MAVERICKS’ BARNES, LAKERS’ KUZMA, NBA LEGEND DAVID ROBINSON HEAD TO CHINA TO CELEBRATE NBA FINALS AND SUPPORT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

BEIJING, May 31, 2018 – NBA China today announced that Harrison Barnes of the Dallas Mavericks, Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson will visit China from June 1 to 9 to celebrate the NBA Finals 2018 with Chinese fans and support the continued growth of basketball in China. 

On Saturday, June 2, Barnes will travel to Shenzhen to commemorate NBA China’s partnership extension with Dongfeng Nissan, after which he will conduct basketball clinics and fan meets-and-greets in Shenzhen and Shanghai on June 3 and 4, respectively, to celebrate and promote the upcoming NBA China Games 2018 featuring the Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers in October in Shanghai and Shenzhen.  Barnes will also host a Finals viewing party for Game 2 of The Finals on Monday, June 4 for lucky fans selected from the NBA App and NBA Qiu Mi Quan (QMQ), the NBA’s fan loyalty program in China.

Kuzma, who will be visiting China for the first time, will attend a viewing party for Game 1 of The Finals on Friday, June 1 in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, hosted by NBA China’s broadcast partner BesTV.  Later in the day, he will attend a Jr. NBA basketball court donation ceremony in partnership with the Shanghai Sports Federation as part of the NBA’s celebration of the 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 basketball clinic for migrant school students to celebrate the International Children’s Day.  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 in Beijing.  

On June 3 and 4, Kuzma will visit the newly-opened NBA Playzone Beijing at Changying BHG Mall, where he will interact with children, parents, and meet lucky fans selected from the NBA App and NBA QMQ in the NBA Beijing Office.  Kuzma will also travel to Taipei, where he will make an appearance at the NBA Store in Taipei to interact with fans and conduct an interview with Videoland on Thursday, June 7.

Making his third trip to China, Robinson will attend a fan event in Shanghai hosted by NBA China marketing partner Master Kong on Thursday, June 7 and will visit the Shanghai Disney Resort to meet and greet fans.  Robinson is a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995 NBA MVP, a two-time NBA Champion, a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

The 2018 NBA Finals tip off June 1 and will be broadcast on CCTV 5, Tencent, BesTV, Great Sports, Guangdong TV, Videoland, Elta, LINE, Eleven Sports and through NBA League Pass in Hong Kong. 

In addition, 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 U.S. to watch Game 2 of The Finals and visit the NBA offices and the NBA Store in New York, and the NBA Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.  NBA QMQ will also send five lucky fans to attend Game 3 of the Finals.  

NBA Player and Legend Quotes:

Dallas Mavericks Forward Harrison Barnes:

“This will be my fourth trip to China.  I had a great time meeting and interacting with the fans in China when I played two preseason games there back in 2013.  I’m excited to visit China again to enjoy the excitement of the NBA Finals alongside the passionate Chinese fans.”

Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma:

“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.  I cannot wait to experience their passion for myself and thank them for supporting the Lakers.”

NBA Legend David Robinson:

“It is always humbling to see the support and passion the Chinese fans have for the NBA.  I look forward to visiting China again, to connect with the fans and help play a part in the growth of the game there.”

About NBA China

The NBA’s entity that conducts all of the league’s business in 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 31-year 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 U.S. professional sports league to play games in China.  Following NBA China Games 2018, 17 NBA teams will have played 26 games in China.