On the afternoon of July 5th, NBA Milwaukee Bucks' star player "The Greek Freak", Giannis Antetokounmpo, embarked on his annual offseason trip to China. He first visited the Linfeng'e Primary School in Liwan District, Guangzhou, where he unveiled an environmentally friendly basketball court he donated.

Linfeng'e Primary School has a favorable environment for basketball enthusiasts: not only is the glass display case in the exhibition room filled with trophies won by the school's teams in recent years, but also the iron racks at the entrance of each classroom are adorned with basketballs belonging to the students. The school even incorporates basketball techniques into their physical classes to help students develop their skills.

Upon entering the campus, Giannis Antetokounmpo quickly joined local students in playful activities. In China, he is affectionately known by fans and media as "Letter Bro (zi mu ge)", given the difficulty of pronouncing his surname. Not only did he proudly introduce his Chinese nickname in Cantonese, saying "ngo hai ji moh gu" (I am "Letter Bro"), he also entered classrooms and engaged in collaborative hand-drawn basketball artwork with the children.

During his visit, Giannis Antetokounmpo also unveiled the country's first "Nike China High School Basketball League" themed eco-friendly basketball court. At the unveiling ceremony, the superstar expressed his envy of the children, saying, "When I was young, I dreamed of playing on a court like this. You are fortunate to have it. I hope you cherish this facility and unleash your love for basketball."

Upon learning that the newly donated court was part of Nike's "new refurbished sneaker" program, where the plastic granules used were processed from the children's old shoes in an environmentally friendly manner, Giannis Antetokounmpo was impressed, and immediately pledged to donate his old shoes during his next visit to China. He will bring 20 pairs from himself and his teammates to contribute to the construction of the court.

During the exercise between classes, Giannis Antetokounmpo led three of his brothers and the students in a basketball exercise routine. As the kids performed side leg stretches while dribbling the ball, the NBA superstar couldn't help but exclaim, saying that even he would find it challenging to perform as well as they did.

Reflecting on his own basketball journey, Giannis Antetokounmpo emphasized the importance of a relaxed environment in nurturing children's hobbies. He expressed his expectations for the students at Linfeng'e Primary School, saying, "I hope you can work hard and sweat it out on this court for the future of Chinese basketball."

【视频】NBA巨星“字母哥”走进广州校园

7月5日下午，NBA密尔沃基雄鹿队当家球星“字母哥”扬尼斯·阿德托昆博正式开启今年的休赛期中国行，首站到访广州市荔湾区林凤娥小学，为捐赠的环保球场揭幕。

林凤娥小学的篮球氛围十分浓厚：不仅陈列室中的玻璃展柜里摆满了近年来该校球队赢得的奖杯，每间教室门口的铁架上摆满了学生们的篮球，该校还将篮球技术动作编排进课间操，帮助学生培养球感。

进入校园后，“字母哥”迅速跟本地学生们玩作一团，不仅用刚学到的“粤语”大声介绍自己的中国绰号，“我系鸡母菇”（我是“字母哥”），还走进教室与小朋友们一起创作手绘篮球。

“字母哥”此行也为全国首座“耐高”主题环保篮球场进行了揭幕。在揭幕仪式现场，这名超级球星道出了自己对于孩子们的羡慕：“我小时候就梦想在这样的球场上打球，你们很幸运拥有这样的条件，希望你们珍惜场地，尽情释放对篮球的热爱。”

而在得知此次被捐赠的新球场源自耐克的“旧鞋新生”项目，所用的塑胶颗粒皆是由小朋友们的旧鞋通过环保加工而来后，“字母哥”难掩震惊，当即表示自己也非常乐意捐赠自己的旧鞋，明年的中国行将带来自己和队友的20双旧鞋，为建设球场贡献一份力量。

课间操环节，“字母哥”更是带领三位亲兄弟与学生们一起跳起篮球操，孩子们一边侧压腿一边运球，让这名NBA超级巨星连连惊呼，表示就连自己都很难做得这么好。

回顾自己的篮球成长经历，“字母哥”表示宽松的环境是培养孩子爱好的重要基础。“字母哥”对林凤娥小学的学生们表达了期许：“希望你们可以好好努力，在这片球场上为中国篮球的未来尽情挥洒汗水。”

文 | 羊城晚报全媒体记者 吕航
图、视频 | 羊城晚报全媒体记者 詹淑真 吕航 黎杰文
翻译 | 刘佳慧