NBA China and the Ministry of Education of China are teaming on a multyear parternship to incorporate a fitness and basketball development curriculum in elementary, middle and high schools across the world's most populous nation.
The partnership, the first ever between an American pro sports league and China's Ministry of Education, will focus on basketball participation in elementary, middle and high schools across China and aims to provide enhanced basketball training to at least 3 million students by 2017.
As part of the curriculum, NBA players, legends and coaches will visit Chinese schools to conduct basketball clinics and provide specialized instruction to the nation's coaches and physical education teachers. Chinese coaches and physical education teachers selected by the Ministry of Education will also have the chance to observe and participate in coaching activities organized by the NBA.
“The Chinese government attaches great importance to sports education. We highly appreciate the NBA’s efforts to promote basketball and improve the basketball education in Chinese schools,” said China's vice minister of education Hao Ping. “I am fully convinced that with the joint efforts of the NBA and China’s Ministry of Education, great success will be achieved in the cooperation of basketball education between the two sides, which will surely contribute to the development of China’s basketball education and China-U.S. people-to-people exchange.”
“Under the guidance and expertise of China’s Vice Premier Liu Yandong and the Ministry of Education, we look forward to reaching millions of Chinese students through our joint fitness and basketball development curriculum,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “This partnership complements our long-standing commitment with the Chinese Basketball Association to grow the game in China.”
NBA China formally tipped off in January 2008, after the league opened its first office in Hong Kong back in 1992. The NBA has interacted with Chinese basketball for decades, including first hosting the Chinese National Team in 1985. The NBA currently has relationships with a number of TV and digital media outlets in the country, including a partnership of more than 25 years with national broadcaster CCTV.
