1 week Ago
Jayson Tatum of defending NBA champion Boston Celtics takes a jumper during a streetball game at Next Stop Dongdan in Beijing on Sept 1. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY) Overwhelmed by the magnificence of the Great Wall and the game's "unmatched" popularity in the country, a stellar group of NBA players have enjoyed an eye-opening China trip stoked about basketball's growing impact. Twenty years on since Michael Jordan's well-chronicled visit to the iconic landmark, the Great Wall in China, known as one of the world's Seven Wonders, has witnessed a much bigger presence of the NBA with four in-prime stars — Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans) and Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)—ascending on the world-renowned heritage site during a China tour last week organized by their joint sponsor Jordan Brand.
As the most anticipated activity on their whirlwind trip to Beijing, the quartet joined former Chinese men's national team guard Guo Ailun and women's team forward Yang Shuyu, both Jordan Brand ambassadors as well, on Aug 31 in a hike on the wall that spans across mountain ridges in northern Beijing suburbs, which has always been a must-see on the itineraries of visiting NBA stars throughout the years. Zion Williamson throws a duck during a streetball game at Next Stop Dongdan in Beijing on Sept 1. [PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY] Williamson, an explosive All-Star forward with the Pelicans, said the spectacular views and serenity on the Great Wall left him in awe that he'd visit it repeatedly as his escape should he live in Beijing.
"I would at least try to come here once a week if I lived here," Williamson said. "You can be dealing with anything; if you come out here, this is peace. This is what peace looks like.
" "It was a great experience. I definitely see one of the Seven Wonders of the world. And the whole time I kept thinking to myself is that men built this and we only saw a small piece of it, so it was definitely exciting and I'm glad I got the experience.
" Banchero echoed Williamson's sentiment, saying that it was "surreal" to be on the wall in person after having only heard of it for so long. "I think the Great Wall of China is something that you hear about in school, but you never really think you ever go there. So I could have been there and walking on the wall was amazing.
It was quite the walk; I didn't know that much of a workout, but it was a good activity," said the Magic's starting power forward. The Jordan Brand stars started their China trip in Shanghai. They visited the Nike Shanghai campus to meet and greet employees, took boat rides along The Bund — a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai — and attended a basketball park and dance battle hosted by the brand featuring Les Twins.
The Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic (right) climbs on the Great Wall on Aug 31 in Beijing. [PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY] Upon returning from their Great Wall hike, Doncic visited a local Jordan Brand store to meet with fans. One fan was overcome with emotions after shaking Doncic's hand and confessing that "all her dreams came true" by meeting the Mavericks playmaker face-to-face.
"Yeah, it's definitely true (that the fans love the NBA and the game so much in China). I appreciate that so much with those moments (of being enthusiastically welcomed by fans), you always need to remember those are special moments," said Doncic. On the final day of their visit on Sunday, the athletes visited the Jordan World of Flight Beijing Sanlitun retail store, met with fans and participated in a Q&A session.
On the final day evening, the four stars surprised local street ball players by stopping by the finale of Next Stop Dongdan — a popular streetball tournament in Beijing. Each athlete participated in the games, threw down some dunks, made shots, and wowed those in the crowd. "I would say the passion here from the fans is unmatched," Banchero said of the electrifying vibe at the streetball tournament.
"Honestly just the excitement, the amount of time and like the gifts and the pictures, like the guy gave me a gift today, and he had pictures that I hadn't even seen, so it was crazy; I had to ask him how he got." Williamson said the China trip helped open his eyes to the impact of basketball on and off the court..
