Midway through the first quarter, with Stephen Curry at the foul line, a chant emanated from the sellout crowd of 16,007: “M-V-P! M-V-P! M-V-P!”
The chorus returned a half-dozen or so times Sunday night, growing louder with each rendition. By the time Curry stepped to the free-throw line late in the third, having just lofted a floater over the outstretched arm of the 7-foot Karl-Anthony Towns while drawing contact, the chant was nearly deafening.
It was Chinese fans’ thank you to one of their favorite NBA superstars. On the last night of the Warriors’ week-long tour of the country, Curry was at his can-you-believe-it best, needing only three quarters to pour in 40 points and six three-pointers. Golden State ran away with a 142-110 exhibition rout of Minnesota.
That Curry has spent much of the past half-decade working to build his fan base in the NBA’s biggest international market only made the outburst more memorable.
In 2013, while in China for two exhibitions against the Lakers, Curry watched an injured Kobe Bryant repeatedly get his name chanted. Curry was just beginning to become a household name stateside, but he made himself a promise: Someday he would become as big in the Far East as Bryant.
Each of the past four years, Curry has visited China for promotional tours with Under Armour. He has run basketball clinics in a new city on each trip, tried tai chi and signed numerous autographs. Periodically, Curry has hosted a 45-minute Weibo chat with his Chinese fans.
Among his Rolodex of commercials are ad spots with Chinese cell phone company Vivo and Chinese car company eHi. To help appeal to his No. 1 audience outside the U.S., he partnered with Under Armour to create a China-themed sneaker.
Along the way, Curry endeared himself to a fan base that appreciates All-Stars who take a personal interest in their country. Curry, not the retired Bryant, has boasted China’s best-selling NBA jersey each of the past two years.
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