"The progression of basketball is unbelievable in terms of how the game has grown internationally. I think, as we've seen lately, China is among the fastest growing (fan bases) in the world.

"I would never have thought in 1990 that it would grow this fast and this big, but we are very fortunate that the game has grown that much and has been loved for so many years. I think it's only going to continue to grow.

"Through games like this, the players enjoy coming over and relating with the fans and it's good for the NBA's global expansion."

Though widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan, who retired as a member of the Washington Wizards in 2003, has struggled to emulate his on-court greatness as an executive, first with the Wizards and now with the Hornets.

After running the low-profile team with little success since acquiring a majority share of ownership in 2010, Jordan signed free-agent Lin to a two-year contract this summer, expecting the fan favorite to draw attention from the Far East.

"It's great for players to get this type of exposure and respect," Jordan said of the team's China trip.

"We are still up and coming, we want to be the team that competes each night on TV and in the playoffs. Getting that exposure so that the fan base can reach out ... not just from Charlotte or North Carolina, but outside of that."

Lin said he was flattered to learn Jordan described him as the franchise's biggest acquisition of the offseason.

"It's a unique opportunity (to be on Jordan's team). He's not around all the time but it's a tremendous honor to play for a boss like him. It's pretty cool," Lin said.

Hornets' head coach Steve Clifford agreed, saying: "He is very supportive and he also gives me good advice. I like it when he is around. He watches every one of our games. He is very much an expert on our team and he's a big help."

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn