The Sacramento Kings celebrated cultural unity this week during their fourth annual Chinese New Year NBA event, featuring a vibrant fusion of sports and tradition. Fourteen martial arts students from Laizhou in the Chinese mainland's Shandong Province captivated audiences during a first-quarter timeout on February 19, performing synchronized routines that blended traditional kung fu with modern dance elements.
Dressed in crimson performance attire, the youths aged 12-17 demonstrated changquan (long fist) techniques alongside American peers from a California-based martial arts school. The collaboration symbolized a decade-long cultural exchange program operated by Laizhou's martial arts institute, which has trained nearly 5,000 American students through its U.S. branch since 2016.
"This showcase represents how martial arts transcend borders," said Kings' community relations director Michael Zhang. "Seeing California teens perform nanquan southern fist styles alongside their Shandong counterparts – that's the power of cultural dialogue."
The event comes as China's Ministry of Culture reports a 22% year-on-year increase in overseas martial arts schools through 2025, with Shandong Province maintaining its status as a key exporter of traditional performance arts.
