Mashburn preaches unity through basketball

BEIJING - American and Chinese high school students were urged to get to know each other better through basketball on Friday.

Former NBA all-star forward Jamal Mashburn appeared at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) to launch the 16x16 Basketball Tournament, the tip-off event of a week-long campaign to boost Sino-US educational and cultural exchanges.

Mashburn also provided tips at a pre-game clinic. He shouted loud instructions to the teenagers at courtside, but he also wants to make his voice heard through expanding the game simply beyond competitions.