NBA stars Paul George, Jimmy Butler hoping for sunny start to Yao Foundation charity event
- Pair will be joined by LA Clippers guard James Harden and Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma for exhibition game against CBA select team
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NBA All-Star Paul George was hoping for more sunshine for his first visit to Hong Kong, while the returning Jimmy Butler said he enjoyed every moment in the city after also visiting last summer.
The pair are among a quartet of stars playing on Tuesday in a charity basketball game organised by China’s NBA legend Yao Ming, as part of his foundation’s work with youth.
In an event at the Peninsula hotel, which was billed as a press conference but at which organisers refused to allow the media to ask any questions, the most interesting thing Butler divulged was his apparent love of karaoke.
Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden and Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma were also expected play at the game at AsiaWorld-Expo, although neither were scheduled to arrive until hours before it started.
“Hopefully the weather tomorrow is a little better, breaking some California sunshine,” said George, who signed for the Philadelphia 76ers in the off season after leaving the Clippers. “But I am excited to be here, it’ll be a blast.
“Just like what Jimmy [Butler] said before, we’re getting to showcase what we do and play alongside some good talent … [Everything here is new to me] so I’ll be taking everything in just one day at a time.”
Unlike his fellow 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics gold-medallist teammate, Butler, 34, was in Hong Kong again after attending a promotional tour for a sports apparel brand last summer.
“It’s great, I love it,” the Miami Heat forward said. “Here I get to go to the same karaoke; it’s never a bad thing.”
Playing alongside Harden, George, Butler and Kuzma for the international team are the likes of Jalen Lecque, Trhae Mitchell and Josh Reeves, who all play in the G League, the official minor league organisation of the NBA. Joseph Young, who plays for the Iranian outfit Shahrdari Gorgan, was also on the list.
Their opponents, the Chinese Basketball Stars Team, made up of 11 players from six Chinese Basketball Association teams, is being coached by renowned Chinese head coach Du Feng.
Reigning CBA champions Liaoning Flying Leopards have six players on the roster, including star guard Guo Ailun, team captain Han Dejun, Cong Mingchen, Liu Yanyu, Li Xiaoxu and Yan Shouqi; other players have been selected from the likes of Shenzhen, Tianjin and Beijing.
“I was glad to be in Hong Kong again for this charity event by Yao Foundation,” said Du, the head coach of the Guangdong Southern Tigers. “I had been a part of these charity games a couple of times, and I could feel the power of love for every city I had visited.
“Thank you for supporting us; I hope it’s going to be an exciting match and hopefully there will be a lot of spectators turning up to show their support.”
This year marks the 12th edition of the Yao Foundation charity game, which was first held in 2007, with previous games held in mainland China cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, Dalian, Nanning and Wuhan.
In line with the tradition, the third quarter will see young local and Yao Foundation Hope Primary School Basketball Season players taking on the NBA stars.
Hong Kong, which also staged the event in 2017, remains the only city to have hosted it twice.
Seven years ago, the now-retired J.R. Smith, who was then playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Vince Carter headlined a seven-NBA players list which also included Gary Payton II, Willie Cauley-Stein and Bobby Portis; China’s Zhou Qi and Zhao Jiwei also appeared.
