NANNING, China, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese men's basketball team and the NBA-star took part in the 2019 Yao Foundation Charity Game on Sunday in South China's Nanning, with the Chinese team beating their NBA counterparts 102-85.
For the game, Chinese NBA superstar Yao Ming invited seven professional basketball players who are now playing or have previously played in NBA to form an NBA-star team, led by Kentavious Pope of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The charity game has the conventional four quarters, but the third one was the most anticipated as it involved teenage players from the Hope Primary School Basketball Season launched by Yao Foundation in 2012. The NBA-star team led 51-49 at halftime.
The court in the third quarter was left to the teenagers to show their skills and their points accumulated toward the final score, with only CBA player Guo Ailun and NBA player Jaxson Reed Hayes staying on the court to lead the game.
The fourth quarter was for the adults again, and the two sides were mixed between professionals and amateurs.
"I felt nervous during the game, but I am very happy that I can play basketball with star players," said Tian Yukun, a teenage player who played in the third quarter.
"Thanks to the Yao Foundation, this game helps to broaden my horizons and now I know more about basketball," Tian said.
The charity game attracted fans from both China and around Southeast Asia, and was broadcast live by several sports media outlets.
"The Yao Foundation does great things in China, it really helps lots of primary schools in China's rural region," said Yi Jianlian, a former NBA player. "I hope that I can participate more charity games in the future," Yi added.
This is the first time this charity game has been held in Guangxi or in western China.
The Yao Foundation, set up in 2008 after a massive earthquake hit China's Sichuan Province, now is a sports and educational charity. It is the 9th year it has hosted the annual basketball charity game.
