The opening reception for the NBA Game in Taipei just ended a few hours ago, and by all accounts, it was a smash with the local fans, who jammed the Grand Ballroom at the Shangri-La hotel.
The reception began with a traditional dance number performed by a group representing one of the native tribes of Formosa, or "beautiful island." Both teams were introduced by their respective coaches, and a handful of government dignitaries addressed the crowd. The Mayor of Taipei seemed particularly pleased to be part of the festivities, and told the audience that when he was a graduate student in Massachusetts between 1978 and 1983, he was a big Larry Bird fan. "I'm still a big fan today, Mr. Bird!" the Mayor told the crowd.
Most of the players took off after the introductions. We had dinner before the reception with Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones, both of whom said they were worn out from the long flight, as well as another one of Coach Jim O'Brien's tough practices earlier in the day. But Coach O'Brien and Denver coach George Karl hung out, signed autographs and posed for pictures.
The team has a shoot around tomorrow morning, then square off against the Nuggets at 7:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m. on Thursday in Indianapolis). The rest of us are touring some of the sites in Taipei, including a trip to the top of Taipei 101, reputedly the world's tallest office tower.
Hope you enjoy some of the highlights from the reception:
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