Chinese root for Yao Ming, but love NBA pizzaz
By Tim Johnson | McClatchy Newspapers
BEIJING — The rain came down in sheets Sunday night but Zheng Hongzhe wouldn't leave his spot in front of the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium.
Zheng hoped to score one of the hottest tickets in the Olympic Games, the U.S.-China basketball match-up, and the match was about to begin. Zheng, soaked under a thin plastic poncho, implored all passersby to sell or give him a ticket.
Patriotism had something to do with the 17-year-old Zheng's determination. After all, China's all-star center, Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets, may well be the most famous athlete in the nation. All Chinese fans would yell their lungs out for Yao Ming and the home team.
But in reality, Zheng came because he wanted to glimpse American NBA all-stars.
"Kobe (Bryant) and (Lebron) James are my favorites," Zheng said. "They are really strong and fast."
China's resolve to win as many gold medals as possible took a slight pause Sunday night, a reality check that allowed its national team, stocked with NBA stars Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, to hold its own only for the first quarter, fading quickly as the U.S. squad romped to a 101-70 victory. By the second quarter, many Chinese fans, smitten by NBA pizzaz, sat back to enjoy the show. They clapped with increasing enthusiasm with each behind-the-back pass, through-the-legs dribble, and flashy slam dunk by the U.S. stars.
"Kobe's got a lot of fans," explained Dong Jian, a 28-year-old engineer, speaking of the Los Angeles Lakers guard. "Nowadays, he's the MVP. He's a little like (Michael) Jordan."
Basketball may well be the most popular sport in China, even if China's stars struggle to bring the national squad up to proficiency. According to the National Basketball Association, some 300 million Chinese play basketball regularly, and even more like to view it. Sunday night's game was expected to become one of the most watched basketball games in history.
"Basketball has gained more and more popularity in China," said Zhang Haiyan, editor of NBA China Hoop magazine. "More good Chinese players are in the NBA, like Yao Ming and (New Jersey Nets power forward) Yi Jianlian. Chinese people feel so proud of them."
"On the other hand, some NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady are really popular with Chinese people and have plenty of fans in China."
The NBA, which employs 100 people in four offices around greater China, is courting Beijing to allow it to build a "mini NBA" league around the nation. Already, the league's Chinese-language website, NBA.com/China, has become the most popular single sports site in the nation.
During the NBA season, 51 Chinese networks and stations carry some NBA games. Because of the time difference with the United States, many of the games are aired in the mornings, causing employees to sometimes sneak away from their jobs to catch part of games.
Some of what attracts young Chinese to NBA stars is the individuality of the leading players, and the panache they exhibit both on and off the court. Social norms in China still confine many boys and young men to strict piety to their parents, and often grueling attention to their studies. The me-first attitude of NBA stars holds allure.
"I like their style," said Guan Boheng, a 16-year-old student who waited patiently outside the arena for a ticket to buy, "and the way they seem to have fun when they are playing."
"The attitude of the players is a really big attraction."
By the second half of the game, the 18,000 sell-out crowd seemed to be divided into two parts. On one side were diehard supporters of China, hoping to lift the national team to its first-ever win over the U.S. team. On the other side, Chinese fans thrilled and clapped for their favorite NBA stars.
Zhang, the basketball magazine editor, described what she called a "complex" attitude among fans who want China to do well but thrill in seeing a good performance.
"Most fans just want to support a wonderful match, just want to be a pure fan and watch the game. Even if the fan supports the Chinese team, he will applaud the excellent U.S. team performance," she said.
(McClatchy special correspondent Yu Jincui contributed.)
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