Champs turn China’s media into superfans
SHENZHEN, China — In the U.S., it is taboo for sports reporters to wear the gear of the team they cover. In this high-tech city, which has hosted only one NBA game to this point, no such protocol exists.
On the third day of the Warriors’ barnstorming tour of China, local reporters at Golden State’s media availability Wednesday were wearing Stephen Curry’s jersey, his Under Armour T-shirts and even his oft-mocked sneakers. One reporter tried to ask Curry for an autograph, only for the two-time NBA MVP to be whisked away by security.
It’s all part of the circus — media and otherwise — surrounding
the Warriors this week. Some 240 reporters from 123 outlets were credentialed for these Global Games, less than half of the 500 media members who applied.
It is a well-informed group: During Curry’s 10-minute interview session, he fielded questions about his love for golf, his much-publicized comments about President Trump, the tech summit for athletes he recently hosted with Andre Iguodala, and his stance on the NBA’s new All-Star Game format.
“It’s been crazy to watch NBA fandom grow,” said Curry, who boasts China’s bestselling NBA jersey for the second year in a row. “They know pretty much every single thing about us.”
As the bounce of a Spalding basketball grew louder, echoing through Shenzhen City Arena, more and more of the several dozen Chinese reporters who had gathered around Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Jimmy Butler glanced across the court.
There in his gray Warriors T-shirt and blue shorts was Kevin Durant. It was shortly after 1:30 p.m., and Durant was the first player out for Golden State’s practice. As the eighttime NBA All-Star hoisted jumpers, bobbing his head to music piped through his white Beats by Dre headphones, at least 10 reporters tore away from Butler’s scrum to snap pictures of Durant on their iPhones.
The Minnesota open practice and media session that consumed much of the previous hour had been only a prelude to the main attraction: the chance for Chinese outlets to finally see the defending NBA champions up close.
“They’re huge over here,” said Xiaoche Sun, who covers the NBA for China Daily, an English-language newspaper based in Beijing. “They already had a nice fan base. But since they’ve become the most dominant team in the league, the Warriors are even more popular. And it’s not just because they’re good. It’s the variety of stars they have.”
Golden State, which has exhibitions against the Timberwolves in Shenzhen (Thursday) and Shanghai (Sunday), maintains a rock-star status in China not seen from an NBA team since Yao Ming was in his prime with the Rockets a decade ago. Large crowds and a heavy police presence have marked the team’s first trip to the country since 2013.
After they touched down Monday night at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, the Warriors were greeted by hundreds of fans in front of the team buses. A swarm of supporters, many wearing Curry’s No. 30 jersey, waited outside the Four Seasons Hotel in the heart of Shenzhen nearly around the clock to catch a glimpse of players. Only after the Warriors have seemingly gone to bed does the scrum scatter.
“I appreciate going to China,” said Warriors guard Klay Thompson. “When I was a kid, I never thought I’d have fans across the world, especially the amount of fans we now have.”
Though Curry, Durant and Thompson visit the country regularly on promotional tours, many of Golden State’s less-recognizable players are experiencing China for the first time. Second-year guard Patrick McCaw wrestled with a bit of culture shock at an “NBA2K” - sponsored event Wednesday night.
When he arrived with Iguodala, Nick Young and ex-Warrior Jason Richardson at the Sheraton Hotel just a couple of blocks from the Four Seasons, McCaw had expected to play some video games in front of a few fans. What he found was a full-blown, made-for-TV production.
The Sheraton’s main floor had been transformed into a basketball-themed game show of sorts. There was a hip-hop dance crew, two hosts, are na like seating for nearly 600 people and a stage where members of Golden State and Minnesota played “NBA2K.”
Three big screens overhead showed the video game. Behind a replica half-court was a TV crew, which broadcast the festivities on more than 15 platforms throughout China.
“The whole thing was supercrazy, man,” McCaw said. “It’s really cool to see that basketball is bigger than just where we’re from. It’s all over the world.”
Golden State, with its roster stocked with superstars and three straight NBA Finals appearances, is China’s favorite team. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves — an upstart franchise with a promising nucleus — are clearly the No. 2 attraction this week.
While introducing Minnesota’s “NBA2K” team Wednesday at the Sheraton, one of the show’s hosts mistook Gorgui Dieng — a 6-foot-11, 251-pound reserve center — for Butler, a 6-foot-8 swingman and threetime All-Star.
“People here keep tabs on the whole league,” Sun said, “but the Warriors are in a league of their own in terms of interest.”