Inside Access: Nike Fosters Basketball’s Growth and Culture Throughout Greater China

There is no question that Nike has a huge presence in China. They have a commitment to develop the skills and knowledge of basketball to the young athletes of Greater China. Nike gives us an inside look at how they are helping the rapidly growing country learn more about the international sport known as basketball. From Nike Inside Access:

With more than a century of growth, Greater China’s basketball roots have spawned a hoops-obsessed nation of more that 300 million current active participants*. The explosion of popularity in the last 20 years has quickly fueled the country’s passion to play, watch and closely follow the sport and its athletes. As the world’s leading sports brand, Nike is committed to help young athletes in Greater China develop their skills and knowledge of the game.

Leading Team Basketball:

Through its partnership with China’s National team, Chinese Taipei and Team Hong Kong since 1996, 1997 and 2007, respectively, Nike has committed to growing the game at the team level. In almost 20 years of partnership, Nike continues to provide Chinese players with basketball’s leading footwear and apparel innovations, in addition to tailor-made training programs, coaching and training clinics.

Since 1996, Chinese has sent 10 elite athletes, including Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhelin and Zhou Qi, to the Nike Hoop Summit, the premier global basketball game for high school-aged boys that features America’s top seniors playing against a World Select Team. The event has become a showcase for participants moving on to play basketball collegiately and professionally.

Furthermore, hundreds young Chinese players, including Zhou Qi, Dingyan Yuhang and Gao Shang have received access to high level training and competition opportunities through Nike’s annual All-Asia Camp which has been held in China since 2002.

Nike not only focuses on the development of professional basketball in Greater China, but also understands the value in growing grassroots basketball; it was the first brand to organize high school basketball in Mainland China in 1998. Last year, this initiative reached a new milestone with its expansion to over 200 teams.

Nike was a strong catalyst growing the amateur game in 1997, a pivotal year for basketball’s development in Greater China. That year the brand introduced 3 vs. 3 basketball to China along with Taiwan’s High School Basketball League (HBL), which hosted 30,000 fans for this season’s 2015 HBL Boy’s and Girl’s Finals. This strong legacy of growing the game fueled this year’s launch of the CBA 3 vs. 3 League.

Innovation Evolution:

Innovation is the engine that drives Nike Basketball. Borne out of the insight that outdoor basketball is the predominant style of play in China, Nike has established a very powerful outdoor basketball footwear franchise. The shoes are designed for strength, durability and breathability in all weather conditions and for a variety of surfaces. TheNike Hyperfuse, LeBron Ambassador, Kobe Venomenon and KD Trey5 were designed with China’s outdoor basketball surface and extreme heat as inspiration. These shoes developed from local Chinese insight and focus group testing. They are international models that helped pave the way for an outdoor basketball shoe resurgence.

Mastering Game Fundamentals:

To help Chinese youth train and understand the importance of fundamental skills, Nike basketball has released a series of training videos via its digital and social media platforms. Featuring a variety of elite athletes and coaches, the videos have been viewed over 10 million times.

Summer Athletes Tours:

Every year, Nike invites the world’s top athletes to Greater China to coach and instruct young players and share their own stories to inspire kids. David Robinson and Joe Smith were two of the first basketball superstars to inspire to Chinese basketball fans when they toured the country in 1997.

Vince Carter visited Greater China for the first time with Nike in 2002, shortly after reaching new international heights with his performance at the Sydney Games in 2000. Like his predecessors, Carter awed crowds with his spectacular play and inspired a new generation of athletes.

Hall of Famer Michael Jordan visited Greater China for the first time in the summer of 2004 and over the following years Nike’s basketball elite – LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, to name a few – have visited over 20 cities in Greater China. They have coached Chinese youth players to improve basketball skills and shared their own stories of inspiration.

Iconic Campaigns Draw Fans:

Beginning in the last 90s, Nike launched a series of basketball marketing campaigns that have since become iconic and that have left a lasting mark on Chinese basketball culture. The “Chinese Basketball Heroes” series of TV commercials featuring Chinese National Team players sparked excitement in 1997. In 2001, the “Nike Hip Hoop” campaign encouraged young players to express themselves through basketball and spurred the growth of street basketball and 3 vs. 3 games. Chen Jianghua and his team won the 3 vs. 3 national championship that year, leading to his invitation to the youth team of professional club, Guangdong Southern Tigers before continuing his career on the Chinese National Team.

The “I Dream” campaign in 2002 motivated Chinese athletes to dream big and take action. In 2007, Nike launched “Emperor Baller” campaign, an epic street basketball tournaments to unearth the best young players in Beijing. Held over three intense days, only the best players made it to the final that was staged inside the walls of the Forbidden City. The campaign localized basketball in Beijing and creatively elevated the Chinese basketball culture in a modern way.

Kobe Bryant’s Influence on the Game:

Bryant’s impact in Greater China has been truly remarkable. In 2008, Nike introduced the “Kobe Disciples” campaign that saw invited Chinese youth participate in a rigorous national competition before flying to Los Angeles to be trained by Bryant for a week. Bryant’s legendary work ethic and passion for the game were on display and served as inspiration for the selected participants.

In the same year, Nike launched the “I’m Striving” TV commercial featuring Yi Jianlian to motivate Chinese youth to challenge themselves on and off the court. In 2010, Nike produced “Lian”, a documentary about the inspirational stories of Yi Jianlian, Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng and their undying pursuit of greatness.

Festival of Sport Takes Shape:

Nike hosted the “Festival of Sports” in Shanghai in 2011 and 2012. Top athletes such as James, Durant and Irving participated in various sports, such as basketball, soccer, tennis, American football and golf. The four-day event had huge influence on the game in China and encouraged Chinese kids to actively participate in sports. Nike’s “Give Me The Ball” campaign in 2013 ignited the ambition of Chinese basketball fans countrywide.

Rise Fules Baskeball Participation:

The RISE campaign has taken Nike’s influence on the game in an even more creative and innovative direction. Established in 2014 as the first basketball docu-drama in China, RISE is a multifaceted campaign built to inspire young athletes to rise above the expectations others have of them, and that they may even have of themselves.