NBA player Dwyane Wade (front R) waves to fans in China. (Photo : Reuters)
NBA China CEO David Shoemaker spoke eloquently with the China Daily media outlet on Friday, while his comments were framed in the context of the Chinese New Year that began on Thursday.
In a sentiment that has resounded through numerous parts of the world this week, the chief executive reaffirmed the basketball association's ongoing commitment to China.
Shoemaker was sure to repeat the statement made by U.S. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in which he described the Chinese market as "extremely important" and one that the commissioner had formulated a clear plan for.
The head of the NBA's activities in China said that the NBA is primarily concerned with the development and growth of basketball within the east Asian nation, explaining:
"So much of what we do at NBA China is about importing the game and showing it on television or digital media."
He also discussed a goal that was confirmed at the association's global headquarters in the U.S. around 2012, whereby the management team decided that it would "export Chinese New Year back into the United States."
Digital and broadcast media are central to this aspiration, and NBA China is linked with numerous television and digital media partners, including a 28-plus-year relationship with China Central Television (CCTV).
The Chinese arm of the popular sporting league was first established in Beijing at the start of 2008, and now boasts over 93 million fans and followers on its social media platforms.
In terms of the sport's favor among the population, Shoemaker conveyed: "According to the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), over 300 million people are playing the game of basketball."
