Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson weren’t the only players people were noticing when Metropolitans 92 and the G League Ignite squared off for the first of two exhibitions games on Tuesday night. Audiences were also captivated by Stevee Ho You Fat, a 6’8 forward for the Metropolitans who brings a veteran presence to a young team led by one of the best NBA Draft prospects ever.
Steeve Ho You Fat is suddenly everyone’s favorite French basketball player
Steeve Ho You Fat is the French baller whose jersey is suddenly in high demand.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Wembanyama and Henderson each electric in the made-for-TV special meant to promote the likely top-two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Check out our full breakdown of the game here. As basketball fans were losing their mind over the 7’5 Wembanyama’s otherworldly talent and Henderson’s top-end athleticism and scoring punch, it felt like there were just as many tweets about Ho You Fat’s unique last name.
Yes, Stevee Ho You Fat is a real person. He’s played basketball all over France during a pro career that started in 2008-2009. Screenshots of his jersey immediately went viral.
Even the announcers were a little stunned to see that last name.
Kevin Hart was even asked about him on SportsCenter:
Ho You Fat responded with this message for Hart.
The internet loved him.
Ho You Fat told his story to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports after the game. His grandfather originally left China for France, and his mother is an African dance teacher.
“Chinese people don’t like to mix [marriages]. I’m Black, it’s a Chinese name, so it’s not easy to talk about that,” Ho You Fat said. “But that’s it. I’m proud of my name, I’m proud of who I am. I’m proud of my dad and my mom.”
Metropolitans 92 and the G League Ignite play one more near Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon. Steeve Ho You Fat will be there.
See More:
