LeBron James takes to Chinese media to mend ties with vital market

NBA star LeBron James has extolled the virtues of basketball as a unifying force on Chinese state media in an apparent effort to help the American professional league mend ties with its most important market outside North America.

HONG KONG — Basketball legend LeBron James has taken the rare step of penning an article in Chinese state media as the NBA looks to mend ties with its most important market outside North America.

“Basketball is not just a sport. It’s a bridge that connects us, with love for the game flowing in our hearts,” James writes in an op-ed in People’s Daily newspaper on Monday.

“The passion and friendliness of my Chinese friends deeply move me,” writes James, 40, who is starting a record-breaking 23rd NBA season. “What I can do in return is to give my all in every game to express my gratitude.”

While American sports stars are popular in China, it is very unusual for a foreign athlete to write for a Chinese publication backed by the state. James is the first NBA player to author a piece in the People’s Daily.

James goes on to praise the growth of basketball in China, which he has visited 15 times.