Basketball connects peoples, envoy says

Basketball is an important bond that promotes mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of China and the United States, China's top envoy to the US told NBA representatives during a Los Angeles Lakers game.

Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the US, notes that a shared love of the sport has helped to enhance people-to-people exchange between the two nations. He attended the game between the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night.

China's Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping also attended, as did the National Basketball Association Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Lakers President Jeanie Buss and former NBA star player Robert Horry, according to a news release by China's US embassy.

"Honored to be No. 43 of#Lakers! 2022 marks the 43rd anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations and first#NBA team's visit to China," Qin said in a tweet after the game. In the tweet, the ambassador attached a photo of him holding Lakers jersey No. 43. Qin was pictured with Tatum and Horry, who played 16 seasons in the NBA on teams that won seven championships.

Back in 2012, then Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping and then US vice-president Joe Biden visited Los Angeles and attended a Lakers game together at the Staples Center, according to the release.

Tatum said the 2012 visit by Xi and Biden greatly advanced NBA exchanges and cooperation with China and highlighted sporting and cultural exchanges between the US and China.

'Serving as bridge'

In the future, the NBA and the Lakers are willing to serve as a bridge for the friendship and cultural exchanges between the two peoples, he said.

The ambassador thanked the NBA for the invitation to the game. Over the years, the NBA and the Lakers have been favorites of Chinese fans.

The US basketball league has continued to enjoy success in China since Chinese media started airing its games in the 1980s.

In 1979, the Washington Wizards, previously known as the Washington Bullets, became the first NBA team to be invited to China after the US and China established diplomatic relations. The team played two exhibition games against the Chinese national team and the Bayi Rockets.

In January, Qin appeared in a Lunar New Year video message during a game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers to wish the team and their fans a happy Year of the Tiger.

The Lakers have garnered steady popularity in China over the years. Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have constantly topped the chart as some of the Chinese fans' favorite basketball stars. The Weibo account of the team is followed by more than 10 million fans.

Bryant's death in a helicopter crash in January 2020 devastated many Chinese fans, many of whom went on social media to share their sadness over his loss.