Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Mayor Hau Lung-bin welcomed Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard to Taipei City at a charity event on July 26. He expressed the city government’s interest in inviting the National Basketball Association (NBA) to hold a regular season game in Taipei next year.
The mayor met Howard during a public appearance at the 2010 Junior NBA Challenge. Howard is in Taipei as the event’s ambassador.
During his address, the mayor recalled a previous meeting with NBA Commissioner David Stern during the latter’s visit to Taipei. Stern pointed out the possibility of holding a regular season game in Taipei in 2011 if the fans in Taipei express enthusiasm about the idea.
Hau hopes that Howard will speak on behalf of the city to persuade the commissioner to bring the match to Taipei.
To express the City’s hospitality, the mayor presented Howard with a porcelain dish set and a box of pineapple cakes. After trying out a pineapple cake, the NBA superstar praised the wonderful taste of the pastries and thanked the mayor for the delicious souvenir.