Matt Varga As we’ve mentioned in plenty of off-seasons past, an Asia tour has become something of a rite of passage for Beaverton ballers. Defining faces like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant each have experience meeting fans an ocean away with the help of Nike Basketball, and that tradition has continued into their cache of modern athletes.
For a recent example of the program’s sheer efficacy, Sabrina Ionescu carved out a serious fanbase in the Philippines with her stop in 2024. Still boasting an undeniably electrifying on-court presence, perhaps the same will come true for Ja Morant, chalking off a stop in China as a part of his global “Make Them Watch” tour this Summer. Already started with stops at the Peach Jam and NY vs. NY tournaments (notably inspiring two of the first looks for his Nike Ja 3), the Grizzlies superstar switched locales to Shenzhen and Shanghai.
Along with the requisite stops at Nike flagships in both cities, Morant made appearances at activations aligned with Nike’s overarching goal of “growing the game.” Mission Rise 2025 in Shenzhen was chief among them, as was a one-on-one clinic at Jiangwan Sports Center, creating some historical parallels between he and Bryant as the late legend took to that stage nearly a decade ago.
Up next for #12? A stop in Tokyo, where surely his high-flying ways and overall mentorship will be on display again. Catch official event images below.
