Sun Li’s Son Wins Glory – Deng Chao Family News

In the Shanghai Stadium, a group of teenagers ran and competed on the basketball court, and the roar of the audience almost lifted the roof. Wearing the No. 10 red jersey, Deng Hanzhi (nicknamed “Wait a minute”) stole, broke through, and made a fadeaway jumper in the last two minutes of the final. Although the team ended up finishing second with a narrow margin, the 14-year-old boy was shouted “MVP” by the audience.

His parents, Deng Chao and Sun Li, were sitting on the sidelines wearing matching baseball caps. One held up his mobile phone to track his son’s every move, and the other clenched his fists to direct his movements. At this moment, the halo of the second generation star was washed away by sweat, replaced by real marks of struggle on the field.

Waiting’s basketball journey started at the age of 9. At that time, others his age were still addicted to video games, but he had already begun two hours of systematic training every day: dribbling until his fingers peeled off, shooting until his arms could not be lifted, and repeatedly correcting his movements in front of the video during extra training on weekends. In the past five years, his height has increased from 1.3 meters to 1.74 meters, his feet have grown to size 43, and the length of his calf Achilles tendon has reached 13 centimeters. He was evaluated by scouts as a “talented player.” In the 2025 Leap Star International Youth Basketball Championship, he faced the strong teams of Japan and South Korea. He not only contributed big shots and key three-pointers, but also showed a view of the overall situation that transcends his age. However, after the game, he was ridiculed by netizens for his “unwilling” expression, “the desire to win or lose is written on his face.”

Deng Chao’s companionship is like a “brother”.He took others to watch the game with Yao Ming, and the three of them sat around to discuss tactics; on weekends, the father and son played one-on-one at the community court, and Deng Chao would be teased by his son after he lost. Sun Li plays the role of “recorder”. From inter-school leagues to international competitions, she is almost never absent. She even customized a “Wait and Come on” light sign for her son. At the Asian College Basketball League in August 2025, the scene of Deng Chao and Yao Ming chatting and taking notes carefully became a footnote to his basketball career.

This family with an annual income of over 100 million lives a stingy life.The sneakers she wore when she won the championship were her cousin’s old models. My sister Xiaohua’s clothes were made from her brother’s old clothes. Sun Li has been wearing a down jacket for 14 years. Deng Chao’s T-shirt collar has been washed out and still won’t be replaced. But on the other hand, they are not stingy in investing in their children’s interests: they hire professional coaches for basketball practice, and when Xiaohua learns Latin dance, Sun Li refuses to promote and fly to the UK to accompany them in the competition; the living room at home is transformed into a mini stadium, and the study room is filled with sketches of the “intelligent basketball training system” designed by them.

Sun Li’s “Orange Philosophy” has become the epitome of family education.When the child asked “Why do oranges need to be peeled?” she replied: “You have to work for what you want.Asked again “why the fruit pulp is divided into petals”, she said: “happiness must be shared, not monopolized.”This concept permeates into daily life: children are allowed to graffiti on white walls, taken to the farm to dig sweet potatoes, and use fallen leaves to fight “leaf battles.”

Deng Chao and Sun Li, who are at the peak of their careers, use “off-peak companionship” to solve the time problem. When Sun Li stayed away from home for several months while filming “It’s a Good Life”, Deng Chao reduced his work and became a “nanny” at home. When Deng Chao was busy, Sun Li was responsible for picking up and dropping off his children for training. The “mobile phone isolation time” after dinner is unbreakable, and the whole family reads or chats together. Sun Li insists on listening to her children about school trivial matters half an hour before going to bed. Waiting for his birthday in 2025, Deng Chao posted a photo of the basketball court duel with the text “Brother, I love you”, while Sun Li posted a thousand-word article recalling the production details. Deng Chao cried while reading it until he “can’t see the screen clearly”.

This companionship shapes the child’s independence. Waiting to refuse the acting resources arranged by her parents, she set the goal of “entering the CBA”; Xiaohua started Latin dance training at the age of 5, pressed her legs and cried until she was shaking, but she still persisted. In 2025, 11-year-old Xiaohua set a new record for Asian contestants at the Blackpool Dance Festival in the UK. The first thing she did after the game was to hand the trophy to her sister. Xiaohua hung the dance gold medal around her brother’s neck with her backhand. Rivals on the court and siblings off the court, their interactions have become living proof of their parents’ educational philosophy.

While some second-generation celebrities are involved in controversy due to showing off their wealth or promoting hype, Deng Chao’s family has always kept a low profile. Only classmates are invited to the birthday party. Sun Li refuses to let her children be exposed in the spotlight. Most of the photos on social media are from behind or in profile. However, this kind of “de-haloized” education has also triggered discussions: Is it a waste of parents’ resources? Can you persist in your basketball dream without family support? Some netizens also questioned whether the aura of runner-up in international competitions comes from talent or capital blessing.

What’s even more interesting is that Deng Chao and Sun Li were once in the spotlight due to “immigration” rumors, but Sun Li issued a message on their 15th wedding anniversary emphasizing “growing old together in Shanghai.” Deng Chao’s status as the host of the Golden Rooster Awards also broke the controversy. Waiting and Xiaohua attend local schools in Shanghai and have clear family life trajectories, which is in sharp contrast to some of the second-generation celebrities who are frequently exposed.

Who should define the value of Star II? When halo and sweat are intertwined, is the support of parents more important, or is the child’s own choice more critical? Between the MVP calls on the field and the doubts on the Internet, which one is the real response?