Page 23 - AT

A23
SPORTS Tuesday 8 OcTOber 2019
NBA's ties with China, worth billions, now under strain

By TIM REYNOLDS fices in Beijing and Shang-
AP Basketball Writer hai. Games are streamed
It wasn't even a month ago live and Chinese media
that NBA Commissioner cover all the league's big-
Adam Silver sat overlooking gest events such as All-Star
center court at an arena in weekend and the NBA Fi-
Beijing, watching the gold- nals. The league has played
medal game at the World preseason games there for
Cup with other basketball years, has three NBA acad-
dignitaries. emies in the country — de-
That night was all smiles. signed to find the next star
Silver's return to China later prospect — and big-name
this week will be much dif- players go there every off-
ferent. season to promote their
The relationship between brand.
China and the NBA — a Retired Miami Heat guard
multibillion-dollar marriage Dwyane Wade has a life-
that involves media rights, time contract with Chinese
streaming, merchandise apparel company Li-Ning.
sales and much more — is Golden State guard Klay
strained right now in ways Thompson has a 10-year
unlike any other since the deal with another Chinese
league first began planting shoe company, Anta. Five-
roots there in earnest three time champion Kobe Bry-
decades ago. A since-de- ant has been visiting China
leted tweet from Houston annually for about two de-
Rockets general manager cades and is a massive star
Daryl Morey that showed there, even now that his
support for Hong Kong playing career is done.
anti-government protest- The league has navigated
ers prompted an immedi- its way around one thorny
ate backlash, complicated issue related to the U.S. and
further by the timing of the China in recent months:
NBA having two preseason a trade war between the
games in China this week. nations that includes back-
"We apologize," Rockets and-forth tariffs. The Hong
star James Harden said in Kong tweet, though, is likely
Japan on Monday. "We to present a much bigger
love China. We love play- In this April 19, 2011, file photo, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey talks during a test for the NBA.
ing there. I know for both of news conference, in Houston. "What I can tell you for sure
us individually we go there Associated Press is it's not going to erase the
once or twice a year. They decades of work that, you
show us the most support nomic impact is already ciation, which announced ue and the NBA has been know, myself and everyone
and love. So we appreci- clear," Silver told Kyodo over the weekend it is sus- very progressive in allowing else in the NBA has put in
ate them as a fan base and News in an interview Mon- pending its ties with the players and other constitu- in building a tremendous
we love everything they're day. "There have already Rockets in retaliation for ents a platform to speak base for basketball in Chi-
about and we appreciate been fairly dramatic con- Morey's tweet. While Yao out on issues," Tsai wrote in a na," Golden State Warriors
the support that they give sequences from that tweet, has not shared his personal lengthy open letter posted COO Rick Welts said Mon-
us individually and as an or- and I have read some of feelings on the topic, it's late Sunday. "The problem day in an appearance on
ganization." the media suggesting that clear that the relationship is, there are certain topics CNBC. "And I think this will
That support is being sternly we are not supporting Da- between Yao and his only that are third-rail issues in pass. And I do think our fu-
tested, be it from tweets ryl Morey, but in fact we NBA team is currently, at certain countries, societies ture in China is probably
that were deleted, uproars have." best, rocky. and communities." pretty remarkable."q
over an NBA statement The NBA is enormously pop- Silver will address the mat- And in China, discussion
that had some of its mean- ular in China: Oft-cited fig- ter at a news conference of the Hong Kong protests
ing lost in translation when ures from basketball exec- Tuesday in Japan, where is one of those issues, Tsai
posted in Mandarin and utives in both the U.S. and the Rockets are playing said. The NBA's relation-
even the cancellation an- China say that 300 million this week. He then is sched- ship with China dates back
nounced Monday of two people play the game rec- uled to speak in Shanghai about 30 years to the time
G League games to be reationally there and that on Thursday, in advance when former Commissioner
played in China between about 500 million Chinese of two preseason games in David Stern struck a deal
the minor-league affiliates watched at least one NBA China between the Los An- with Chinese television to
of the Rockets and the Dal- game last season. geles Lakers, led by global show games on a tape-
las Mavericks. And the Rockets are sports icon LeBron James, delayed basis. Stern even
At least one Chinese sport- among the biggest team and the Brooklyn Nets, now talked about having an
ing goods company said brands there, no doubt owned by Joe Tsai, the co- NBA-sponsored or branded
it was no longer cooperat- because Chinese star Yao founder of Chinese e-com- league in China. The first
ing with the Rockets and Ming — a Basketball Hall of merce giant Alibaba. league office there had
a sports news website In Famer — spent his NBA ca- "What is the problem with three employees and flimsy
China said it was no longer reer with Houston. people freely expressing furniture.
covering the team. Yao is now president of the their opinion? This freedom Now, about 200 NBA em-
"There is no doubt, the eco- Chinese Basketball Asso- is an inherent American val- ployees work in China in of-