SHANGHAI, Aug. 9, 2018 – NBA China announced today the launch of the NBA’s first touring exhibition in China – “NBA Championship” – to showcase the excitement of the game and the rich history of the league. The exhibition, hosted in partnership with Chuanbao International, will tip off in Shanghai on Sept. 8 and run through Jan. 20, 2019. Following the stop in Shanghai, NBA Championship will travel to Beijing and visit a total of five cities in China.
The multi-level experience will use interactive exhibits, video and imagery to showcase the passion of the league, its teams and players, journeying back to the league’s early years and exploring the many ways the NBA has grown since 1946.
“We are excited to announce the league’s first NBA Championship touring exhibition in China in partnership with Chuanbao International,” said NBA China CEO Derek Chang. “The popularity of the NBA is at an all-time high in China, and this exhibition will perfectly capture the many ways in which the NBA is linked to the hearts of Chinese fans.”
“We are privileged to work with the NBA to host the NBA Championship to display the NBA’s colorful culture and rich history through the form of art exhibition,” said Hao Yang, Chairman of Chuanbao International. “I believe that the exhibition can bring unique experiences to NBA fans and inspire more people to play basketball in China.”
As part of the exhibition, fans will have the opportunity to engage with the league through customized activations, including virtual reality and augmented reality experiences, art and memorabilia displays, photos with The Larry O’Brien Trophy and NBA championship rings, and basketball-themed activities featuring current and former NBA players and local celebrities. Fans can also purchase a broad assortment of merchandise including the exhibition exclusive products, fan apparel and memorabilia in the NBA Store to take a piece of the exhibition home with them.
NBA Championship will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lafayette Art & Design Center (323 Middle Fuxing Road, Xintiandi) in Shanghai.
About NBA China
The NBA’s entity that conducts all of the league’s businesses in China was formed in January 2008 after its first office opened in Hong Kong in 1992. The NBA currently has relationships with a network of television and digital media outlets in China, including a 30-plus years partnership with CCTV. The league hosts hundreds of touring basketball events for fans, conducts community enrichment programs, and maintains marketing partnerships with a combination of world-class China-based corporations and U.S.-based multinationals.
NBA-licensed apparel and footwear are available through retail and authorized online stores on e-commerce and social media platforms, including NBAStore.cn, Tmall.com, JD.com, NBAStore.hk and NBAStore.tw. In 2004, the NBA became the first American professional sports league to play games in China. Following NBA China Games 2018, 17 NBA teams will have played 26 games in China.
About Chuanbao International
Founded in 2014, Chuanbao International is an investment and operational platform which focuses on the cultural, sports and entertainment industries. The company mainly operates intellectual property-based special exhibitions, social networks and ecological chain products. The company started off working with the British company “Halcyon Fine Art Group” on the “Halycon Art China” project on the east bank of Huangpu River, a landmark project in urban public art and lifestyle which kicked off in 2017. Starting from July 2017, Chuanbao International launched more than ten exhibitions of various types and scales in Beijing, Chengdu and Chongqing, including “Michelangelo”, “Giorgio Morandi and Giorgio de Chirico”, “Paul Smith”, “The Beatles, Tomorrow” and “Junji Ito”. In June 2018, it teamed up with the Beijing 798 Cultural and Creative Industry Investment Co., Ltd. to run the “798 Art Zone”, the largest art center in the park.
All along the way, Chuanbao International has integrated and taken good use of domestic and international exhibition content and production resources. The company has linked up China's major exhibition platforms and discovered multiple ways to build landmarks in the field of urban public pan-cultural, entertainment and lifestyle using special exhibitions.