Photo: Courtesy of organizers

Though the NBA is having a broadcasting issue in China, basketball legends have paid visits to schools in China to promote the sport in the younger generation. 

NBA legends Dikembe Mutombo and Alonzo Mourning visited Ding'an Middle School in Ding'an county of South China's Hainan Province on January 8, where they presented sports equipment to 10 schools in Ding'an on behalf of the NBAcares, the charity arm of the NBA.

"NBA has been deeply involved in China for many years, and the NBA imprints its care deeply into each activity here," Mourning said. 

For consecutive years, the NBA has started doing charity events in China since 2015. Besides offering basketball equipment, NBA stars also share their personal experience with the Chinese kids, aiming to inspire more children to make efforts toward their goals.

In Sichuan, retired NBA stars Shawn Marion and Bruce Bowen visited the NBA Hope Primary School in Zizhong county on January 9, to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival with calligraphy, paper cutting and dumplings making.

Photo: Courtesy of organizers

Over the years, students there have been better equipped with the help of the NBAcares. With nearly 300 students in six grades, NBA Hope Primary School in Mingxinsi Town has become one of the best rural primary schools in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. 

The duo later visited Shanghai on January 11 to celebrate the lunar new year with the children from the International Special Olympics East Asia.

"Through basketball, we're really happy to be able to serve the kids," Bowen said, "Although we can't communicate in Chinese, basketball unites us. We can communicate through common movements and moods across different cultures and languages. The smiles on the children's faces express everything."