Traveling abroad can be a disorienting experience. You’re unfamiliar with the culture, the people, the pleasantries and customs – not to mention the actual place. If you’re famous – like NBA player famous – that disorientation multiplies several times over because you’re rarely allowed a peaceful moment to find your center. This is especially true if those famous people are there for a promotional event, like Clippers recently were in China as part of the NBA’s Global Games initiative.
In those instances, the athletes are mobbed, constantly and incessantly, to an overwhelming degree. Clippers Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick, while appreciative of the support, were a little shocked at the fervor of their fans.
J.J. Redick on China: "Anywhere you went, they were there. They were on us."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 7, 2015
Blake Griffin on NBA players going to China: "There’s no idea or such thing as privacy. They’re just up on you immediately."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 7, 2015
Blake Griffin on Chinese fans: "We’ll see our security take people down and then they just get right back up and come back at it again."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 7, 2015
The NBA’s popularity continues to soar in the United States, but it still has a long way to go before it approaches China levels. Kobe Bryant is basically a deity over there, on par with the Beatles when they first arrived in the U.S. Griffin is a popular player, especially in the United States, but he and the rest of the Clippers aren’t on Kobe’s level yet, even if they’re still inundated with fans when they’re in the orient.
Of course, this isn’t just the power of the NBA, but the power of brands such as Nike and adidas as well. Both companies, along with Under Armour and ANTA, have played a large role in maximizing the popularity of basketball and the singular superstar players who role the hardwood.
