FEATURE/U.S. basketball prospect Carter Coleman begins Taiwan journey

By Chao Yen-hsiang, CNA staff reporter

Before Carter Coleman traveled to Taiwan, his parents wanted to see whether he could locate the island on a map.

The 17-year-old, 2.03-meter-tall American basketball prospect knew it was an island off the coast of Asia, but admitted he only got "close."

Later, on a flight to Taiwan, Coleman found himself contemplating something more consequential than geography.

"I'm really about to go represent a country," he recalled thinking in an interview with CNA in New Taipei on Saturday.

Born to a Taiwanese mother, Charmei Coleman (陳嘉美), who emigrated to the United States at the age of 10, Coleman is making his first visit to Taiwan to work with Taiwan's under-18 national team training squad.

The team is preparing for the FIBA U18 Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad, India, Aug. 13-23.

"It was definitely a new opportunity, and I wanted to represent a country because that's not an everyday thing," Coleman said. "That's a pretty big deal."

Maternal ties

Coleman, born on Feb. 24, 2009, said his mother had told him relatively little about Taiwan because she left as a child.

"It was her birthplace, and she was little when she moved away, so I didn't really hear much," he said.

His opportunity to represent Taiwan emerged earlier this year, when a basketball scout who focuses on overseas Taiwanese players contacted him about his Taiwanese heritage.

Coleman said much of the process was initially handled by his parents behind the scenes, leaving him uncertain how far the initial contact might lead.

The family later drove from Oklahoma to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, a journey Coleman said took around seven hours with stops, to complete the necessary paperwork.

Coleman's mother gave him the Chinese name 陳卡特, combining her maiden name with a Chinese transliteration of Carter.

"I didn't know I could get a new name," he said, adding that he had tried several times, without much success, to write the Chinese characters.

Basketball as common language

Coleman has practiced with the Taiwanese squad for about a week.

Although instructions sometimes need to be repeated in English for him, Coleman said basketball has helped bridge the language gap.

"When we're on the floor, it's pretty easy to know what is right and what is wrong, because we're playing basketball," he said.

He has also noticed that Taiwanese basketball is faster-paced than the game he is accustomed to in the U.S., with players looking to push the ball up the court more frequently.

Though his immediate focus is Taiwan's national team, he very much has his eyes on the future, given his potential.

A student at Oklahoma Christian Academy who expects to graduate in 2028, Coleman was given a scout grade of 83 and a four-star rating in June by ESPN. That left him ranked 17th at his position nationally, and 15th in his region and fourth in Oklahoma among all players at the high-school level.

"I jumped out of my chair," Coleman said. "Obviously, I want to be a five-star, but when I first saw that, I was filled with joy and really excited because everything I've been working hard for is finally getting noticed."

Coleman described himself as a three-level scorer capable of attacking the basket, pulling up from mid-range and shooting 3-pointers. With Taiwan, he has been used at both forward positions as a shooter and screener who can also create opportunities for teammates.

He models his game on Kevin Durant, but his interest in basketball began by watching his older brother, Campbell Coleman, play and practice while he was in elementary school.

His brother still watches his games, offers advice and helps manage his social media. Coleman usually wears No. 14 because it was also Campbell's number.

"When I'm on the court, I think basketball is my personality," Coleman said, describing himself as focused and serious during games but relaxed and talkative away from them.

His immediate objective with Taiwan is straightforward.

"My goal is to win," Coleman said. "I think with this squad, the group of guys we have, I think we can go win it."

First of many?

The journey marks Coleman's first visit not only to Taiwan but anywhere in Asia, giving him a chance to experience his mother's birthplace firsthand.

Among his strongest early impressions have been how clean the streets are compared with those in the U.S. and Taiwan's sense of safety.

He plans to begin learning Chinese over the coming school year and already hopes to return to Taiwan next year.

Coleman ultimately wants to reach the NBA, although he said playing professionally overseas after college would also be an option.

For now, his focus remains on the opportunity directly in front of him.

"I just got to represent and show what I can do," he said.

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