| Nickname(s) | The Basketball Genie (籃球精靈) |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 163 lb (74 kg) |
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| Born | September 8, 1978 Taipei County (now New Taipei City), Taiwan |
| Nationality | Taiwan |
| College | Fu Jen Catholic University |
| Draft | Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1995–present |
Yen Hsing-Shu (Chinese: 顏行書, born September 8, 1978 in Taipei County (now New Taipei City), Taiwan), also known as Johnny Yen, is a Taiwanese professional basketball player, singer, actor, and model. He is a former member and captain of both the Chinese Taipei men's national basketball team and 183 Club.
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Nicknamed "The Basketball Genie" (籃球精靈), Yen was a high school star and turned professional in 1995 with the Tera Mars (later Kaohsiung and BCC Mars) in the Chinese Basketball Alliance of Taiwan.[1] As starting point guard, he led the league in assists for the 1997-1998 season and was then ranked among the best and brightest next-generation backcourt players in Taiwan. He was also selected to the Chinese Taipei senior basketball team from 1997 until 2003.
At the turn of the century, however, Yen Hsing-Shu started to suffer from a succession of knee injuries. In his last appearance on the national team, Yen led the FIBA Asian Championship in assists, signifying his ability to continuously compete at Asia's highest level of basketball if free from injury. Yet, he decided to become a full-time entertainer after completing the first season (2003–2004) of the newly founded Super Basketball League (SBL).[2] This was presumably due to the chronic knee problem and, arguably, the success of his new entertainment career following the airing of My MVP Valentine, a basketball-themed TV drama he starred in while healing the initial knee injury in 2002.
In 2007, Yen returned to basketball when he signed with Yunnan Bulls in the Chinese Basketball Association in mainland China to play in the 2007-2008 season. As a starter, he averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 assists (3rd in the league) in 22 games. After the season, he returned to Taiwan to play for Taiwan Beer in the SBL where he won his only club championship title. In the ensuing 2009-2010 season, Yen once again joined the Chinese professional league to play for the Shanghai Sharks.
Currently, Yen is a coach assistant in Brigham Young University–Hawaii.