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The NBA’s Troubled Relationship with China

The NBA’s initial foray into China

The National Basketball Association (NBA) first visited China in 1979, when the Washington Bullets (now the Wizards) played a series of exhibition games against the Chinese national team. In 1987, the NBA held its first promotional event in China, a one-day basketball clinic in Beijing. In August of that year, two games between the Seattle SuperSonics and the Philadelphia 76ers were played in Shanghai and Beijing, becoming the first preseason games ever played in Asia.

The NBA’s relationship with China continued to grow in the 1990s and 2000s. In 1999, the Houston Rockets selected Chinese player Yao Ming with the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. Yao became a global ambassador for basketball and helped increase interest in the sport among Chinese fans. In 2004, the NBA opened its first office in China. The following year, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the league was aiming to have 300 million Chinese fans by 2030.

The NBA’s business dealings in China came under fire in 2019 when Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The tweet sparked outrage among many Chinese fans and officials, leading to a sharp decline in viewership of NBA games in China and leading to several Chinese businesses suspending their partnerships with the league. The incident highlighted the delicate nature of doing business in China and illustrated how quickly relations between the NBA and China can change.

The Houston Rockets’ general manager’s tweet and the ensuing fallout

The Houston Rockets’ general manager’s tweet about Hong Kong and the ensuing fallout has roiled the NBA’s relationship with China.

The tweet, which has since been deleted, showed support for Hong Kong protesters who are fighting against an extradition bill that would allow China to extradite suspected criminals from Hong Kong to mainland China.

The Rockets are one of the most popular teams in China, and the GM’s tweet prompted a strong reaction from Chinese fans and officials. The Chinese Basketball Association suspended its relationship with the team, and state-run broadcaster CCTV said it would no longer air Rockets games.

Many NBA stars have spoken out in support of the right to free speech, but they have also been careful not to anger Chinese fans or officials. The league has a lot at stake in China, where it is hugely popular and has been working to build its presence for years.

The NBA issued a statement saying it was “extremely disappointed” by the GM’s tweet and reaffirming its support for freedom of expression. But the league also said it recognizes that its relationship with China is “complex” and that it is “committed to promoting values of equality, respect and unity.”

The NBA’s response to the tweet and the ensuing fallout

The NBA has been embroiled in a firestorm of controversy after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for pro-democracy Hong Kong protesters.

Morey deleted the tweet and issued an apology, but the damage was done. The Rockets are one of the most popular NBA teams in China, and Chinese state broadcaster CCTV immediately canceled its plans to air two preseason games that were set to take place in China.

Chinese companies that had business deals with the NBA also began to cut ties, and Chinese fans expressed their anger on social media.

The NBA issued a statement saying that it is “deeply concerned” about the tweet, but stopped short of condemning Morey’s statement. This response was seen as insufficient by many, who accused the league of pandering to China at the expense of its values.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver later issued a more definitive statement, saying that while the league recognizes that Morey’s tweet “deeply offended” many people in China, it will not apologize for his right to freedom of expression.

The fallout from this incident is ongoing, and it remains to be seen how much damage has been done to the NBA’s relationship with China.

The NBA’s Current Relationship with China

The NBA’s current business dealings with China

The NBA has had a long and complicated relationship with China. From its early days of trying to gain a foothold in the Chinese market, to its recent problems with the Chinese government, the NBA has had ups and downs with its dealings in China.

The NBA first started trying to tap into the Chinese market in the 1980s. At that time, there was very little interest in basketball in China. The NBA did several things to try and increase its presence in China, including holding exhibition games and sending players on goodwill tours. Slowly but surely, interest in basketball began to grow, and by the early 2000s, the NBA had become one of the most popular sports leagues in China.

However, recent years have seen a strained relationship between the NBA and China. This began in 2016 when then-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters. The Chinese government was not happy about this, and they responded by suspending all broadcasts of Rockets games in China. The incident caused a rift between the NBA and China, with each side accusing the other of not respecting their respective sovereignty.

Things came to a head again recently when Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protesters. In response, the Chinese government suspended broadcasts of Rockets games in China. The incident caused a rift between the NBA and China, with each side accusing the other of not respecting their respective sovereignty.

The current state of affairs is that the relationship between the NBA and China is tense but still intact. TheNBA continues to do business in China, but it has been careful to avoid any further incidents that could damage its relationship with the Chinese government.

