Capital children charmed by US hoops stars

Los Angeles Lakers' guard D'Angelo Russell attempts to block a shot from a student player at the Jr. NBA Children's Day basketball clinic at the Wukesong Hi-Park in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo/Provided to China Daily]

For a group of young sports enthusiasts in Beijing, there was no better way to celebrate Children’s Day than the basketball-themed event held on Wednesday.

As part of the US National Basketball Association’s promotion of grassroots sports in China, a “Jr. NBA Children’s Day” basketball clinic was staged at Wukesong Hi-Park in the capital, offering 1,000 local students the opportunity to interact in person with D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The two players worked with students to demonstrate basic skills, perform one-on-one drills, and play basketball-themed games such as a shootout contest.

Russell, who is on his first trip to China after finishing his rookie year with the Lakers, said practicing with Chinese children was his gift for Children’s Day.

“It feels great that I have the opportunity to showcase what I do in everyday life on the court, ball handling and shooting. Some people never get this opportunity, so to give them the opportunity feels great,” said the 20-year-old.

“My best gift ever was a signed Kobe Bryant shoe. We got the opportunity to play with Kobe and he signed the shoe for me. I will keep that forever,” he added.

As one of the Lakers’ most accomplished stars, Bryant retired from NBA in April after playing 20 years in the league, winning five championships.

Clarkson echoed the sentiments of his teammate, saying that it was cool to see the children appreciate and enjoy what they provided through up-close demonstrations.

“I think it’s pretty cool on such a day to try to teach them the skills and drills that we do every day,” he said.

The Jr. NBA Children’s Day campaign is a weeklong nationwide initiative that aims to promote healthy lifestyles among elementary and middle schools.

Through the campaign, NBA China expects to reach more than 230,000 students from 164 elementary schools across the country by providing tool kits that teach the fundamentals of basketball.

The pair of Lakers teammates will also visit local elementary and middle schools in Beijing to conduct basketball clinics with students.

Russell is scheduled to attend an NBA Finals Game 1 viewing party on Friday hosted by Tencent, along with 2,000 students at the China Agricultural University in Beijing.

He will then travel to Shanghai on Sunday and join Boston Celtics’ All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas to host 20 underprivileged students — invited through the NBA Cares initiative from a local migrant school — for a sneak peek of the NBA Playzone, the world’s first NBA-themed family entertainment center scheduled to open later this summer.

The league’s 2015-16 Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves will conclude the string of summer promotions by visiting Shanghai from June 12 to 14 to engage with local fans at different events.

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