Long summer of hoops to get underway

Sure, maybe you couldn’t be there to watch the United States take on Spain for the Olympic gold medal.

But you can still catch some top-notch NBA stars, like Kobe Bryant, Jeremy Lin and Shane Battier in China at the moment.

After helping the US claim its 14th Olympic men’s basketball gold medal, Bryant flew from London to Shanghai. The 33-year-old attended a charity event in Shanghai on Tuesday night, looking to raise money for children from impoverished families and push the development of the country’s youth basketball.

On Wednesday, Kobe appeared at a camp in Jinan to coach young players and meet fans. He will head to Wuhan and Guangzhou on Thursday and Friday before returning to Shanghai.

Chinese-American player Jeremy Lin, who is regarded as the NBA’s new ambassador in China after Yao Ming retired last year, has a busy month ahead.

Lin visited a primary school for children of migrant workers in a suburban district of Beijing, and joined the TV show China’s Got Talent in Shanghai.

Lin will arrive in Dongguan, Guangdong province, to join a youth training camp over the weekend. Lin got the idea to build a basketball camp with the NBA’s Dongguan basketball academy when he played a few games for Chinese club Dongguan Leopards during the NBA’s lockout last September.

In June, 80 teenagers from eight Chinese cities and aged 13 to 16 were selected to join the camp from Aug 19-22, when Lin will train and play with the youths.

Lakers forward Metta World Peace — formerly known as Ron Artest — will lead a team of NCAA players against the Xinjing Flying Tigers in Weifang, Shandong province on Friday.

Basketball events will continue through October. Last season’s MVP, LeBron James, and the Miami Heat will play preseason games against the Los Angeles Clippers on Oct 11 in Beijing and Oct 14 in Shanghai. It will be the Heat’s first time in China since the NBA began visiting in 2004.