duncan228
07-02-2009, 11:55 AM
Kobe translates well in Asia (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bryant-china-nba-2481651-fans-global)
The Lakers superstar is honored as a global ambassador.
Marcia C. Smith
The Orange County Register
BEVERLY HILLS- Knocked in the spine with a TV camera, poked in the ribs by a photo-ready cellphone, clubbed in the face with a boom microphone and shoved clumsily into the velvet ropes bordering the Beverly Hilton's red carpet, there was nothing to be lost in translation.
You should never ever – even if your Thursday column depends on it – stand between his Asian fans and Kobe Bryant. It's like wrestling with Godzilla only to be left trampled then torched.
A few weeks removed leading the Lakers to the 2009 NBA championship and winning NBA Finals MVP honors, Bryant was honored at a black-tie gala Tuesday night by Asia Society Southern California as a "global ambassador."
Bryant is so popular in Asia that it doesn't even really matter whether he's loved at home. There are four billion people on that continent, 1.3 billion in China alone, and that potential fan base and endorsement goldmine are enough to make even the offerings of the world's most powerful, albeit economically beleaguered nation seem puny.
"He has more fans in China than we have people in America," said Donald Tang, the chairman of Asia Society Southern California. "There are fans who do not care if he's Italian, American, Chinese or Japanese. They love his game, and basketball is a universal language."
China loves Bryant so much that Liu Peng, the Minister of China's General Administration of Sports and president of its 2008 Olympic committee, flew from Beijing to present Bryant the crystal "Global Ambassador Award" and AEG CEO Tim Leiweke the "Global Leadership Award."
On the other side of the world, Bryant's fans seem so mesmerized by his supreme athleticism and charm that they ignore the details that give fodder to our domestic debates.
Over here, we think of the athlete as only a small part of Bryant's celebrity image. He has fallen in and out and back into American favor because of what had happened between buzzers: his contract issues, his past ego battles with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and Lakers coach Phil Jackson, his trade-me tantrum with the Lakers' front office and his legal issue surrounding a Colorado sex-assault case, which was dropped in criminal court and settled in civil court.
Over there, across oceans, time zones and cultures, Bryant is celebrated for his athletic skills, which don't require an interpreter. They jump for, scream for and crush on him.
They like his name, Kobe, which his parents took from the Japanese restaurant. They marvel at his acrobatics, his wild dunks, his game-winning shots, a 2008 MVP award and four NBA titles.
They worship their basketball idol and respect their heroes enough not to pull them down. They appreciate Bryant the way Americans appreciated Michael Jordan in the late 1980s. (They also like Michael Jackson for his music without judging him for his freak appearance and relationships with young boys.)
Perhaps America would be a happier culture if we celebrated our celebrities rather than searched for reasons to dislike them?
Maybe that's why Bryant loves China? Those fans love him back unconditionally. And there are more of them with more money to spend.
"Kobe has a genuine interest in China and has traveled extensively throughout the country," said Heidi Ueberroth, the NBA's president for global marketing partnerships and international business operations. "He spends time visiting as many places as he can and interacting with fans everywhere he goes."
Bryant created the Kobe Bryant China Fund to work with that nation's renowned Soong Ching Ling Foundation, which offers youth educational, sports and health programs. His Kobe Bryant Family Foundation is launching a Mandarin language program in conjunction with the After-School All-Stars, which teaches Chinese langue skills and culture to American youth.
The NBA has worked for three decades to bring basketball to China, which is "our number one market outside the U.S." Ueberroth said.
Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady attended Tuesday's gala and offered an emphatic "Yes!" when asked whether Asian markets had more and richer endorsements to mine than the United States.
"It's amazing over there, and I'm headed to Beijing and Shanghai this summer to work on some projects there," said McGrady, who soon after barraged with 20 minutes worth of questions on the injury status of Rockets center Yao Ming.
Fan interest from China has grown rapidly since Ming joined the league, and NBA popularity there is at an all-time high, as evidenced by record viewership this past season on both CCTV television and through streaming games on NBA.com/China.
Bryant's jersey was the No. 1 seller in China this past season. He added Chinese online media giant SINA.com to his endorsement portfolio with a seven-figure deal signed this year.
To get a glimpse of Bryant's popularity among Asians, you had to see how the three dozen journalists from mostly Chinese-based media outlets stampeded into position when the Lakers All-Star glided onto the red carpet. An event coordinator needed to invoke the threat of calling a fire marshal to keep the camera-toting crowd corralled and controlled.
Unfazed by the chaos, a black suit-donning Bryant flexed his smile, his diamond stud twinkling from his earlobe from hundreds of flashes and his wife, Vanessa, sparkling at his side. He answered a few questions about his Asian ties but passed on those regarding his NBA contract, which allows him to opt out to enter the free-agent market on July 1.
"This honor is huge and special because it's global," said Bryant, who soared to unprecedented Asian popularity when he led USA basketball to an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. "It's about bringing basketball and having a connection outside the U.S. and doing it all in a positive way."
This was a festive night for Bryant, a reigning world champion in more ways than one.
