Wu You, aka MoreFree, is considered China’s godfather of street basketball. And he made his name by challenging visiting NBA stars to 1-on-1 games.
Streetball is the raw and raucous—some say purest—form of basketball.
Taking a relaxed approach to the sport’s rules and regulations, streetball prioritizes style and entertainment value.
Games run short and sharp, players sub in and out from the crowd, and trash-talking is endorsed. Generally, there’s no money involved, and players sweat it out for street cred and bragging rights. It’s loud, rough, and physical.
In China, this freestyle form of basketball has taken hold among the country’s basketball-obsessed youth. For 10 Sundays every summer, crowds fill the Dongdan courts in Beijing to witness one of China’s longest-running streetball tournaments, called Sunday Sunset.
As the name suggests, games start in the late afternoon and run all the way into the evening, with players advancing in stages. They come from all over the country in hopes of sharing the court with one man: Wu You, the spiritual godfather and undisputed king of streetball in China. Watch the video to learn more.
