60 People, 60 Stories

Something special

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-30 11:06

It was 1987 that I first visited the Middle Kingdom arriving by ferry from Hong Kong and landing at the Shunde port outside Guangzhou. Coincidentally, 1987 was the first year that the NBA appeared across China on CCTV-5 with the broadcasting of the NBA All-Star Game.

Great teams and great players combined with shrewd marketing are fundamental to building something special in sports. The USA "Dream Team" in 1992 (Barcelona Olympics) needs no further explanation to the impact they had on Chinese and global basketball. The solid performance of the Chinese National Basketball Team in 1996 in Atlanta (USA) that included the emergence of a young "Da Zhi" (Wang Zhizhi) who would go on to become the first Chinese player to don an NBA uniform in 2001. The momentum for Chinese basketball continued to grow.

Of course, it is always nice to have the "Good Fortune Angel" shine upon you. For Chinese basketball and the NBA good fortune turned to great fortune with the emergence of Yao Ming onto the NBA stage. Unless you have been living on Mars, you know the story. It is a story for the ages. The iconic Yao is one of the greatest role models in the history of sports, period! Sure, he has game but his stature in China among all citizens is beyond comparison. He may not sell as many shirts as MJ, Kobe or LeBron but without Yao, the rapid growth of the NBA in China would have taken quite a bit longer than the present cash register clinging pace.

With Yao in toe, the NBA set about executing an on-the-ground strategy that has included exhibition games and marquee player appearances in China, grass root programs such as Jam Session, 3 on 3 events, NBA Van, cheerleader competitions and more. These types of basketball-related activities, while they no doubt raise the profile of the NBA dramatically, are essential to expanding basketball participation, particularly in lower tier cities.

No doubt the NBA has had a powerful influence on basketball in China. China certainly has had a powerful influence and contributes mightily to the present and future commercial success of the NBA.

Tom McCarthy is presently the CEO of Beijing International Group. From 1996-2002, he served as CEO of the Asian Basketball Confederation Promotions (now FIBA-Asia) overseeing 44 countries in Asia.