Click here (http://www.ocregister.com/photos/bryant-china-nba-2481651-fans-global) to view a slideshow of the black-tie gala honoring Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers superstar is honored as a global ambassador.
Marcia C. Smith
The Orange County Register
BEVERLY HILLS- Knocked in the spine with a TV camera, poked in the ribs by a photo-ready cellphone, clubbed in the face with a boom microphone and shoved clumsily into the velvet ropes bordering the Beverly Hilton's red carpet, there was nothing to be lost in translation.
You should never ever – even if your Thursday column depends on it – stand between his Asian fans and Kobe Bryant. It's like wrestling with Godzilla only to be left trampled then torched.
A few weeks removed leading the Lakers to the 2009 NBA championship and winning NBA Finals MVP honors, Bryant was honored at a black-tie gala Tuesday night by Asia Society Southern California as a "global ambassador."
Bryant is so popular in Asia that it doesn't even really matter whether he's loved at home. There are four billion people on that continent, 1.3 billion in China alone, and that potential fan base and endorsement goldmine are enough to make even the offerings of the world's most powerful, albeit economically beleaguered nation seem puny.
"He has more fans in China than we have people in America," said Donald Tang, the chairman of Asia Society Southern California. "There are fans who do not care if he's Italian, American, Chinese or Japanese. They love his game, and basketball is a universal language."
China loves Bryant so much that Liu Peng, the Minister of China's General Administration of Sports and president of its 2008 Olympic committee, flew from Beijing to present Bryant the crystal "Global Ambassador Award" and AEG CEO Tim Leiweke the "Global Leadership Award."
On the other side of the world, Bryant's fans seem so mesmerized by his supreme athleticism and charm that they ignore the details that give fodder to our domestic debates.
Over here, we think of the athlete as only a small part of Bryant's celebrity image. He has fallen in and out and back into American favor because of what had happened between buzzers: his contract issues, his past ego battles with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal and Lakers coach Phil Jackson, his trade-me tantrum with the Lakers' front office and his legal issue surrounding a Colorado sex-assault case, which was dropped in criminal court and settled in civil court.
Over there, across oceans, time zones and cultures, Bryant is celebrated for his athletic skills, which don't require an interpreter. They jump for, scream for and crush on him.
They like his name, Kobe, which his parents took from the Japanese restaurant. They marvel at his acrobatics, his wild dunks, his game-winning shots, a 2008 MVP award and four NBA titles.
They worship their basketball idol and respect their heroes enough not to pull them down. They appreciate Bryant the way Americans appreciated Michael Jordan in the late 1980s. (They also like Michael Jackson for his music without judging him for his freak appearance and relationships with young boys.)
Perhaps America would be a happier culture if we celebrated our celebrities rather than searched for reasons to dislike them?
Maybe that's why Bryant loves China? Those fans love him back unconditionally. And there are more of them with more money to spend.
"Kobe has a genuine interest in China and has traveled extensively throughout the country," said Heidi Ueberroth, the NBA's president for global marketing partnerships and international business operations. "He spends time visiting as many places as he can and interacting with fans everywhere he goes."
Bryant created the Kobe Bryant China Fund to work with that nation's renowned Soong Ching Ling Foundation, which offers youth educational, sports and health programs. His Kobe Bryant Family Foundation is launching a Mandarin language program in conjunction with the After-School All-Stars, which teaches Chinese langue skills and culture to American youth.
The NBA has worked for three decades to bring basketball to China, which is "our number one market outside the U.S." Ueberroth said.
Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady attended Tuesday's gala and offered an emphatic "Yes!" when asked whether Asian markets had more and richer endorsements to mine than the United States.
"It's amazing over there, and I'm headed to Beijing and Shanghai this summer to work on some projects there," said McGrady, who soon after barraged with 20 minutes worth of questions on the injury status of Rockets center Yao Ming.
Fan interest from China has grown rapidly since Ming joined the league, and NBA popularity there is at an all-time high, as evidenced by record viewership this past season on both CCTV television and through streaming games on NBA.com/China.
Bryant's jersey was the No. 1 seller in China this past season. He added Chinese online media giant SINA.com to his endorsement portfolio with a seven-figure deal signed this year.
To get a glimpse of Bryant's popularity among Asians, you had to see how the three dozen journalists from mostly Chinese-based media outlets stampeded into position when the Lakers All-Star glided onto the red carpet. An event coordinator needed to invoke the threat of calling a fire marshal to keep the camera-toting crowd corralled and controlled.
Unfazed by the chaos, a black suit-donning Bryant flexed his smile, his diamond stud twinkling from his earlobe from hundreds of flashes and his wife, Vanessa, sparkling at his side. He answered a few questions about his Asian ties but passed on those regarding his NBA contract, which allows him to opt out to enter the free-agent market on July 1.
"This honor is huge and special because it's global," said Bryant, who soared to unprecedented Asian popularity when he led USA basketball to an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. "It's about bringing basketball and having a connection outside the U.S. and doing it all in a positive way."
This was a festive night for Bryant, a reigning world champion in more ways than one.
Click here (http://www.ocregister.com/photos/bryant-china-nba-2481651-fans-global) to view a slideshow of the black-tie gala honoring Kobe Bryant.