But He couldn't hear the cheers - he felt them from everyone's smiles.

From never watching a live basketball game to becoming a professional player, it may be the craziest thing anyone can dream about. But the seemingly improbable happened to He in just one day.

When the 25-year-old took to the court of Huanglong Sports Center, home to the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, his optimism, perseverance, and unwavering love for basketball shone brightly.

NAVIGATING THROUGH ADVERSITY

He, from southwest China's Guizhou Province, suffered congenital deafness and lost his left leg in a car accident when he was five years old.

For a long time, the little boy was depressed, locking himself up at home without any willingness to contact the outside world.

He gradually became aware of his difference from his peers. He would starve himself as he could only hold himself up with a chair, rather than play outside freely like them.

On a small TV, He found something that led him out of the dark - basketball.

He Mingfeng recalled that his younger brother came to be fascinated by basketball at the age of seven, watching games broadcast on the sports channel and emulating skills from pro players, with five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant being his idol.

He began to develop his basketball skills by following those he observed on TV. At the start, falling down was inevitable, but he never thought of giving up, nor did he shed tears for his injuries. Two years later, he settled for his physical difference from others.

Rather than show concern for his disability, his family poured in their full support. "Basketball is his spiritual sustenance, his only hobby, and a glimmer of light during his difficult days. Why did we oppose to it?" Mingfeng explained, expounding on the subtle changes his brother had undergone.

"He would not lie on bed watching TV all day long, but would play basketball for several hours."

According to Mingfeng, all skills his brother mastered were through observing and emulating.

"Walking, running and jumping every day, it was how he increased the strength in his leg. If he missed a shot, then he would make another one, again and again."

"As our family was poor, we had to scale the mountain to make our living, and he would join us up the hill even though it was eight or ten kilometers away," Mingfeng recalled.

With his skills developed rapidly, Mingliang would not settle for shooting the ball on his own, instead joining his brother and other villagers for some competitive drills.

Lan Sijian, a childhood playmate of Mingfeng, was among the earliest people to witness Mingliang's potential.

"Seeing his play, Lan told me that Mingliang would certainly do well at basketball at that time," recalled Mingfeng.

To make a better living for his family, Mingfeng moved to Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province as a migrant worker in 2014, and with hopes of seeing the outside world, Mingliang followed him to reside in Shaoxing last year.

"After he came here, I once looked for some odd jobs for him, but as he cannot communicate with other people, it's not realistic for him to find a job," explained Mingfeng. "He can take my kid to school and pick my kid up from school. I would give him money every month so that he can do whatever he likes."

ONE-DAY PLAYER CONTRACT

Mingliang started to share videos of him playing basketball in September on the video-sharing platform Douyin. What made him an online sensation was a video at the end of November, featuring him and former CBA player Han Delong going one-on-one. The 11-minute video garnered over 50 million views and 41,000 comments in just 10 days.

Han recently contrived a short-video series titled "Challenge of playing basketball with 100 strangers", aiming to bring back the joy of basketball for ordinary people who have often fallen out of love with it due to heavier burdens in life.

Encountering Mingliang near a court, Han asked him if they would play basketball together, but found that they could only communicate through simple sign language.

More shockingly to Han, when they changed gears, He took down the prosthesis on his left leg, sparking Han to continuously enquire if they would continue to play.

"I was overwhelmed then," Han recalled. "As an athlete, I knew how much weight his right leg would sustain, and I was quite concerned then. But after he took down the prosthesis and hopped onto the court, I could feel a totally different man. He was so confident."

During their one-on-one, Han tried to avoid too much physical contact, but He's seriousness towards the contest greatly impressed him.

To level the playing field, Han also attempted to play on a single leg, but after doing it for just one minute, his leg and hip were sore.

After around 40 minutes of play, Han recommended taking a rest, but He kept dribbling and shooting without showing any signs of fatigue.

"I touched the muscle of his right leg; it felt like a stone," Han recalled.

"He made me cry, but I feel no pity for him as he is stronger than I am," one netizen commented.

The video not only won widespread acclaim online, but also drew attention from the Zhejiang Lions, who replied with an invitation to attend a game.

He's dream of watching a basketball game live came true on December 2, when the Zhejiang Lions hosted the Jilin Northeast Tigers in the CBA, but a bigger surprise awaited him.

The Zhejiang team decided to offer him a one-day player contract, the first of its kind in the franchise's history, and a rarity in the 30-year history of the CBA.

To the shock of many, including his brother, when signing the contract, He wrote down his name for the first time in his life.

"We showed our passion toward basketball in different ways. We hope to convey his inspiration and do something to support his pure love for basketball," club owner Lou Ming said of the decision to sign He, who received the No. 98 jersey.

The number 98 is formed by taking one each from those of the Zhejiang Lions' two mascots, conveying the club's best wishes to He.

In the venue's locker room, after shaking hands with his new teammates like Hu Jinqiu and Nathan Knight, He sat down at his exclusive locker adorned with a heart-shaped image.

Mingliang donned his jersey and joined the team's pre-game motivation, ready to embrace his first warm-ups in the CBA arena.

Taking to the court hand by hand with Hu, Mingliang gazed at everything in front of him.

Everything was new to him.

Joining in training along with Zhejiang stars Hu, Sun Minghui and Zhao Yanhao, Mingliang embraced his golden moment - hoisted by Joshua Carlton, he finished a slam dunk, arduously but resolutely.

"Let's welcome our special player, No. 98, He Mingliang!" To the announcer's introduction, He took to the court.

"He once had a dream of playing basketball in a big venue; now it has become a reality," Mingfeng said.

INSPIRE MORE TO KEEP ON

The Lions eventually prevailed over the Northeast Tigers to extend their home winning streak to seven games. During the half-time break, He was presented with his player contract and a charity fund of 60,000 yuan (8,200 U.S. dollars) from the club earmarked for customization of his prosthesis.

"Being your teammate for one day, I can feel your passion for basketball and life. Your optimistic, confident and positive attitude has impressed everyone. Basketball unites us, and passion makes us stronger," Hu posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

The next day, Mingliang could not hide his excitement, using sign language to express that he had never expected to become a professional player.

After that memorable night, Mingfeng, whose daily job is operating construction vehicles on building sites, felt motivated by his younger brother to take up basketball again.

Han is seeking a prosthesis that would suit He better. "Hopefully he can run on the court someday," Han noted.

Injuries forced Han to retire from the CBA after his last appearance in the 2021-22 season. For more than a year, he didn't want to touch the ball again, deeming basketball to blame for some injuries that were inflicted on him.

"Mingliang's passion for basketball exceeds anyone, including professional players. He gave me strength, and even I got some help from him to keep going with basketball," Han said.

Looking ahead to the future, Mingfeng's priority is to ensure his brother lives happily.

"If he can find a job related to the basketball court or the gym, it would be better for sure," Mingfeng said.

Mingliang's inspiration has also reached a much broader stage.

"We can only see basketball through his eyes; it shines so brightly," one netizen remarked.

For Mingliang, nothing would be better than running on the court one day with a customized prosthesis. The local disabled persons' federation also suggested he joins the selection for wheelchair basketball athletes.

His memory flashed back to that night. Playing in front of thousands of people, he did find the way toward a brighter future.

by sportswriters Su Bin and Xia Liang