BEIJING — The big reveal before the Los Angeles Lakers lost their exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night was launching the first NBA Yao School.
The goal of this after-school program in Beijing and future schools is not to develop the best of the best the way the Chinese government has attempted to do with such strict determination. This, according to NBA commissioner David Stern, is to teach “teamwork, exercise, fitness and communication amongst people. And that was very important for Yao.”
NBA commissioner-to-be Adam Silver was specific about what isn’t very important to Yao, saying, “Our shared goal is to increase basketball participation throughout China, both boys and girls, and…not to focus just on elite players.”
And then, just before tipoff, the elite player who wasn’t even playing got all the cheers.
Kobe Bryant emerged from the locker room and received a roaring ovation while just standing on the court. Once the game started, it continued.
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Article written by Kevin Ding
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