NBA celebrates Year of Horse in Shanghai

The zigzags of the Bridge of Nice Turnings in Shanghai's Yu Garden gave visiting cheerleaders for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs a different sense of swirling on Tuesday morning.

"I love it, every thing is awesome," said Ashley Saoai, a member of the Spurs' Silver Dancers, after a half-hour tour of the garden at the heart of Shanghai's City God Temple.

Three days before welcoming in the Year of the Horse, the traditional buildings adorned with decorations gave the cheerleaders a taste of how the Chinese celebrate their biggest festival of the year.

The dancers also gave Chinese fans a look at US customs, posing for photos with passersby in their cheerleading uniforms and pom poms, and greeting them with wide smiles.

The cheerleaders said their first visit to China was an eye-opener. Bewildered by the dazzling array of gifts on sale, they hadn't yet gotten around to buying anything during the tour. They enhanced their experience of Shanghai by having the local cuisine of small steamed buns for lunch.

Accompanying the Silver Dancers is sports commentator and retired NBA player Robert Horry, a seven-time NBA champion who won fame in China for his clutch shooting in important games.

Also on his first visit to Shanghai, Horry said he is impressed with the city's prosperity, which he described as "New Yorkish".

Horry said he would have dinner with retired Chinese NBA star Yao Ming on Tuesday night, before joining the Silver Dancers to hold a Chinese New Year party in Shanghai for the Spurs versus Rockets game on Wednesday. Horry and the Silver Dancers will celebrate the New Year with underprivileged students and present them with gifts to commemorate the holiday.

The group will also have a traditional Chinese New Year's Eve dinner with players and coaches of the Shanghai Sports Academy.

The activities are part of the NBA's Year of the Horse celebrations, which includes 23 games broadcast live in China. This is the third year of the campaign, which has reached 96 million viewers and 107 million viewers in China over the last two years.