A scene of Chen Dengxing at the Quai 54 World Streetball Championship Photos on this page: VCG

Sprinting up and flying over a car while switching hands with a between-the-legs maneuver to slam the ball home, Chen Dengxing made history by becoming the first athlete from the Chinese mainland to win the dunk contest of the world's biggest streetball tournament in Paris, France recently. 

All three of Chen's attempts were met with perfect scores, also making him the first Asian athlete to win the Quai 54 World Streetball Championship dunk contest with a flawless performance.

"As a kid, I could only watch the Quai 54 dunk contest in videos. I never imagined that at 39, I'd not only get to compete in the world's top streetball tournament, but actually win it. The moment I raised the national flag, every bit of effort I put in felt completely worth it!" Chen shared on his personal social media page after the historical victory.

Chen told the Global Times that the title could inspire more young people to take part in streetball and dunking.

"I think the title is a motivation for more people to chase their dreams. People may think that if he can do it at the age of 39, why not me? I would also recommend more potential Chinese contestants to the Quai 54 organizers," he noted. 

Standing at 1.76 meters tall, Chen is known as the "folk dunk king" for his explosive power, creativity and precision. He rose to fame on China's social media in 2015 through a short video of him soaring through the air to kiss the rim.

In the 2025 Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) All-Star Game in March, wildcard entrant Chen leapt over seven people for an electrifying dunk to triumph in the slam dunk contest, outshining the 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner Hamidou Diallo, playing for CBA's Shanxi Loongs. 

Joining hometown team 

Born in Lanxi city, East China's Zhejiang Province, Chen also joined his hometown team to compete in the newly opened Zhejiang Provincial City Basketball League, also known as "ZheBA."

Scheduled for between July and February, and spanning all 11 prefecture-level cities and 90 counties across the province, the tournament is Zhejiang's largest and most prestigious grassroots basketball competition, according to CCTV News.

By blending mass sports, urban culture, leisure consumption and local industries, the organizers aimed to create an event that could rival the phenomenal Jiangsu City Football League, also referred to as "Suchao," currently held in neighboring Jiangsu Province. 

During the halftime of a "ZheBA" game between Yiwu and Dongyang on July 13, Chen and his teammates wooed the crowds with a string of gravity defying dunks. 

The basketball atmosphere here is fantastic. The launch of "ZheBA" has enriched residents' leisure life and sparked widespread enthusiasm for sports, he said after the show. 

Nurturing youngsters 

Chen showed athletic talent from a young age and trained in high jump and long jump during his school years. After graduating from college, he began working as a bank clerk.

The daily grind of counting money, balancing accounts and dealing with customers always left him with a lingering sense that something was missing. So during lunch breaks or after clocking out, he'd sneak off to a nearby court for dunk practice. Jokingly, he calls it his "overtime bonus for the soul."

The turning point of his life came in 2011 at an amateur dunk contest, where someone told him, "With your bounce and explosiveness, you don't belong behind a bank counter."

"I'm especially grateful to Cha Tianyi, founder of China's dunk team 'Made in China.' His encouragement and guidance set me on the path to becoming a professional dunker," Chen told the Global Times.

Having tried various types of dunks, Chen said his favorite is the between-the-legs hand-switch dunk. To improve his dunking skills, Chen said he collected highlight videos of top dunkers from around the world and studied them frame by frame. From the rhythm of the approach steps and the power of the takeoff, to the fluid coordination of between-the-legs hand switches, he analyzed every detail with precision - leaving no movement unexplored. 

He dedicates about four hours to training every day — two hours of strength training and two hours of dunk practice. Even when he's out attending events, he carries a basketball with him and practices wherever he goes.

For young enthusiasts aspiring to practice dunking, Chen cautioned that reckless dunks without proper warming up carry the risk of getting injured. 

Improving one's vertical jump is a systematic process that requires comprehensive training across multiple areas, including strength, explosiveness, technique, flexibility and core stability. Partial and full squats are fundamental exercises for building vertical jump ability, he said. 

Now based in Hangzhou, Chen has also founded a dunk park. The facility has quickly attracted many visitors who are eager to learn from him or simply witness his high-flying skills firsthand. 

"I want to pass on the training methods and competition experience I've gained over the years, so that the younger athletes can avoid detours and progress faster. My goal is to discover and nurture more promising dunkers - and help them step onto the international stage," Chen said. "Most importantly, stay true to your passion and never give up."

Wan Lei, one of Chen's disciples, claimed the title at the 2024 CBA All-Star dunk contest thanks to his guidance. 

"I'll keep dunking for as long as my body lets me," Chen added.