NBA touring event returns for summer

A nationwide basketball event will once again engage fans across the country this summer with current and former NBA stars visiting 14 Chinese cities.

The 2014 NBA Nation, NBA's largest basketball and lifestyle touring event, will travel 16,900 kilometers across China for the third consecutive year from July 19 to Sept 14. The event will provide fans authentic NBA experiences with activities including 3-on-3 tournaments, slam dunk contests and NBA dance team performances.

The Houston Rockets Power Dancers and Miami Heat's "Burnie" mascot will begin the festivities in Guangzhou on July 19, while Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors will attend the Shenzhen stop on July 25 to participate in hoop activities, sign autographs and interact with fans.

Other NBA players will make appearances as the tour continues, including Miles Plumlee of the Phoenix Suns, his brother Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets, Reggie Jackson of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings.

All NBA Nation attendees can register for a free NBA Jam Band — a personalized wristband using Radio Frequency Identification technology. It will allow fans to access NBA Nation attractions and experiences, receive photos to share with friends via social media and have the opportunity to win prizes and tickets to the NBA Global Games 2014 in Beijing and Shanghai, presented by ZTE and featuring the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings.

Fans will also have the opportunity to showcase their own skills at 3-on-3 tournaments in all cities, with prizes of NBA merchandise and Peak products. The overall champion will win a trip to the United States to watch an NBA game and meet players. This year, more than 900 teams will compete in the NBA tournament.

To support health and fitness, NBA China will partner with the China Youth Development Foundation to conduct NBA FIT Clinics in seven cities. During the clinics, NBA current and former players will teach students basketball skills and lead them in exercise routines while emphasizing the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle.

The ancient Chinese Three Kingdoms characters will also be represented at NBA Nation, with fans assigned to one of the Three Kingdoms to compete in on-court activities, video games and tournaments.

NBA Nation, with the support of partners including Gatorade, Harbin Beer, Peak, Spalding and ZTE, will also feature the latest NBA-themed video games.