The National Basketball Association (NBA) is opening a glitzy “lifestyle destination” complex with an official basketball court, a hoop-themed restaurant and a children’s zone.
You can train like Kobe Bryant, or even an LA Lakers girl, at a state-of-the-art fitness center. Perhaps you could spend the day at an interactive carnival, shooting jump shots against a virtual LeBron James, or in a two-on-two game with friends.
The NBA experience in the US$1.5 billion, 930.8 hectare sports and entertainment superstructure is not in Beverly Hills or Manhattan — it is on the outskirts of Beijing.
“China is our No. 1 market outside of the United States,” NBA International president Heidi Ueberroth told reporters.
Many in the US believe that basketball entered the Chinese public consciousness when Yao Ming joined the NBA. Though he had a enormous impact, the game had a huge following well before the 2.29m center became a member of the Houston Rockets in 2002.
The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers played two preseason games in China last year and the knowledge of NBA history by the fans stunned league officials.
Three hundred million play the game in the basketball-mad nation. Commissioner David Stern said the NBA water-cooler talk in China is similar to what happens in the US.
“The discussions are all the same — about last night’s games, about possible trades, about the [salary] cap, about revenue sharing,” he said. “It’s really quite extraordinary.”
The league has capitalized on its popularity with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) Dongguan Basketball School and NBA Training Center for potential pros.
“We have recruited elite juniors age 12 to 17 and they train in an NBA facility to become top-level basketball players,” NBA China CEO David Shoemaker said. “It’s a collaboration with the CBA. We use our most modern techniques from a coaching level, from a nutrition level and from a physical training level. It’s one of many ways we can partner with the local federation on the ground in China to further generate the next generation of basketball there.”
The league is helping to develop the fourth cutting-edge NBA-style arena in China’s Xiamen City.
“We are growing very fast internationally,” Ueberroth said, adding that last week’s All-Star game was televised in 215 countries.
Ueberroth hopes to bring the NBA’s blueprint for success to other countries like India and Brazil.
However, the NBA’s success in China may be hard to duplicate.
“Our fans base there is so knowledgeable and it just impresses every person that’s part of the NBA family that goes over,” Ueberroth said. “It’s the history of basketball in China. It was brought by missionaries in the late 1800s, it’s been part of the fabric and played throughout China.”
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was