Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the NBA, has chosen to return back to the land in which he won his first gold medal; China.
While there are only a few NBA players who hail from China (they can probably be counted on one hand), Chris Paul has different feelings about the state of Chinese basketball.
Paul had a very emotional experience in Beijing last summer at the 2008 Olympic games. He claims that it changed his outlook on life, and his connection to the nation remains strong, as evidenced by his recent trip back to China.
The most populous country in the world is stocked with tens of millions of avid basketball fans who adore NBA stars as much as we do. Paul will be holding basketball clinics in Guangzhou for a couple of days in early August, and open a brand new outdoor basketball court in the area.
Paul also plans to release a new Chinese basketball sneaker in his likeness, featuring the Chinese language on the shoes themselves, in honor of his record-setting 106 straight games with one or more steals, and his 61-point performance in high school to honor his grandfather's passing.
Yao Ming aside, no other NBA player has ever done what Paul is now doing in China. This gives the point guard a sort of iconic status there.
Research shows that there will soon be more NBA basketball fans in China than in the United States. Paul's move is a wise one, as now is the time to pique the interest of all Chinese basketball fans. He's also sure to gain plenty of fans of his own in the process.
Hopefully other NBA stars will follow Paul's lead and attempt to foster a widespread fan base in Asia, after all, it is the most populous continent in the world.
While there are only a few NBA players who hail from China (they can probably be counted on one hand), Chris Paul has different feelings about the state of Chinese basketball.
Paul had a very emotional experience in Beijing last summer at the 2008 Olympic games. He claims that it changed his outlook on life, and his connection to the nation remains strong, as evidenced by his recent trip back to China.
The most populous country in the world is stocked with tens of millions of avid basketball fans who adore NBA stars as much as we do. Paul will be holding basketball clinics in Guangzhou for a couple of days in early August, and open a brand new outdoor basketball court in the area.
Paul also plans to release a new Chinese basketball sneaker in his likeness, featuring the Chinese language on the shoes themselves, in honor of his record-setting 106 straight games with one or more steals, and his 61-point performance in high school to honor his grandfather's passing.
Yao Ming aside, no other NBA player has ever done what Paul is now doing in China. This gives the point guard a sort of iconic status there.
Research shows that there will soon be more NBA basketball fans in China than in the United States. Paul's move is a wise one, as now is the time to pique the interest of all Chinese basketball fans. He's also sure to gain plenty of fans of his own in the process.
Hopefully other NBA stars will follow Paul's lead and attempt to foster a widespread fan base in Asia, after all, it is the most populous continent in the world.
About the Author:
Jeremy Lambaszki is a basketball journalist with a focus on the Southwest Division. He spends much of his time at RootZoo's NBA basketball forum and regularly contributes sports trivia questions to the site as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment