China AD 2005. In Shanghai, one of the
most open cities of China, people will watch more than 100 NBA lives per year
via National TV network and local sports channel, including pre-season games
and all-star games. The youngsters who’re willing to communicate with outsides
and learn the overseas culture, have immigrated the Ameriacan basketball
culture by osmosis while watching TV. Freestyle, hiphop, necklace, eccentric
hairstyle and tattoo can be found all around in the street courts here.
There’s an incident with
extensive influence happened in the summer of 2002. The basketball idol of
Shanghai people, who had just won the title of national championship for the
city, became the first foreigner of “Top-pick” in NBA drafts. Since then, the
basketball fans here never missed any attention to every step of the “Top-pick”
in the US. They support the Houston Rockets no less than the local team, the
Oriental Sharks. They love and imitate Yao’s buddies, from Steve Francis to
Tracy McGrady. With the opening of the new NBA season, basketball will be more
important in people’s daily life here.
