NBA Jam Van, the association's premiere interactive touring program for basketball fans, arrived in Beijing over the weekend, the 10th stop of its 27,000-km journey in China that will reach four municipalities and 17 provinces in the most populous nation.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the event has traveled through China since the 2005 inaugural tour, in which the program made its way to 11 cities and welcomed over 1 million basketball fans.

The fifth edition of the China NBA Jam Van is a tailor-made, 52-foot truck (16m) that transforms into 1,000 square meters of free basketball activities, allowing fans of all ages the opportunity to play like the pros. This year, a wide array of entertainment including a constant free throw contest is featured for fans to experience the game they love and to test their basketball skills. After the three-day event, winners in respective contests will be provided with tickets to NBA China games by NBA partner Lenovo.

What excited fans most in Beijing was the presence of Philadelphia 76ers' guard Andre Iguodala. In the past four years, the event has brought eight NBA players to China: Shane Battier, A.C. Green, Bob Lanier, Rick Barry, Glen Rice, Vlade Divac, Damon Jones and Robert Parish.

(China Daily July 20, 2009)