NBA Star DeMarcus Cousins Tries Zibo Barbecue

On August 23, the 2026 "Wanbao · Yaolin Tianyue Cup" Zibo Super Basketball Invitational kicked off thrillingly at the Comprehensive Gymnasium of Zibo Sports Center. DeMarcus Cousins, four-time NBA All-Star and Rio Olympic gold medalist, led Team Kentucky Legends of the United States against Shandong Hi-Speed Men’s Basketball Team coached by Qiu Biao, presenting a high-level international basketball showdown for Zibo basketball fans. The venue was packed to capacity with fast-paced transitions and fierce inside battles, as the score remained tight for long stretches. The game went into overtime after a draw in regulation time. Shandong Hi-Speed eventually lost 99:105 to Team Kentucky Legends. Despite the final result, the match pushed the buzz of Cousins’ Zibo stop on his China tour to a climax.

Late at night after the game, arranged by the local Barbecue Association, Cousins and his entourage headed to Bada Community Market in Zhangdian and visited Azi Barbecue to “chase the grill”. Around midnight, charcoal in small stoves burned bright while skewers sizzled with oil. Following local custom, he softened a thin pancake over the stove, wrapped pork belly with skin and mutton inside, added green scallions, rolled it up with dry seasoning and sauce. The wheat aroma, fatty richness, spicy scallion and savory sauce blended in one bite, letting him fully experience Zibo barbecue’s signature trio: thin pancakes, green scallions and small charcoal stoves.

A 360° panoramic stage inside the restaurant staged Qi Style Zibo Feast. The performance spanned from Jiang Ziya enfeoffment in Qi and tales from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, to street life in the Han Dynasty and Yan Wenjiang’s filial piety stories. Flowing silk sleeves mingled with charcoal smoke, and drumbeats echoed with clinking cups. The over-two-meter-tall NBA star sat on a low wooden stool, rolling pancakes while watching ancient stories of the State of Qi. The adrenaline from the freshly finished game instantly melted into the down-to-earth vibe of old Zibo.

This trip from the sports center gymnasium to the Bada night market was more than just a celebrity check-in; it served as a vivid practice of contextualizing Qi culture. Basketball drew crowds, barbecue kept visitors staying, and extended performances prolonged dwell time. Bada Market weaves street snacks, Qi-style performances and the community market into a consumption chain, upgrading the “rush to Zibo for barbecue” experience from a late-night meal into a comprehensive cultural and tourism journey. Moving forward, with more international competitions and celebrity exchange events, Zibo will continue energizing the city through sports, enriching it with street vitality, and flourishing it with cultural heritage, writing a new chapter for the high-quality integrated development of culture and tourism in the ancient Qi land.