 Considered to be China's version of National Basketball Association (NBA) megastar Michael Jordan, Hu was offered the chance to play in the NBA league in 1998, but he was injured when the Dallas Mavericks offered him a contract, and he thus failed to become the first Chinese to play in the NBA.He was then offered a short term 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic in 2000, but he was injured shortly after, and was unable to take up the offer.Hu represented the senior men's Chinese national basketball team from 1987–2002.