Sports
14:34, 14-Jun-2018
China's pop idol Jay Chou forms three-on-three basketball league
["china"]
Share
Copied
Besides being a singer and songwriter, pop idol Jay Chou is also a huge basketball fan. So much so, that Chou announced on Tuesday the launch of his own three-on-three basketball league JYB, featuring eight teams competing for the to prize of 156,000 US dollars.
JYB stands for "Jiu Yao Battle," a combination of Chinese and English which means "Just Battle," one of Chou's mottos. Chou created it in collaboration with PCG Bros Sports and Starz Sports in Beijing, hoping to make the league tournament a strong musical blend of sports and entertainment.
June 12, 2018: Jay Chou (right) attends the launch of his JYB league in Beijing. /VCG Photo
June 12, 2018: Jay Chou (right) attends the launch of his JYB league in Beijing. /VCG Photo
The eight teams will be selected from both the DDD 3x3 Basketball City tournaments that will begin on July 28 across the nation's 14 cities and the reality show "Dunk of China," that's broadcast on video and streaming platform Youku.
The initiative follows the increasing popularity in China of the three-on-three format, especially after it was announced it would make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
"Everyone knows that I love basketball and we just need to battle on the basketball court," said Chou, who once played one-on-one with NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and also a good friend of Brooklyn Nets player Jeremy Lin.
"I'm not a professional player, so running back and forth over the whole court is too challenging for me. The three-on-three game is a great way for more grassroots players to join the sport," Chou added.