Zou Yuchen was born in Anshan, Liaoning to a basketball family. His parents were players from the Bayi Basketball Team, now known as the Bayi Rockets. While he was a child, Zou was bulkier than many of his peers and had the build of a basketball player. His family immigrated from Anshan to Zhuhai during his childhood, but there was not a professional basketball team in those days. Dai Yixin, the president of Shenzhen Sports School who once recruited Yi Jianlian to the school, introduced Zou to Shenzhen Sports School, but Zou's parents refused the offer. Dai requested that the famous basketball coach Ma Yuenan attempt to persuade Zou's parents. Finally, Zou's parents agreed that Zou would go to the sports school. Zou formally started his basketball career in September 2008.[2]
