AHMEDABAD (India) - All batches that competed in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup feature eventual stars in bigger stages but the 2014 class is best remembered for producing a generational talent that made it truly that far.
Find out who and all the others that have made a mark not just in national team competitions but in the professional and club ranks as well in this latest offering of our Where Are They Now series.
Zhou Qi, CHN
Nobody from this batch reached the same success as Zhou Qi. After powering China to a second straight U18 Asia Cup gold medal in 2014 in Qatar, the 7-footer would find himself drafted in the NBA two years later.
He was selected 43rd overall by the Houston Rockets, becoming the first Chinese player since Sun Yue in 2007 to be drafted in the Association. The native of Henan would go on to spend a season with the franchise.
Zhou would later take his talents to the South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia's NBL before returning to the CBA, where he was a Rookie of the Year and a champion. He's been with the Beijing Ducks since 2024.
But we shouldn't forget that he's also a cornerstone of China. A one-time Olympian, he's been a regular since 2014 in an ongoing national team career highlighted by a mighty championship run in the FIBA Asia Cup 2015.
Zhao Rui, CHN
Zhao Rui was indeed one of Team China's best players in the 2014 U18 Asia Cup and that proved to be a sneak peek of sorts of what the heady combo guard would flourish into from that point forward.
A part of the men's program since 2019, the 30-year-old would become its team captain, a role which he's fully embraced most especially during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 where they achieved a major feat.
Having fully understood what it means to be given such a big responsibility, the Ducks star - he's teammates with Zhou, yes - helped Team Dragon return to the Final after a decade and gave Australia a major threat.
They ultimately settled for silver for their first Asia Cup medal since 2015 but that entire campaign in Saudi Arabia brought China back to their status as a continental powerhouse, and a big part of it was Zhao.
Hamad Hasan, KUW
Hamad Hasan was one of the 2014 U18 Asia Cup's best after posting a double-double average of 20.6 points and 10.3 rebounds, and so it was only a matter of time before he got called up to the Kuwait men's team.
In fact, that happened the following year as he was named part of the squad that competed in the 2015 Asia Cup in China. Since then, the sweet-shooting 1.93 M (6'4") winger has become a mainstay of the senior squad.
But what most fans really remember him for is his exploits in the club competition, particularly in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) with Kuwait Club in which they're among the pioneering members.
Through his help, the team reached the inaugural Final 8 title bout in 2023, and became the first team to achieve a league 'three-peat' when they ruled the first three editions of the WASL-Gulf League.
Abdulrahman Saad, QAT
Similar to Hasan, Abdulrahman Saad was called up by the Qatar men's team a year after the 2014 U18 Asia Cup. That was no surprise at all, as he was easily the tournament's best scorer with 27.0 points.
Since then, he'd become a mainstay of the squad, having appeared in 10 FIBA competitions. That includes the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, where he's played in all 6 games so far.
And he's been one of the most reliable pieces that Coach Hakan Demir has been leaning on to. The three-time Asia Cup campaigner has been putting up solid averages of 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
Sure, much of Qatar's buildup for the 2027 World Cup - which they will be hosting - are centered on younger charges led by Abdulla Mousa, but Saad remains the steady veteran presence that the team possesses.
Song Kyochang, KOR
After helping Korea finish third, Song Kyochang would up the ante in the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in 2015, making noise when he dropped 40 points in a narrow loss to Serbia during the Classification Round.
It was also during that year where he made headlines locally by forgoing college to declare himself eligible for the Korean Basketball League straight out of high school. He was drafted third overall by the Busan KCC Egis.
He'd enjoy a breakout season in 2021 by winning league MVP honors although it wasn't until 2024 where he'd win a KBL title, which enabled him and Busan to reach the Basketball Champions League Asia that year.
Being one of the top pros at home, Song would of course get called up to the Korea men's team on multiple occasions. He competed in the 2022 Asia Cup and most recently played in the 2025 Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA