Shenzhen, China—To provide staggering context as to the depths of China’s passion for basketball, the current population of the United States is 329 million as determined by the United States Census Bureau.
In China, there are 300 million people in a country of almost 1.4 billion who actively play basketball, either recreationally, as part of their school teams or professionally. The city of Shenzhen is a microcosm of the people’s love of a game that was introduced here in the 1890s by YMCA missionaries from Springfield, Mass., where the sport was created by Dr. James Naismith, and who were among the first participants to play the sport as Naismith’s students.
On a warm, humid evening, a group of men ranging from their late teens to mid-20s are engaged in intense games of three-on-three and four-on-four on both ends of the Slam Dunk Basketball Club courts under lights brilliantly illuminating the fenced enclosure as 15 or so millennials, men and women, sit and stand behind the baselines conversing and taking in the action.
The court, situated in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen, is surrounded by glistening skyscrapers, the most spectacular and symbolic being the Tencent Seafront Towers, an awe-inspiring twin architectural structure that serves as the headquarters of Tencent Holdings Limited, one of the world’s most highly valuated conglomerates.
In 2015, the NBA and Tencent expanded an existing deal for five years worth $700 million, making the company the league’s most valuable international digital partner and cementing the NBA as the most popular and influential sports brand in China.
Shenzhen is considered the fastest growing city in modern history, maybe ever. It is a coastal city located 15 miles from Hong Kong. In 1980 Shenzhen, located in Guangdong Province within the Pearl River Delta, had fewer than 50,000 inhabitants. The same year, it was designated China’s first Special Economic Zone. Industry suddenly boomed.
Today, with construction seemingly taking place in every area of the city, Shenzhen boasts a population of 20 million and is known as the Silicon Valley of China, chasing the Northern California stronghold as the world’s leader in technological innovation.
Three weeks ago, Shenzhen hosted the annual NBA China Games featuring the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Hall of Famer Julius Irving and erstwhile All-Star Stephon Marbury, who found basketball redemption in China, were among the former NBA players in Shenzhen to take part in a variety of activities such as clinics and social events.
The Shenzhen Universiade Center will be one of the venues in China where games will be held during next summer’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“You can’t even imagine how popular basketball is here in China,” said Richard Chiang, CEO of Ninety Plus Group, a marketing and branding company based in Shenzhen that handles endorsement and marketing opportunities for a number of former and current NBA players, including Scottie Pippen, Allen Iverson and Lamar Odom.
“People love the game, love the culture and they especially love the NBA,” said Chiang.
Capitalizing on his success with the Houston Rockets, Hall of Famer Yao Ming, now head of China’s national team, helped elevate the game’s popularity to heretofore unimaginable heights in his native country. Now, there seems to be no limits to basketball’s growth nearly 9,000 miles from where it all started.