NBA shoots into town as Nets battle the Kings
Print Edition
OVER the past 10 years some of the NBA’s noteworthy moments have occurred outside North America.
Bobby Jackson’s 3-point buzzer beater helped the Sacramento Kings beat the Yao Ming-led Houston Rockets in Beijing in 2004. Carmelo Anthony poured in 45 points during a game in China’s capital. NBA legend George Gervin was beaten in table tennis by Chinese kids in Shanghai.
So when the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings arrive at Pudong International Airport today, fans know there is the possibility of something magical happening. The Kings and the Nets will play at Mercedes-Benz Arena on Sunday at 12:30pm in a preseason game as part of the NBA Global Games 2014 – China. The teams will meet again at the MasterCard Center in Beijing three days later.
The Nets’ roster includes 15-time all-star Kevin Garnett, seven-time all-star Joe Johnson, three-time all-star Deron Williams and World Cup gold medalist Mason Plumlee. This will be the Nets second trip to China as the then New Jersey Nets played in Beijing and Guangzhou in 2010.
The game is a great chance to see Garnett, the only NBA player ever to score 25,000 points, grab 10,000 rebounds, hand out 5,000 assists, make 1,500 steals and block 1,500 shots.
He says he is not about to go quietly into the night if this is his final season, as some have speculated.
“Being honest, I know what to expect this year, living in New York — let me explain that — and coming to the Brooklyn Nets,” Garnett says. “Coming from Beantown, didn’t really know what to expect. First year, having Jason (Kidd), didn’t know where I fit in at. Obviously, I understood coming in here I knew I wasn’t going to be primary.
“And what I mean by that is big minutes, play calling. So I wanted to facilitate, help Brook as much as I could and what I know. Other guys, Mason and so on and so on. This year, coming in with a little more edge, with a little more assertiveness, kind of deferring back to obviously when I came into this league and what I created for myself. I’m going to be a lot more aggressive, but then letting the coach know that I’m not 18.
“I prepared myself this off-season like I have, not last year because I was indecisive in what I wanted to do with the decision-making. This year, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I did that throughout the whole summer. So I’m in better spirits because I know what I’m here to do this year, and I’m here to enjoy this. You never know when it’s going to be your last (season).”
Head coach Lionel Hollins first visited China in 1982.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” Hollins says. “We played games in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenyang and Hangzhou. I was really fortunate to have the opportunity to see China at that time. To tour the Forbidden City and the Great Wall and have dinner at the Great Hall of the People with dignitaries. It was fantastic seeing these things for myself which you read about in history books. I also remember eating rice and soy sauce three times a day. I really missed having a steak.”
The Kings feature a talented young roster led by the World Cup gold medalists DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and the up-and-coming Ben McLemore. This will be the second time the Kings will play a preseason game in China — the team played in Beijing and Shanghai in the inaugural China Games in 2004.
Cousins says he wants to improve defensively this season.
“Being a defensive anchor,” Cousins says. “I really believe I can do it. Besides that, just being the best leader I can be for this team.”
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