basketball was a country, it would definitely be China. No, you are not dreaming? In fact, basketball has been such an inherent part of China’s culture that the population never really connected it with the US until the 1980s. Did you know that the first thing you’ll come across when visiting the Forbidden City is basketball courts in the middle of the main courtyard?

The sport was introduced by YMCA missionaries between 1895 and 1998, and caught the imagination of students everywhere. It stood the test of time, wars and revolution. The population was so fond of it that it was declared Chinese national pastime in 1935. Even during the hiatus caused by the Second Sino-Japanese War and WWII, communist soldiers found a way to play. Moreover, the first ever colour sports film of Chinese Communist Party featured the story of a female player. Woman Basketball Player No. 5, was depicting basketball as a metaphor for human greatness, comprising values such as hard work, patriotism, honesty and team effort.

China: Land of Basketball

continued its disassociation from western references for decades until David Stern came on the scene. The NBA mastermind started by reeling his audience in with free broadcasts of the greatest show on earth in 1987. He then moved to a live broadcasting deal two years later. Fast forward to 2021, the Chinese market is estimated to have over 600 million basketball fans (according to inkstone indextop) and roughly 300 million players, equivalent to the total population of the US. The game has nation-specific differences, i.e. it is mainly played outdoors on a half-court. The pace is fast and the emphasis is on shooting. Another key difference is the rock-paper-scissors like system used to form teams.

In terms of competitive basketball, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is considered to be the best professional league in Asia. It is headed up by the legendary Houston Rockets player Yao Ming, whose first move when in charge, was to reach out to David Stern for advice. With its cultural roots, huge amateur base, NBA fanbase and the emerging CBA, the future of basketball could well lie in China.