Clippers Baron Davis didn't bother resting after his flight touched down at Beijing International Airport on Saturday, driving straight to his first stop on a China Tour - a charity school for orphans and other underprivileged kids in the city's outskirt.
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NBA Los Angeles Clippers' Baron Davis shows Chinese kids how to dribble the ball at a charity school in Beijing on Saturday. Davis joined his sponsor Li Ning to launch the love-and-care program and will also showcase the company's latest sportswear after signing on with the leading Chinese supplier last year. [Chen Xiangfeng] |
Growing up during the 1980s crack epidemic in South Central Los Angeles, Davis, the middle child of two drug-addicted parents who was raised by his maternal grandparents, said watching countless friends get involved in drugs and gang life only to disappear had made him more than willing to help Chinese children who need a leg up.
"I would like to donate a basketball court for them so they can have the opportunity to play. The principal (of the school) does a wonderful job. Bring the community together and bring the kids together," said the all-star guard, who was invited by his Chinese sportswear sponsor Li Ning, to visit China.
"I hope the Chinese community can support that because our kids are our future we really care about.
"I look into the faces of these kids and I remember back when I was a kid.
"My parents were on drugs and I really did not have the opportunity to have parents in my life. But I did have grandparents and people who cared about me: friends, people in the community, principals and teachers. (We should) make the kids just have people around who believe in them and believe they can be great.
"We are all here and we should do our best to support what's going on here today."
Davis hopes sport can help and inspire children to lead healthy lives.
"Well Basketball is great fun to play. It's an amazing sport and also a creative outlet for children. It especially helps as an outlet for situations the underprivileged kids live in these days. It helps them stay away from things like gang violence and drugs."
Davis has been widely involved in various charity and community programs in the US as well as other countries like India and China.
He has two foundations in the US, TeamPlay and Rising Stars of America.
For the past year, TeamPlay has been running a pilot program in five Oakland middle schools focusing on mentorship and student motivation programs for inner city kids through its own social networking site.
Rising Stars of America, run by Davis' former high school coach is now running its ninth annual basketball camp and sponsoring AAU teams.
Before Saturday, Davis had already been closely linked to the charity program about China.
In 2007, he joined Yao Ming to play a charity match in Beijing to raise money for children's education in some of the country's poorest regions, his first visit to China.
Last year, Davis, together with other NBA players including Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Greg Oden, Raymond Felton, Leandro Barbosa, Andris Biedrins, Marko Jaric and Marcus Williams, donated funds to support relief efforts in earthquake-hit Sichuan province.
(China Daily?July 13, 2009)
