In response to the recent catastrophes in China and Myanmar, the NBA's two Chinese players, Yao Ming (Houston Rockets) and Yi Jianlian (Milwaukee Bucks) have taped public service announcements requesting aid from fans. NBA Cares, the league's philanthropic arm, will direct contributions to the Red Cross (for victims of Monday's earthquake in China) and UNICEF (for those affected by the May 2 cyclone in Myanmar).Yao's PSA will debut tonight during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers (May 16, 8 pm/ET, ESPN). Yao and Yi also taped versions in Mandarin and Cantonese to air in China.For more information click here.
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The NBA will unveil a new on-air promotional campaign this weekend during playoff games. Dubbed “Unbelievable,” the series of spots features magician David Blaine humorously attempting to debunk the mind-boggling abilities of NBA stars. First up, starting Saturday, are spots with LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets which offer “explanations” for their skills at slam-dunking and shot-blocking, respectively.Coming next week are promos highlighting two-time league MVP Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns), Ben Gordon (Chicago Bulls), and Baron Davis, whose heroics just led the Golden State Warriors to a major first-round upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks. Somewhere, an ad with Dirk Nowitzki must be collecting dust.
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