🇨🇳🇬🇧 This is a bilingual weekly newsletter.

👇 Scroll to bottom for ENGLISH VERSION

全國U17籃球錦標賽剛剛落幕。

看台上球迷的吶喊，球場上球員的對決，總讓人想起《灌籃高手》那句名台詞——「我們的目標是制霸全國！」

每一個U17球員站上球場的那一刻，心裡或多或少都在演一場屬於自己的漫畫劇情。 汗水、友情、逆轉勝、全場MVP。

青春，原本就該這麼純粹、這麼熱血。

怪物新人對決，賽後留下的問號

雖然本屆賽會我不是場場都追，但也略有關注，而男子組決賽的焦點落在兩位「怪物新人」：

• 吉隆坡王牌黃正旋 (Benedict Ong)：決賽砍下 27 分，最終奪得賽會得分王（場均 20 分）。
• 雪蘭莪人氣新秀陳渝翔 (Tan Yu Xiang)：場均 16.9 分、13.4 籃板、2.3 阻攻，率隊奪冠並當選最有潛力男球員。

有人說，黃正旋像昔日台灣「最強高中生」陳將雙；也有人把身高 193 公分、兼具鋒衛技術的陳渝翔喻為「大馬 Cooper Flagg」。

兩位少年表現無可挑剔——賽後也收穫滿滿話題與掌聲。Well done boys。

然而，當這些話題逐漸散去，熱血退場……

然後呢？

你也許沒發現，這才是真正的問題

我們熱衷賽果，卻鮮少追蹤這些球員的下一站：

誰升學了？ 誰還在打球？ 誰直接放棄了籃球，從此再也沒人記得？

事實是，大部分U17打出來的球員，在高中畢業那一刻就逐漸「被系統遺忘」了。

以往在採訪這些青少年比賽時，我都會問問球員對於籃球生涯的願景，基本上有兩個標準答案：

• 還沒有想過哦，或者是
• 走一步看一步吧

這不是個案，而是結構性問題。

每年全國賽結束後，一批又一批的球員逐漸消失在我們的視野。

他們不是不夠努力，也不是沒天分——只是我們沒有給他們一條明確的路。

大馬的球員路徑，到底長成什麼樣？

在目前的這個大環境底下，我們在U17之後的發展途徑相對零碎。

我們不是沒有天才。我們有，只是你很少看到他們走得遠。

想成為職業球員？路很模糊。

想出國升學打球？得靠運氣或關係。

想代表國家？先進入培訓體系，然後可能還是得靠自己撐過低潮。

我們有學聯賽，但大學聯賽還沒成形。

我們有U17，但U20、U23聯賽才剛起步。

我們有MBL，但缺的是一個從學校、青年隊，一路串到職業舞台的完整階梯。

真正能「延續籃球夢」的人，少之又少。

我們的「發展階梯」有起點，但沒有接續。 有比賽，但沒有系統。 有潛力，但沒有方向。

說到底——我們沒有真正的路徑，只有一連串孤立的比賽與偶然的機會。

其他地方怎麼做？

必須先說明一件事，世上沒有完美模型，只有最適合自身的體系。

我們可以從國際視野出發，看看別人的模式，再找出適合自己的體系。

美國

• 美國擁有全世界最成熟的學園籃球體系。幾乎所有潛質球員都在高中校隊和AAU聯賽（業餘體育聯盟）中被發掘
• 大量高中球員夢想爭取NCAA大學獎學金，高中聯賽和AAU全國性比賽都是大學球探的重要觀察場合。
• 美國的NCAA大學聯賽是青少年通往職業的核心樞紐。絕大多數NBA球員都經歷過NCAA洗禮。
• 因此，美國形成了從高中→NCAA→NBA的銜接路線，即使進不了NBA，球員也可以去發展聯盟或海外聯賽延續職業生涯。

歐洲

上次我在podcast《喬遇師傅》One on One With Jordan訪問桃園領航猿主帥卡米諾斯時，卡總也提到了歐洲球員的發展路徑，主要是俱樂部主導的「金字塔體系」：

