Yao's homecoming NBA tickets hits market
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-07-29 07:38

Tickets for the Beijing half of the NBA China Games - a two-game series between Yao Ming's Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings - go on sale on August 3.

Chinese NBA star Yao Ming (C) poses with officials of NBA and CBA after a news conference on the inaugural NBA-CBA Coaches Camp in Beijing July 20, 2004. The NBA will team up with the China Basketball Association (CBA) to stage their first joint coaching camp this summer to help improve the level of basketball in China by training the nation's leading coaches. [Reuters]

The game will be played at Capital Gymnasium on Sunday, October 17 at 12 noon. On October 14, the two teams will square off in Shanghai.

Fans will be able to purchase tickets through China Superticket, the only officially appointed ticketing agency.

Tickets are priced from 180 RMB to 3,000 RMB, and can be purchased on an individual or group sales basis. A limited number of corporate boxes will also be available.

Individual purchasers can buy a maximum of four tickets per transaction. Consumers will be given a redemption coupon as proof of purchase and the coupon can be exchanged for NBA China Games tickets in October.

This process is being undertaken to minimize the risk of counterfeit tickets and scalping.

Chinese fans will be able to watch the dynamic duo of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady take the court as teammates for the first time.

Chinese NBA star Yao Ming smiles during a news conference on the inaugural NBA-CBA Coaches Camp in Beijing July 20, 2004. [Reuters]

McGrady, a two-time NBA scoring champion was acquired by the Rockets in an off-season trade. The Rockets finished seventh in the Western Conference, earning them a date with the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, which they lost four games to one.

The Kings finished the regular season with 55 wins and 27 losses, but fell in seven games to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semi-final.

In a survey conducted last season, 75 per cent of Chinese males between the ages of 15-24 and 43 per cent of all Chinese aged 15-24 described themselves as NBA fans.

NBA programming reaches 314 million television households in China and over 15 million viewers watched the 2003 All-Star Game live on CCTV. NBA programming in China debuted on CCTV with the 1987 NBA All-Star Game.

CCTV will televise live the China Game.

Tickets will be on sale via ten China Superticket outlets in Beijing.

For more information, call64068888 or 64069999 for individuals and 83151288 for group and corporate sales.

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