I admit I was trying to work off of LL’s “Goin’ Back to Cali.” Great song and video.

The Washington Wizards, who visited China in 1979 when they were known as the Bullets, are about to embark on a 10 day trip to the country. The team, which is sending a significant contingent of players, staff and execs, will conduct basketball clinics, engage in some philanthropic work and of course, do some marketing.

The full article from the Washington Post can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/26/AR2009082603881.html, with an excerpt below. You can watch a video of the press conference from last week at the Wizards’ team site, www.nba.com/wizards.

Wizards Recall Bullets With Chinese Trip

By Bill Oram
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 27, 2009

The last time Washington’s NBA franchise journeyed to China, it was a trail-blazing trip. The Bullets were fresh off their appearance in the 1979 Finals and the whole team visited the nation after President Jimmy Carter normalized relations with the communist giant.

The Wizards, who haven’t had much to celebrate in recent history, will honor the 30-year anniversary of the trip next month by sending several team representatives, including two current players and Hall of Fame center Wes Unseld, to conduct clinics and visit hospitals. The group also will visit the site of the 2008 earthquake near the city of Chengdu.

Unseld, who was a member of the team that made the trip in 1979 and said he has vivid memories of that trip, will join forward Caron Butler, newly acquired guard Randy Foye and former Bullet Gheorghe Muresan as the marquee representatives on the Sept. 5-15 trip.

“It’s a pretty rare opportunity for me,” Unseld said. “As I remember, 30 years ago there weren’t too many teams or individuals or people going there to China.”  (The full article continues at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/26/AR2009082603881.html)