BEIJING >> NBA star Jeremy Lin says he hopes to boost young players’ enthusiasm for basketball at a four-day camp he plans to host this month in southern China.

Lin said Thursday at a news conference in Beijing that he expected 80 kids to attend. His Asian heritage makes him a huge draw in the homeland of former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming.

Lin says “I want every kid to leave the camp feeling like they had really fun time” and “they can’t wait to go back home and continue to play.”

His visit to China is his first since emerging as an NBA star with the New York Knicks. He will move to Yao’s former team next season on a three-year deal worth $25 million.