Record 12 NBA Teams Hosting In-Arena Chinese New Year Celebrations; Record 93 Games to be Broadcast

BEIJING AND NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2018 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that the NBA Chinese New Year Celebration 2018 presented by Dongfeng Nissan will feature the NBA’s biggest stars in action, the debut of a new television campaign, a record 93 games to be broadcast in Greater China, and a record 12 NBA teams hosting in-arena activities, as the league celebrates the holiday for the seventh consecutive year from Feb. 2 - March 3.

As part of the celebration, the NBA today debuted a new series of television spots entitled “Fireworks,” starring five-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, five-time NBA All-Star and NBA Champion Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year and 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs.

During the NBA Chinese New Year Celebration, fans in Greater China will be able to watch 93 games with live broadcasts on CCTV, Tencent, BesTV, Guangdong TV, GreatSports, Videoland, ELTA, Eleven Sports and LeSports (HK).

2006 NBA Champion Jason Williams will tip off the NBA Cares Season of Giving festivities presented by Dongfeng Nissan in China on Jan. 29 with a donation of sports equipment and a music room to underprivileged students in Lijiang, Yunnan.  Williams will then travel to Shanghai to host two Chinese New Year celebrations and basketball clinics for a group of Special Olympics athletes at the NBA Playzone on Jan. 31 and at Shanghai Yumiao migrant school on Feb. 1.

As part of the NBA Cares initiative, NBA China – in partnership with the China Youth Development Foundation and Spalding – will also donate sports and educational equipment to three legacy projects in Yunnan, Hunan and Beijing and Spalding basketballs to elementary school students in each of China’s 34 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and special administrative zones. 

“Fireworks,” a Magical Chinese New Year Television Spot: 

Celebrating Chinese New Year with family is magical – especially through the eyes of a child.  We see the wonder of Chinese New Year unfold for a child as Davis, Irving and Leonard usher in the new year with a child and his family as they celebrate under fireworks.  Three different versions of the spot will air through March 3 across all of NBA China’s television and digital partners’ platforms, including NBA.com/China, the NBA App and the league’s social media channels in China.

“Fireworks” – http://china.nba.com/cny/promo.htm 

Key Chinese New Year Matchups:

1. Feb. 11 – Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors: In a rematch of the 2017 Western Conference Finals, LaMarcus Aldridge and the Spurs will visit Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and the Warriors for the first time this season (Tencent, BesTV)

2. Feb. 14 – Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: LeBron James and the Cavaliers make their only trip of the year to Oklahoma City to face Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and the Thunder (Tencent, BesTV)

3. Feb. 19 – NBA All-Star Game 2018: The 67th annual NBA All-Star Game will take place in Los Angeles with team captains Stephen Curry and LeBron James drafting the 2018 All-Star teams for the first time from the pool of players voted as starters and reserves (CCTV, Tencent, BesTV) 

4. Feb. 25 – Thunder vs. Warriors: Western Conference foes collide as the Warriors, wearing their Chinese heritage jerseys, take on the Thunder (Tencent, BesTV)

5. March 1 – Houston Rockets vs. LA Clippers: James Harden, Chris Paul and the Rockets head back to Los Angeles to play Blake Griffin and the Clippers for the third time this season (CCTV, Tencent, BesTV)

In-Arena Activities and Nike City Edition Uniforms:

1. The record 12 NBA teams hosting Chinese New Year-themed celebrations in their home arenas are the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Cavaliers, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards. 

Nike City Edition Uniform Photos 

2.The Warriors and the Rockets will wear Nike City Edition uniforms with Chinese characters and symbolism inspired by Chinese culture to pay tribute to Chinese fans for a total of 12 games.

Chinese New Year Special Programming:

“Jeremy Lin: Roots”: A 10-minute documentary featuring an all-access look at Nets guard Jeremy Lin’s recent journey back to Pinghu, China, the home of his maternal grandmother, will air across NBA China’s TV and digital partners.  On Feb. 6, the NBA’s Weibo account will feature a live stream with Lin as he participates in a traditional Chinese New Year dinner and answers questions from fans.

NBA Chinese New Year Celebration activities also include:

Chinese New Year NBA Qiu Mi Quan Fan Appreciation:

Fans can visit the Chinese New Year 2018 mini-site via NBA Qiu Mi Quan (NBA China’s fan loyalty program) to access content, play the “New Year Dunk” red envelope game, and register for an NBA Qiu Mi Quan account for the chance to win prizes, including NBA jerseys and tickets to The Finals and NBA China Games.  Three lucky members of the NBA Qiu Mi Quan will travel to Brooklyn, N.Y. to meet Nets guard Jeremy Lin on Feb. 5 and watch the game between the Nets and the Rockets on Feb. 6 at Barclays Center.

Chinese New Year NBA Basketball Camp at Mission Hills Haikou:

1. As a marketing partner of NBA Chinese New Year Celebration 2018, the NBA and Mission Hills Haikou will conduct an NBA Basketball Camp for boys and girls ages 6-18 from Feb. 5-7 led by NBA-trained coaches.

2. Three lucky members of the NBA Qiu Mi Quan and their families will be invited to Mission Hills Haikou to attend the camp for free.

Chinese New Year Interactive Fan Games:

1. The NBA Chinese New Year Celebration 2018 mini-site will feature a red envelope game for fans to win Dongfeng Nissan Chinese New Year-themed gift packs.

2. The NBA App in China will feature a new “Rolling Red Envelope” game for fans to win special prizes and limited-edition merchandise from the NBA Store.

NBA Chinese New Year Celebration 2018 presented by Dongfeng Nissan is also supported by Official Partners vivo and Mission Hills.

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 currently has relationships with a network of television and digital media outlets in China, including a 30-plus years partnership with 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 licensed apparel and footwear are available through retail and authorized online stores on e-commerce and social media platforms, including NBAStore.cn, Tmall.com, JD.com, NBAStore.hk and NBAStore.tw.  In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to play games in China.  Following NBA China Games 2017, 14 NBA teams have played 24 games in Greater China.