It looks like two of basketball’s biggest stars are coming to the Pearl River Delta.

Lebron James is expected to be in Guangzhou on July 24 and 25, while Kobe Bryant is scheduled to be in Shenzhen on August 4, according to a media report.  Still, Nike has not confirmed the appearances yet, so take this with a grain of salt.

The timetable, above, in Chinese, shows the schedule of basketballers who are in China for summer tours sponsored by Nike. They are to appear in Nike stores and plug new Nike products.

Kobe’s Shenzhen appearance is set for the Nike store in Shenzhen’s Dongmen area. It is located on the first floor of the Sunon Hotel (55 Jiefang Road, +86 755 8222 2986). The exact time and ticket details have yet to emerge.

We will also bring you the exact time and location of James’ Guangzhou appearance, scheduled for July 24 and 25 (next Wednesday and Thursday) as soon as Nike announces them.

As can be seen by the statue of Kobe Bryant that stands in Guangzhou, NBA stars are idolised throughout China. But Nike isn’t giving the Chinese public a glimpse of their heroes simply out of the goodness of their heart.

The company is highly dependent upon the China market. As Marketwatch puts it:

China accounts for about $2.5 billion, or 10%, of Nike’s total sales. In comparison, its sales in North America topped $10 billion last year. However, Svezia estimated China represents a quarter of Nike’s earnings before interest and tax, making it a more profitable market than North America.

“China is extremely important for Nike,” he said. “It’s extremely profitable.”

To drum up demand, basketball stars Lebron James and Kevin Durant, both endorsed by Nike, will be touring China this summer.