Celtics' Isaiah Thomas, Lakers' D'Angelo Russel and Jordan Clarkson and Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns to celebrate NBA Finals with Chinese fans

Clarkson, Russell, Thomas and Towns to Host Viewing Parties and Conduct Jr. NBA Children's Day Basketball Clinics in Beijing and Shanghai

BEIJING – 2015-16 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas of the Boston Celtics, and D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers will travel to China May 31-June 14 to support the continued growth of basketball and celebrate the NBA Finals with Chinese fans.

Thousands of fans will have the opportunity to interact with Clarkson, Russell, Thomas and Towns at a series of activities, including NBA Finals viewing parties, basketball clinics, meet-and-greets, and television appearances.

Clarkson and Russell will engage with 1,000 elementary school students at the Jr. NBA Children's Day Basketball Clinic at the Wukesong Hi-Park in Beijing on June 1.? The Jr. NBA Children's Day campaign is a weeklong nationwide initiative that aims to promote healthy lifestyle in elementary and middle schools through basketball.? Through the Jr. NBA Children's Day campaign, NBA China expects to reach more than 230,000 students from 164 elementary schools across China by providing toolkits that teach the fundamentals of basketball. The pair of Lakers teammates will also visit local elementary and middle schools in Beijing to conduct basketball clinics with students.?

On June 3, Russell will attend an NBA Finals Game 1 viewing party hosted by Tencent, along with 2,000 students at the China Agricultural University.?

Russell will then travel to Shanghai on June 5 and join Thomas to host 20 underprivileged students invited by NBA Cares from a local Shanghai migrant school for a sneak peek of the NBA Playzone, the world's first NBA-themed family entertainment center scheduled to open later this summer.? Russell and Thomas will also surprise fans at various public basketball courts in Shanghai.

Towns will be in Shanghai June 12-14 to encourage active lifestyles, engage fans and give back to the community.

Coverage of the NBA Finals will begin June 3 and will be broadcast on CCTV, Tencent, Beijing TV, BesTV, Guangdong TV, Videoland, Elta, Taiwan Mobile, and NowTV. For all things NBA, visit china.nba.com and download the NBA App on china.nba.com/nbaapp.

Player Quotes:

D'Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers): "I understand basketball is the No. 1 sport in China.?It will be an incredible experience to watch and enjoy the NBA Finals with devoted Chinese basketball fans."

Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics): "It is amazing to see the passion and excitement that Chinese fans have for the game of basketball.? I am looking forward to checking out some street basketball to experience first-hand their love for the sport."

Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves): "I've heard so much about the popularity of basketball in China from many of my teammates who visited last year.? I can't wait to connect, interact and share my knowledge of the game with Chinese fans."