He bravely penetrated down the lane, scored with a lay-up and then blocked a shot on the other end, leaving hundreds of home fans cheering wildly.
"Defence, guys. Don't let them take outside shots," he clapped and shouted to his teammates during the time-out. "We'll do the pick-and-roll next quarter. We must win this game."
This wasn't the Chinese Basketball Association finals. Far from it. Chen, 23, competes in a tournament in his hometown of Gutang, a rural village of 300 people in East China's Anhui Province.
No roof, no grandstand, not even a wooden floor. But the shabby clay court didn't keep Chen or his vigorous fans mostly farmers from neighbouring villages from enjoying the sport.
"For sure, the facilities here are not that good, but the joy of sinking a 3-pointer is no different," Chen said, looking at the court, which is used as a drying yard during the growing season and surrounded by simple, green farmland.
"I play basketball because I love it. It's a big thing in my life."
Eight amateur teams and a few hundred fans from the farms joined Chen at the tournament, which began in 1989 and has developed into a traditional hoops fiesta in the region.
Players usually eat at farmers' homes and drink the water from local wells, so the annual event would not put any financial burden on the village, where an average family's income is only about 2,000 yuan (US$250) per year.
This year, the competition has received wide attention after being listed as an exhibition stage by the China Basketball Open (CBO), the country's leading amateur basketball championships.
"Basketball is the only entertainment for us in the countryside," Chen said. "It makes my life so colourful."
Young men from nearby villages gather in December and January, the non-farming season. With basketball as their common language, they go from village to village, displaying their skills at small-scale tournaments.
"It fills my life with joy," Chen said. "I've met a lot of new friends on the court, and we play together during the games. That's interesting. Without basketball, there would be no way for us to know people in the other villages."
Chen, who actually works in a local factory, first touched a basketball at age 6 and soon was hooked. He rushed to the court whenever he heard the sound of dribbling.
He is now a mainstay of his team, who train twice a week during the non-farming season.
The NBA in North America has such a huge influence on amateur players all across the world, and Anhui Province is no exception. Chen's favourite player is Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets. Chen studies his idol and closely imitates his every move.
"I like T-Mac so much," Chen said. "I also love Yao Ming and the Rockets, and I am a bit disappointed for their performance this season," referring to the team's failure to reach the playoffs.
Chen is able to watch NBA games live on CCTV-5. Although the farmers admit starting with little knowledge about the professional game, they slowly began learning about the sport they love through the TV coverage.
"I still remember the first time when I watched the NBA game. I was totally dumbfounded," Chen said. "The way they play basketball is so incredible."
Impressed by what they saw, Chen and his teammates turned the broadcasts into their classroom.
"Sometimes we watch the games together and memorize some skills and on-court tactics," Chen said. "I tried hard to simulate McGrady's jump shots and dazzling dribbling. That's really helpful in our competitions.
"Of course, the slam-dunk is not included in my repertoire," he said, bursting into laughter.
Maybe not, but his team didn't need it. Gutang has won the last three tournament titles.
And the villages have offered their constant support, for which Chen and all the players are grateful.
Since organizing the first tournament 17 years ago, the executive committee of the Chuzhou city government has been responsible for the tournament's development. The Chuzhou Sports Bureau has given new basketball backboards to the village and set up training clinics for referees.
They also helped introduce a local concrete factory this year as the tournament's first sponsor.
"Basketball is already an internal part of farmers' lives," said Chen Jianwei, director of the sports bureau. "It's basketball that brings us together."
According to the statistics provided by the CBO, an estimated 100 million farmers play basketball in China. Li Yuanwei, the country's basketball chief, said the government is set to strengthen the sport in rural areas.
"We will pay closer attention to promoting basketball among farmers in the future," he said. "It's a perfect way to achieve a healthy life and also a bridge that connects the biggest fan base in China.
"We hope to make basketball a platform for farmers, not only for sports communication but also for exchanging ideas in other areas of their lives."
Countryside sports
With two years to go to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China has put more effort into promoting countryside sports.
According to a programme that the State General Administration of Sports (SGAS) unveiled last month in Beijing, at least one regulation-size concrete basketball court equipped with a pair of standard basketball stanchions will be built for each village involved in the programme, and it will also receive two outdoor ping-pong tables.
This is one of the projects being undertaken in rural areas as part of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10).
By 2010, around 100,000 Chinese villages, or one-sixth of the estimated total, will be provided with these facilities, benefiting 150 million farmers, according to the programme.
This year the National Development and Reform Commission will provide 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million) to the programme, along with more than 80 million yuan (US$10 million) from the SGAS. Regional governments will be expected to contribute wherever additional funding is needed.
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Director: Liu Chi