• 以西班牙、塞爾維亞為代表的歐洲青訓，依託職業俱樂部建立完善的U8-U21梯隊。
• 球员从小接受系统化训练，注重战术素养和团队意识培养。
• 球員只要夠好，就能跳級挑戰，就像Ricky Rubio 14 歲就在巴塞羅那上演處子秀；Luka Dončić 16 歲就代表皇家馬德里打Euroleague。
• 在歐洲，球員的路線基本上是地區球隊→俱樂部U系列梯隊→職業隊。

亞洲

而在亞洲，主要是採取「雙軌制」：

• 中、日、韩等國家普遍採用校園籃球與專業梯隊並行的模式。
• 比如日本以學園籃球傳統見長，高中與大學聯賽歷史悠久、競爭激烈。
• 近年來日本籃協開始重視青年培訓的專業化，例如設立U12、U15的地區訓練中心，以及要求各B.League職業隊建立青年隊。
• 而我們更熟悉的台灣，也是基本上走HBL高中聯賽→UBA大學聯賽→職業聯賽

我們真正需要什麼？

「怪物新人對決」這樣的話題很棒，但一場比賽的熱血，不能只是煙火。

它應該是個開端，不是句點。

我們應該思考的是，如何讓這些話題延續下去，因為熱度散去之後，我們還剩下什麼？

美國的Cooper Flagg很大可能性即將成為NBA選秀狀元，那大馬的Cooper Flagg呢？

我們如何創造更好的環境、更好的舞台，讓這些孩子們延續他們的籃球夢？

留給所有人的三道問題

• 如果你是剛打完 U17 的球員，你會怎麼選？
• 如果你是教練或家長，你能給孩子什麼建議？
• 如果你和我一樣，關心這項運動——我們能不能做點什麼，讓「然後呢？」不再沒有答案？

我不知道標準答案。

但我確信：如果沒人問，答案永遠不會出現。

— Jordan

P.S: 如果你覺得這篇內容對你有幫助，或者引發了你的思考，也希望支持我繼續創作更多這樣的內容，歡迎加入 The 6th Man Club。

The 6th Man Club 是一個支持者社群，沒有額外的付費內容或回饋，只是單純讓你對我的工作說一句：

「我希望你繼續寫下去。」

每一份支持，都是我繼續寫下去的力量。

👉 點這裡加入 The 6th Man Club​

🇬🇧 ENGLISH VERSION

Kids Just Want to Play Ball—Can We Give Them a Path?

The National U17 Basketball Championship has just come to a close.

The chants from the crowd. The battles on the court. It all brings back that famous line from Slam Dunk — “Our goal is to conquer the nation!”

Every U17 player who steps onto the court is living out their own manga storyline: sweat, friendship, comeback wins, MVP moments.

That’s what youth is supposed to be—pure and full of fire.

The Monster Rookie Showdown—and the Questions It Leaves Behind

I didn’t manage to catch every game this year, but one showdown caught my attention: the boys' final, featuring two rising stars.

• Benedict Ong (Kuala Lumpur’s top prospect): 27 points in the final, crowned the tournament's top scorer (20 PPG).
• Tan Yu Xiang (Selangor’s fan-favorite): Averaged 16.9 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. Led his team to the championship and was named “Most Promising Male Player.”

Some say Benedict reminds them of Taiwan’s former “best high school player,” Chen Chiang-Shuang.

Others have dubbed the 193cm, guard-forward hybrid Tan Yu Xiang the “Malaysian Cooper Flagg.”

Both played out of their minds and earned plenty of praise and spotlight.

Well done, boys.

But when the final whistle blows and the adrenaline fades…

Then what?

The Real Problem Happens After the Final Buzzer

We get hyped about game results. But we rarely follow what happens next to the players we cheered for.

Who went on to further their studies? Who’s still playing? Who quietly gave up the sport, forgotten by everyone?

