Xinhua file photo
By Qin Lang and Vivian Ji
NEW YORK, June 11 (Xinhua) -- During the NBA Finals Game 3 between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors on June 6, a bizzare but funny scene erupted during the half-time break.
A group of damas - refering to the burgeoning legions of usually middle aged women, suddenly walked on the court with vivid red and pink fans, and gave an incredible performance of "guangchangwu," which means square dance in Chinese.
In China, damas have made square dance a form of entertainment, physical exercise, and most importantly, a social activity. The scene of them gathering in parks or squares and dancing to often deafeningly loud music has become a vital part of the culture of middle aged Chinese.
By giving a funny, energetic and colorful performance, damas successfully broke off the atmosphere full of nervousness and anxiety and gave the audience there at the game an unforgettable impression.
This is not the first time NBA has included Chinese elements. On June 8, during the half-time break of Game 4, two comedians performed xiangsheng, referring to Chinese crosstalk, a form of traditional form of comic storytelling. At the NBA All Star Game, an artist performed an excellent Chinese acrobatic feat. At a game on Jan 1, a bunch of students performed Chinese Kung Fu. On the Chinese New Year Day, there was a performance of a traditional dragon and lion dance on the court.
It is evident that NBA has great interest in exploring the Chinese market. Like many other sport leagues in the U.S., the NBA considers Chinese market crucial since it has become the biggest potential markets in Asia. The league of NBA is the third-largest major sports league in U.S., behind the NFL and MLB.
China's growth means that sports leagues like the NBA will see huge growth potential in the future and are eager to capitalize on it.
In March 2019, the NBA opened its largest international store in downtown Beijing, China. It partnered with Chinese sports retailer Topsports and Nike to build the store and market it as the biggest NBA Hardwood Classics store in mainland China.