NBA stars boosting China’s celebration
Harrison Barnes of the Dallas Mavericks, Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson are visiting China to celebrate the NBA Finals with Chinese fans and support the continued growth of the game here.
On Saturday, Barnes will travel to Shenzhen to commemorate NBA China’s partnership extension with Dongfeng Nissan, after which he will conduct basketball clinics and fan meetand-greets in Shenzhen and Shanghai on June 3 and 4 to promote October’s NBA China Games 2018, featuring the Mavericks playing the Philadelphia 76ers in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Barnes will also host a viewing party for Game 2 of the Finals on June 4 for fans selected from the NBA App and NBA Qiu Mi Quan (QMQ), the league’s fan loyalty program in China.
“This will be my fourth trip to China. I had a great time meeting and interacting with the fans when I played two preseason games there in 2013. I’m excited to visit China again to enjoy the excitement of the NBA Finals alongside the passionate Chinese fans,” said Barnes.
Kuzma, who will be visiting China for the first time, was set to attend a Game 1 viewing party in Weinan, Shaanxi province, hosted by NBA China’s broadcast partner BesTV.
He was also slated to attend a Jr. NBA basketball court donation ceremony in partnership with the Shanghai Sports Federation as part of the NBA’s celebration of International Children’s Day.
On June 2, Kuzma will travel to Beijing to meet fans at the Jr. NBA Beijing High School League Finals and host an NBA Cares clinic for migrant students.
While in Beijing, he will provide live halftime commentary on Tencent’s broadcast of Game 2 of the Finals, as well as attend a viewing party on June 4 for NBA League Pass and Tencent Sports subscribers at a cinema.
“The NBA playoffs have been amazing, and there is no better way to celebrate the game than to share the excitement of the Finals with the fans in China,” said Kuzma. “I cannot wait to experience their passion, and I thank them for supporting the Lakers.”
On June 3 and 4, Kuzma will visit the newly opened NBA Playzone Beijing at Changying BHG Mall, where he will interact with children and parents and meet fans selected from the NBA App and NBA QMQ in the NBA’s Beijing office.
Kuzma will also travel to Taipei on June 7, where he will make an appearance at the NBA Store to interact with fans and conduct an interview with Videoland.
Making his third trip to China, Robinson will attend a fan event in Shanghai hosted by NBA China marketing partner Master Kong on June 7 and will visit the Shanghai Disney Resort to meet fans.
“It is always humbling to see the support and passion the Chinese fans have for the NBA,” he said.
“I look forward to visiting China again, to connect with the fans and help play a part in the growth of the game.”
Robinson, who played his entire 12-year career with the San Antonio Spurs, was a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995 league MVP, a two-time NBA champion, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner.
He retired after the 200203 season and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Finals are being broadcast on CCTV-5, Tencent, BesTV, Great Sports, Guangdong TV, Videoland, Elta, LINE, Eleven Sports and through NBA League Pass in Hong Kong.
In another promotion, NBA China marketing partner SAP will invite Chinese actress Yuan Shanshan and two fans selected by Tencent via a SAP-sponsored sweepstakes to travel to the US to watch Game 2 of the Finals and visit the league offices and the NBA Store in New York, and the NBA replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Kyle Kuzma, LA Lakers forward