The NBA’s current television deal with China

The NBA’s current television deal with China is set to expire in 2025. In 2016, the league signed a five-year contract extension with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The new deal was worth an estimated $700 million, which was more than double the prior agreement.

Since then, the relationship between the NBA and China has become strained. In October 2019, a leaked audio recording revealed that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey had sent a tweet supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Morey later deleted the tweet, but it sparked outrage in China.

The NBA responded by saying that it was “regrettable” that Morey’s tweet had “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China.” The league also said that it recognized that its relationship with China “could be adversely affected” by Morey’s tweet.

Since then, several Chinese companies have cut ties with the NBA. The league has also been barred from airing games on Chinese state television. It is unclear how much money the NBA has lost as a result of its falling out with China.

The NBA’s current merchandising deal with China

The NBA has had a merchandise deal with China since 1992, when Nike became the league’s official outfitter. It was a small deal at first, worth just $4 million a year. But by 2016, the NBA had signed a 10-year extension with Nike that was worth a reported $357 million annually. The league also has agreements with multiple Chinese companies to sell team jerseys and other branded merchandise within China.

The NBA’s merchandise deals are separate from its broadcast deals. The league generates about $8 billion in annual revenue from its U.S. media rights alone. But China is an important market for the NBA because it represents a potentially huge pool of future customers and fans. The league has been working to grow its presence in China for years, and it now has more than 200 million fans in the country, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

The league’s relationship with China came under strain in October 2019 when Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey tweeted (and then deleted) a message supporting pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The tweet sparked outrage in China, where many people view the Hong Kong protesters as separatists who are challenging Beijing’s authority. The Chinese government subsequently canceled several planned events featuring the Rockets, and state-run television broadcaster CCTV said it would no longer air Rockets games.

The NBA issued a statement saying that it recognized Morey’s right to express his opinion but that it regretted any offense caused by his tweet. Silver later said that the league was “not apologizing” for Morey’s tweet but that it understands why some Chinese people were offended by it.

The Rockets are one of the most popular teams in China, thanks in large part to former player Yao Ming, who is now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association. The Rockets have played multiple exhibition games in China over the years, and Yao Ming was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Future of the NBA’s Relationship with China

The NBA’s plans for further expansion into China

The NBA has been working hard to build its presence in China, and it seems to be paying off. The league has seen a dramatic increase in popularity in recent years, and it now has more than 300 million fans in the country.

The NBA’s plans for further expansion into China include opening more offices and training centers, expanding its television coverage, and growing its digital presence. The league is also working on plans to launch an NBA Academy in China, which would be a first-of-its-kind facility for elite young basketball players from around the world.

All of these initiatives are aimed at growing the game of basketball in China and making the NBA more popular than ever. It remains to be seen how successful the league will be in its efforts, but there is no doubt that it is committed to expanding its reach in the country.

The potential for further political fallout between the NBA and China

The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) rocky relationship with China has come under fire again after a recent tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of Hong Kong protesters.

Morey’s tweet prompted a strong reaction from the Chinese government, with officials calling for the Rockets to be removed from the country’s state-run television broadcaster. The NBA has since issued a statement saying that it “respects the views of our players and fans” but also recognizes that “the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them.”

The potential for further political fallout between the NBA and China is significant, as the league has built up a large fan base in the country over the past several years. The NBA is not the only U.S. sports league with ties to China, but it is by far the most popular, with an estimated 300 million fans in the country.

If the NBA’s relationship with China continues to deteriorate, it could have a major impact on the league’s business. The NBA derives a significant amount of revenue from its broadcast and merchandise deals in China, and any further reduction in these revenues would be difficult for the league to offset.

The possible economic impact of the NBA’s relationship with China

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world’s premier professional basketball league. It is a global enterprise with players and fans from all over the world. The NBA has been increasingly popular in China over the past few years, and the country is now the league’s second-largest market outside of the United States.

The NBA’s relationship with China has come under fire in recent months, however, after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted support for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The Chinese government responded by suspending ties with the Rockets, and many Chinese businesses ended their partnerships with the team. The NBA then issued a statement saying that it was “deeply concerned” about the impact of the tweets on its business in China.

The economic impact of the NBA’s relationship with China is significant. According to a report by Forbes, the league brings in about $4 billion in revenue from China every year. That figure could be at risk if tensions between the two countries continue to escalate.