China's US ambassador talks of sports bond at Lakers game

Basketball is an important bond that promotes mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, China's top envoy to the US told NBA representatives during a Los Angeles Lakers game.

Qin Gang, China's ambassador to the US, noted that a shared love of the sport has helped to enhance people-to-people exchange between the two nations. He attended the game between the Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night.

China's Consul General in Los Angeles Zhang Ping also attended, as did the National Basketball Association Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Lakers President Jeanie Buss and former NBA star player Robert Horry, according to a press release by China's US embassy.

"Honored to be No. 43 of #Lakers! 2022 marks the 43rd anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations and first #NBA team's visit to China," said Qin in a tweet after the meeting.

In the tweet, the ambassador attached a photo of him holding Lakers jersey No. 43. Qin was pictured with Tatum and Horry, who played 16 seasons in the NBA on teams that won seven championships.

In 2012, then-Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping and then-US Vice-President Joe Biden visited Los Angeles and attended a Lakers game together at Staples Center, according to the release.

Tatum said the 2012 visit by Xi and Biden greatly advanced NBA exchanges and cooperation with China and illustrated sport and cultural exchanges between the US and China.

In the future, the NBA and the Lakers are willing to serve as a bridge for the friendship and cultural exchanges between the two peoples, he added.

The ambassador thanked the NBA for the invitation to the game. Over the years, the NBA and Lakers have been favorites of Chinese fans.

The American basketball league has continued to enjoy success in China since Chinese media started airing its games in the 1980s.

In 1979, the Washington Wizards, previously known as the Washington Bullets, became the first NBA team to be invited to China after the US and China established diplomatic relations. The team played two exhibition games against the Chinese national team and the Bayi Rockets.

In January, Ambassador Qin appeared in a Lunar New Year video message during a game between the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers to wish the team and their fans a happy Year of the Tiger.

The Lakers have garnered steady popularity in China over the years. Lakers' stars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have constantly topped the chart as some of Chinese fans' favorite basketball stars. The official Weibo account of the team is followed by more than 10 million fans.

Bryant's death in the helicopter crash in January 2020, devastated many Chinese fans, many of whom went on social media to share their sadness over his loss.