Reigning NBA All-Star Slam Dunk champion Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves and runner-up Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic will be playing in a charity game for the Yao Foundation on August 28th in Southeast China's Fuzhou.

Xinhua reported that some players from the Chinese national team would also participate in the event following the national team's campaign at the Rio Olympics.

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Aside from LaVine and Gordon, other NBA players are expected to grace the philanthropic basketball show with their presence. Among the NBA stars likely to show up at the game are the Philadelphia 76ers' Jahlil Okafor, Justin Anderson of the Dallas Mavericks, and Detroit Piston's shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming, the founder of the Yao Foundation, said that he is looking forward to the game. He noted that both LaVine and Gordon would display a spectacular slam dunking performance during the charity game.

"I was in the United States during the NBA All-Star weekend this year, but I did not watch their show on the spot," Yao, who is an eight-time NBA All-Star, said. "And I hope to see them again in China."

In the last NBA All-Star weekend in Toronto, Canada, the slam dunk battle between Gordon and LaVine went through two tie-breakers in the final round, which reminded basketball enthusiasts of the 1988 showdown between basketball legends Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.

Yao said the proceeds from the charity game would go to schools affected by Typhoon Nepartak. The typhoon hit Fujian Province on July 9. The fund will be reportedly used to reconstruct the playgrounds and to purchase sports facilities.

Yao Foundation, set up in 2008 after the massive earthquake in Sichuan Province, is now focusing on sports and education. This is the 6th year that the organization is hosting its annual basketball charity game, according to Sina.

TagsNBA, Yao Ming, Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, yao foundation, NBA All-Star Weekend