA