NBA China today announced that two-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, his brother Seth Curry of the Dallas Mavericks and Jeremy Lin of the Brooklyn Nets will travel to China this month to host Jr. NBA basketball clinics for students in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen as part of the league’s continued commitment to encouraging basketball participation among Chinese youth.
On July 22, Stephen and Seth will participate in the Jr. NBA All-Star Week, a week-long national training camp in Beijing for 230 boys and girls from across the country to learn basketball and life skills from NBA-selected coaches. On July 25 and July 29, Jr. NBA China Leadership Council member Jeremy Lin will host Jr. NBA basketball clinics in Shenzhen and Shanghai respectively.
“We are delighted to see that Stephen, Seth and Jeremy are willing to spend their time promoting youth basketball in China,” said NBA China CEO David Shoemaker. “Having these great players in China later this month to work directly with Chinese students continues our efforts to teach basketball and the values of the game at the grassroots level and encourage active, healthy lifestyles.”
Additionally, NBA China continues to work with China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) on a basketball curriculum jointly developed by the MOE and the NBA incorporating fitness and basketball development in elementary, middle and high schools throughout China. This year, the program will expand to 2,000 schools across 15 provinces and municipalities by hosting “Train the Trainer” coaching seminars and basketball clinics for P.E. teachers beginning August 7. The P.E. teachers will then teach the curriculum to students through weekly basketball classes beginning in September. During the 2016-17 school year, more than half a million students from 525 schools across 11 provinces and municipalities participated in basketball classes using the curriculum.
The Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. During the 2016-17 season, the NBA reached more than 18 million youth in 53 countries through its youth participation initiatives.
The Jr. NBA China Leadership Council includes NBA Champion Harrison Barnes of the Dallas Mavericks, two-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies, Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic, two-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, 2015-16 NBA Most Improved Player CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Champion and 10-time NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, Lin and Chinese-Canadian singer and actor Kris Wu.
About NBA China
The NBA’s entity that conducts all of the league’s businesses in Greater China was formed in January 2008 after its first office opened in Hong Kong in 1992. The NBA has interacted with Chinese basketball for decades, including first hosting the Chinese National team in 1985. The NBA currently has relationships with a strong network of television and digital media outlets in China, including a partnership of 30 years with national broadcaster CCTV. The league hosts hundreds of touring basketball events for fans, conducts community enrichment programs, and maintains marketing partnerships with a combination of world-class China-based corporations and U.S.-based multinationals.
NBA China is headquartered in Beijing and also has offices in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. NBA licensed products such as apparel and footwear are available through various retail networks and authorized online stores on e-commerce and social media platforms, including Tmall.com, JD.com, WeChat, NBAStore.cn, NBAStore.hk and NBAStore.tw. In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to play games in China, with two games between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing. Following NBA Global Games China 2017, 14 NBA teams will have played 24 games in Greater China. The NBA is the most-followed sports league in China, with more than 115 million social media followers.