The truth is, most players who shine at U17 gradually get “forgotten by the system” once they finish high school.

In past interviews, I often asked these kids about their basketball dreams.
And I usually got one of two answers:

• “Haven’t really thought about it.”
• “Just going with the flow.”

This isn’t a one-off. It’s a structural issue.

Every year, once the national tournament wraps up, another wave of young talent slowly vanishes from the spotlight.

Not because they lack effort. Not because they lack talent.

But because we never gave them a clear path forward.

What Does a Basketball Pathway in Malaysia Actually Look Like?

Let’s be honest. After U17, our player development landscape is fragmented at best.

• Want to become a pro? The route is vague and filled with uncertainty.
• Want to study abroad and play? That depends on luck, timing, and who you know.
• Want to represent the national team? You’ll need to get into the training system—and survive the lows, mostly on your own.

We have school leagues, but no solid university league ecosystem.

We have U17s, but U20 and U23 competitions are just getting started.

We have the MBL, but lack a clear, continuous ladder that connects school, youth teams, and professional platforms.

In other words: We have a starting point, but no follow-through.

We have games, but no system.

We have potential, but no direction.

We don’t have a pathway. Just isolated events and random opportunities.

What Do Other Countries Do?

Let’s be clear: there’s no perfect model. Only systems that fit their own culture and resources.

But looking at global examples helps us ask better questions—and maybe find better answers.

United States

In the U.S., high school and AAU circuits are where most talent gets discovered. Most top players aim for NCAA scholarships, and national tournaments serve as major scouting grounds.

The NCAA is the main gateway to the pros. Even those who don’t make the NBA can still pursue careers through the G-League or overseas.

Their path is well-defined: High School → NCAA → NBA (or other pro options).

Europe

When I interviewed Coach Iurgi Caminos (head coach of the Taoyuan Pilots) on my podcast One on One With Jordan, he talked about Europe’s pyramid-style club system.

In places like Spain or Serbia, pro clubs build structured U8 to U21 development teams.

Young players receive long-term, tactical training—emphasizing fundamentals, IQ, and team play.

If you’re good enough, you move up early. Ricky Rubio made his pro debut for Barcelona at 14. Luka Dončić was playing EuroLeague for Real Madrid at 16.

In Europe, the progression is clear: Local team → Club youth tiers → Pro team.

Asia

In countries like Japan, Korea and China, there’s often a dual structure: school leagues and club youth systems co-exist.

Japan is a prime example. With its strong school sports culture, high school and university leagues are fiercely competitive.

In recent years, the B.League has also required pro clubs to establish U15 and U18 youth teams, and set up regional training centers for U12s.

Taiwan’s structure is also familiar to us: HBL (high school) → UBA (university) → P.League+/TPBL (pro).

What Do We Really Need?

“Monster rookie matchups” are exciting. But if that’s all they are—just a spark that fades—then we’ve missed the point.

They should be the start of something. Not the end.

Cooper Flagg is on track to be the next No.1 pick in the NBA Draft.

But what about our Cooper Flagg?

What will it take to create an environment where that kind of dream is possible?

How do we build a clear, structured ladder that helps kids keep climbing?

3 Questions for All of Us

1. If you’re a U17 player—what will you choose next?
2. If you’re a coach or parent—what kind of advice can you give them?
3. And if you’re like me—someone who cares deeply about this sport—
   ​Can we do something to make sure “what’s next?” isn’t always met with silence?

I don’t have the perfect answers.

But I do know this: If no one asks the question, we’ll never find the answer.

— Jordan

P.S: If you found this article helpful or thought-provoking, and you want to join me in exploring more ideas like this, you can support my work by joining The 6th Man Club.

The 6th Man Club is a space for those who believe in the power of thoughtful basketball conversations. There’s no paywalled content or secret perks—just a simple way to say,

“I want to help you keep doing this.”

Every bit of support fuels my ability to write, research, and share these insights.

👉 Join The 6th Man Club here​