While Miami Heat superstar LeBron James is now the best player in the NBA, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant still has him beat in one important area: being the most popular player in China. As new markets emerge and players become more like businessmen, that’s not an insignificant feat. When Kobe goes to China (and he does fairly often), he’s treated like a basketball god. Sometimes, he performs like one, too.
This weekend in Shanghai, Kobe made an appearance at the Sprite China Second Annual Charity Basketball Game, a “contest” consisting primarily of Chinese actors and singers. As with pretty much any basketball-related event in the country, Bryant was the guest of honor, though at first there were no plans for him to play. However, facing a huge halftime deficit, Kobe decided he had to help. Watch the video of his performance above (via EOB ) and check out the firsthand account from his official Facebook page :
Aug 202012