Former NBA star Gary Payton has arrived in China on Jan. 31. The ex-Miami Heat point guard is in the country to lead the first-ever NBA Chinese New Year Celebration Season of Giving Initiative.
The event began in Fujian with a basketball clinic led by Payton for the underprivileged kids of the province. After the clinic, the nine-time NBA All-Star player also shared a typical Chinese New Year meal with the students of a nearby public school. Payton ate dumplings with children attending Ankai School in Lianjiang.
The 46-year-old expressed happiness with the time he was able to spend with the children.
"I am so happy that I can come to such a remote place to see the students playing basketball," said the 1996 Defensive Player of the Year.
After his visit to the southeastern part of the country, Payton is scheduled to visit Shanghai next.
In Shanghai, the ex-NBA player would head to the NBA Yao Basketball Club to conduct a basketball clinic to athletes who participated in the Special Olympics.
Aside from the special clinics, the NBA would also give out special gifts of around 1,600 Spalding basketballs to the grade-school students of China's 34 provinces, towns and cities.
The NBA New Year Celebration Season of Giving is part of NBA's line-up of activities to honor and give recognition to one of its biggest foreign fanbases, the Chinese. The event, which features roadshows, clinics, special games and live broadcast, is part of the league's celebration to usher the Chinese New Year.
Activities hosted and organized by the NBA would be held in the U.S., China and other select countries from Feb. 19 until March 4.