Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang Photo credit: Washington Wizards

Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang sent Chinese New Year greetings to teams and fans during an NBA game held in Washington DC on Tuesday, and wished both Chinese and American teams best performances in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.  

Qin's speech was delivered in a video broadcast during the first timeout on the big screen of the Capital One Arena, where thousands of fans were there for the game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers. 

He congratulated NBA on its legendary 75th anniversary, hoping it will keep on getting better in the years to come. 

He also noted that both the Wizards and the Clippers were special in the hearts of Chinese fans, as some famous Chinese players had once played for the two teams respectively.

The Washington Wizards, formerly known as the Washington Bullets, was the first-ever NBA team to visit China in 1979, shortly after the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations, the ambassador pointed out. 

"Clearly, something is bigger than basketball," he said.

Qin wished the audience a happy and healthy Chinese New Year, as well as the best performances for both teams in the Beijing 2022, which will kick off on February 4.