All-Star Basketball Player Kobe Bryant and Hong Kong Disneyland to Make Magic for Young Players

All-Star basketball player Kobe Bryant visited Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Tuesday (5 September)  to enjoy the theme park and join Disney officials in announcing plans to send young basketball players through his foundation from Hong Kong to the United States to live their basketball dreams with the international sports superstar.

Bryant made his first visit to Hong Kong Disneyland today as part of his tour of Asia. The three-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion with the Los Angeles Lakers led the league in scoring during the 2005-2006 season, including an incredible 81-point effort against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.

On Tuesday, Bryant made dreams come true for a group of young basketball players from the Hong Kong Basketball Association (HKBA) as he joined them for a day of Disney fun on park attractions and shows. Highlights included the theme park’s daily parade and a performance of “Stitch Encounter,” the new and interactive show featuring an animated Stitch character. In the show, Stitch recognized the basketball legend and spoke to him and the HKBA players who joined him for the day.

As a special surprise for the young basketball players and park guests, Hong Kong Disneyland also arranged to have a regulation basketball hoop temporarily erected in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, the park’s gleaming, spired icon. Bryant was joined by HKBA players, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse for a game in the castle forecourt area.

During Bryant’s tour of the park Hong Kong Disneyland also confirmed it will join with Bryant’s foundation Vivo Del Mondo, to sponsor a group of young basketball players from the HKBA on a cultural exchange program to the United States.

The players, who will be between the ages of 8 and 15, will be selected among participants of the HKBA’s Young Athletes Basketball Training Scheme. Once selected, they will join Bryant in Los Angeles, California, USA, during a week-long tour in 2007 that will include a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game, visits to the region’s cultural attractions and a chance to enjoy basketball with Bryant and other Los Angeles-area players. In addition, the children will enjoy a VIP visit to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, USA, and learn more about the continued development of Los Angeles as a major United States city and its multi-cultural, multi-ethnic composition.

This will be the second trip Vivo Foundation has arranged, the first being earlier this year when Bryant’s foundation provided an all-expense paid cultural trip to Italy for eight deserving college students. Bryant spent part of his childhood in Italy while his father, Joe, was playing professional basketball.

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