Washington Wizards Visit Guangzhou

Thirty years after the Washington Wizards became the first National Basketball Association (NBA) team to visit China, veterans of the team, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of US-China diplomatic relations, have been touring China since September 5, including stops in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu.  Supported by the U.S. Department of State and hosted by the Guangdong People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the delegation will arrive in Guangzhou on September 13 and depart for the U.S. September 15. 

The NBA delegation of 15 includes Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld, a star of the 1979 team then known as the Bullets; current Wizard guard Randy Foye; another former Bullet, towering 7-foot-7 center Gheorghe Muresan — the tallest man to ever play in the NBA; and Tony Cheng, a successful Chinese-American entrepreneur and Washington, D.C. Chinatown representative.

In Guangzhou, the delegation will join local sports journalists for dim sum and conversation; participate in a basketball clinic with the Guangzhou Freemen Basketball Team and student-players from the South China University of Technology and Guangdong University of Technology in Guangzhou University Town; attend a reception in their honor at U.S. Consul General Brian L. Goldbeck’s home; tour Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, Guangzhou’s cultural landmark; accompany Consul General Goldbeck to a meeting with Mr. Wan Qingliang, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province; attend lunch with local basketball fans and 163.com; conduct a basketball clinic at the Guangzhou No. 5 Middle School in Haizhu District; and attend a party in their honor co-hosted by the Guangdong People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

In anticipation of their trip, U.S. Consul General Goldbeck stated, "We invited the Wizards to Guangzhou to pay homage to the anniversary of their historic trip in 1979 and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of U.S.-China diplomatic relations.  Sports truly have brought the Chinese and American people closer.”