Ping-pong diplomacy ... with a basketball
When China and the US get ready to face off in their first Olympic basketball match, you may see one player firing up his iPod and bumping Kanye West's "Stronger" as he laces up his pair of Nike Hyperdunk sneakers - but it might not be Kobe Bryant.
On the other side of the court you may see another player shaking hands and greeting opponents with a jiayou gemen ("gas it out, pal"), but that might not be Yi Jianlian.
The differences between Chinese and US players were once stark, but after years of emulating one another and sharing a common sporting bond, the main difference now will be the color of the players' jerseys.
We are approaching a historic sporting moment, the basketball equivalent of the so-called ping-pong diplomacy of 1971. People in the US and China will be paying close attention to this game, but not for the differences this time. They will instead tuen in to see what the two nations have in common - a shared passion for basketball.
"You cannot imagine a harder opening game than this, but I like it," Yi said during the Stankovic Cup in Hangzhou last month. "You could feel the atmosphere as soon as the draw was announced. It was like a party, inviting the most talented players from two countries that are moving closer in the world of basketball."
China's goal this year is to reach the quarterfinals, but it will be a tough task in Group B. After the clash with the US on Aug 10, China will also have to face world champion Spain, African champion Angola, world runner-up Greece and Dirk Nowitzki-led Germany.
But regardless of how China fares in its group, Chinese basketball officials believe this "twenty-first century version of ping-pong diplomacy" in the opener will be a milestone that tips off a new chapter in sports history for the US and China.
"It's more than a game," Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) chief Li Yuanwei said. "People have talked endlessly about how different Chinese and American athletes are. Sure, we have different systems: NBA stars make lots of money while Chinese players don't, they drive luxury cars while our players ride the team bus.
"But we will be the same when we step onto the court at the Olympics. The game will be a perfect summary of Sino-US cooperation in the field of basketball over the years, and I am sure there will be more to come after it."
Party time
Officials can talk about the diplomatic implications of the game, but for fans it's party time. An opening showdown for China against such a star-studded and entertaining team like the US is a dream come true for any hoops enthusiast.
Fans can't wait to see Yao Ming block a Kobe Bryant shot or see Yi take LeBron James to the hoop. Watching these familiar stars compete is far more exciting than seeing the home team play against athletes largely unknown inside China.
In an online poll conducted by China Daily (chinadaily.com.cn), 76 percent of respondents said they would prefer to see a difficult match-up against the US than to see China achieve a better result against an easier opponent.
No wonder US President George W. Bush made a special request to Chinese President Hu Jintao to get a ticket to the game.
"The interest in China is just remarkable and now we get to see China play the USA on the opening day. This is going to be something," FIBA president Bob Elphinston said after the draw in June.
Bolstered by the popularity of Yao, the NBA has come a long way in China in 20 years. Back then, the NBA didn't even charge China for broadcast rights. Now more than 450 million people watch the NBA in China and the CBA estimates 300 million people play the sport.
"We've had super growth in the last couple of years and when we look at the potential, it's just amazing," NBA China chief executive officer Tim Chen said. "After the Olympics, people in China will know more about our players, and that widens the fan base for the NBA."
The explosive popularity persuaded investors like Hong Kong mogul Li Ka-shing and Walt Disney Co to pay a combined $253 million for an 11 percent stake in NBA China in January.
"One day we'll go into 30 to 40 more cities and we'll have more coverage," Chen said. "It's just the beginning."
The Olympic tournament will have a decidedly NBA flavor as Beijing organizers asked the league to bring its mix of loud music and flashing scoreboards to the Wukesong Indoor Stadium, the Olympic venue. NBA officials have even trained cheerleaders.
"We're bringing in 35 people from NBA USA to help with game presentation, to make it more fun," Chen said.
The NBA's involvement at Wukesong will continue beyond next month. Several events are slated for the next year, Chen said, including the NBA China Games in October.
"This is what we will call the home of the NBA in China," said the 51-year-old Chen, who ran Microsoft Corporation in China before joining the basketball league in October. "It's the best arena in Asia."
Despite the hype, China and the US are not exactly rivals - the US has routed China in nine out of 10 meetings. China's only win came in 2001 at the International Universiade when a team led by Yao, Wang Zhizhi and Menk Bateer beat a group of American college students.
Chinese coaches, for example, can't be thrilled with such a monstrous obstacle as the US in China's group.
"I don't have God's telephone number, so I cannot choose opponents," China's head coach Jonas Kazlauskas told Xinhua.
Despite the enormous public interest, the coach said, beating the US will be nothing short of a "mission impossible" for China.
Since their first Olympic showdown in 1984, when American college players crushed China 97-48 at the Los Angeles Games, China has never even been close to the US - it lost by 49 points in 1988, 63 points in 1996 and 47 points in 2000.
China has fared slightly better at the World Championships, but only very slightly. It came as close as it ever has in 2002, losing by only 19 points in Indianapolis, but then lost by 31 points in Japan in 2006.
Despite the huge opening-game task in front of them, China's players are undaunted. "We won't give it up even though there might be a gap between us," said Chinese captain Li Nan.
"An Olympic opening game means a lot for us, we will fight as hard as we can no matter who we play against."
(China Daily 08/08/2008 page54)
