Chinese kindergarten students' impressive basketball routine leaves social media stunned

The love for basketball in China has well documented over the years. The country is said to be the biggest market for the NBA outside the United States and its own Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is home to several former NBA stars. Considering China has already shipped out world-class talent like Yao Ming to the NBA, it comes as little surprise that the children are taught the know-how of the game from a very young age - starting from kindergarten.

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Some recent footage of Chinese kindergarten students went viral on social media where the kids can be seen practising their usual basketball drills and mastering the art of dribbling with both hands. Constantly moving in a strict circle, each student can be seen controlling two balls at once while simultaneously trying moving and switching balls, all at once. The kids execute the drill with quite some finesse and impeccable synchronisation.  

This is far from the first time that a basketball routine featuring Chinese kids has gone viral on social media. A few years ago, a video surfaced on the internet where a group of students were performing a 'basketball dance' on the stage. If the kids continue to develop at the same pace, there might be a plethora of talent heading to the NBA from China. As of now, six Chinese players have played in the NBA - Yao Ming, Mengke Bateer, Sun Yue, Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian and most recently Zhou Qi. 

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NBA and China's longstanding history

The NBA and China have not enjoyed the best of relationships of late. Before the start of the current season, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey stirred a major controversy when he tweeted his support for the protests in Hong Kong against China. Morey's statement resulted in major backlash from China which resulted in the government cancelling the broadcast of all NBA games temporarily. The broadcast was later resumed for all teams barring the Rockets. 

Earlier this year, US Senator Marsha Blackburn sent a letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver demanding answers about the NBA China relations. Blackburn demanded an explanation for the handling of the NBA academy in Xinjiang, one of the world's worst humanitarian zones. After immense pressure over the treatment of minorities in the western province, the NBA finally severed its ties with the controversial training centre. 

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(Image Credits: Shanghai Panda Twitter)