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Mike Chan

Calling NBA legends by their first names and developing relationships with them, is one of the coolest things a child growing up in Hong Kong could imagine doing.
Hansen Wong Sen-hang, then, who grew up in Kwun Tung, is living the dream.
The manager for G League and international scouting at the Indiana Pacers, Wong has been with the NBA franchise for 20 years, having started as a video intern.
“You develop a relationship with these people and almost become like a family because you see each other all the time,” Wong said. “I got to work with Paul George and David West. My first year was Reggie Miller’s final year, and then I got to know these legends like Larry Bird.
“This is something that I could never imagine doing when I was a kid growing up in Hong Kong. It’s like a dream come true to get to meet, get to know these people that I can call them by first name basis, so I think this was kind of cool.”


Wong though still remains close to his roots, and said “help developing basketball in Asia” was one of his objectives away from the world’s elite league.
A pupil at the Church of Christ in China Mong Man Wai College before moving to the United States at the age of 16, Wong’s basketball journey began at the University of Minnesota, where he became student manager for the men’s team while in graduate school.
Those two years with the Golden Gophers, under director of basketball operations JB Bickerstaff, who is the now Detroit Pistons head coach, helped pave Wong’s way into the NBA.
“I was fortunate enough to know the right people at the right time, because this is not an industry where you can just go online or – back in the day – look at a classified ad [in the newspaper] and just apply for a job,” the 46-year-old said. “It’s all about who you know and all about networking.”
After 12 years on the video team, Donnie Walsh, then president of basketball operations at the Pacers, convinced Wong in 2018 he would have a better future in the front office, leading to his present role.

“I work with different players, so I know what would make players succeed in the league,” he said. “At the same time, I understand what coaches are looking for, because sometimes front office people look at things differently from the coaching staff.
“In the front office, you kind of look at the big picture, how the team is going to be in the next few seasons. But coaches focus only on the next game.
“So having experience on both sides, I can see things from both perspectives. I can provide some unique insight to the people that ultimately make decisions.”
Along with Japan’s Dice Yoshimoto at the New York Knicks, Wong is one of the only Asian-born employees working on the coaching and front-office sides of the league. The Hongkonger said “hard work and the love of basketball” were the most important elements for surviving in the industry.
“And then there are those stereotypes about Asians: that we are not known for basketball, we do IT, we are good at mathematics and we are engineers,” he said. “So you also have to work even harder to try to prove yourself, that you know what you’re doing.”
Wong, now 46, started following the NBA in secondary school, and grew up idolising former Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson and Vince Carter, who has just had his jersey retired by the Toronto Raptors, but he said his inspiration has always been to help develop basketball in Asia.
“[I want] to raise the level of play, help develop coaches, players, and even executives,” he said. “I am probably the only person in China with my kind of NBA experience. I’d love to apply my knowledge to help develop the game over there. I hope I’ll be able to do that in the near future.”
Wong advised local players to take one step at a time, rather than aiming for the highest step and thinking: “I want to play in the NBA.”
“Playing basketball in Hong Kong, in China and in Asia, there’s a level of things – it’s a long process for everyone,” he said.
“It’s good to aim high, but you don’t want to set a goal that’s way too high that it’s unachievable. If you’re in Hong Kong, can you make it to other professional leagues like the Chinese Basketball Association, the B League, or even the leagues in Taiwan?
“In Hong Kong, players never face the kind of athleticism they will see in the States. If you have never experienced that, it’s like taking a scooter out on the highway – you can’t catch up. ”


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NBA (National Basketball Association)

Meet Hongkonger Hansen Wong, the Indiana Pacer on first-name terms with NBA’s biggest stars

Hansen Wong (middle) started working for the Pacers as a video intern. Photo: Handout

Hansen Wong (fourth from left) says he see things from the coaches’ perspective too. Photo: Handout

Chinese NBA champion Sun Yue’s former CBA teams to retire his No 9 jerseys next month

Sun Yue played for the Beijing Royal Fighters at the end of his career. Photo: Handout

Sun Yue received an NBA championship ring when the Los Angeles Lakers won the title in 2009. Photo: AP

China’s rising star Cui Yongxi joins Brooklyn Nets on 2-way deal, eyes NBA shot

China’s Cui Yongxi scores during a Fiba Basketball World Cup Asia qualifier against Iran at Tseun Wan Sports Centre, in Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

China’s Sun Yue won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. Photo: AP

Los Angeles Clippers’ centre Wang Zhizhi (left) chats to Houston Rockets’ centre Yao Ming during a game in November 2002, in LA. Photo: AFP

Sport

Basketball

Hong Kong

The 46-year-old has worked for the Indiana Pacers for about 20 years, but wants to help develop players, coaches and executives nearer home


The 46-year-old has worked for the Indiana Pacers for about 20 years, but wants to help develop players, coaches and executives nearer home.
