During a recent sports management conference at Columbia University, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver expressed optimism about the future of the NBA’s relationship with China, suggesting that the league might one day return to play games there.
The backdrop to his comments is a significant incident that occurred in 2019 when Daryl Morey, then-general manager of the Houston Rockets, caused a stir by posting support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement on social media. This led to a suspension of NBA games in China, and state broadcaster CCTV ceased airing NBA matches, resulting in an estimated billion-dollar loss for the league.
Silver spoke about the impact of that tweet, saying, “Before the pandemic, a single tweet triggered a well-known incident that led the Chinese government to halt the broadcasting of NBA games for a time. We accepted that and have stood by our values.”
In the years since, the NBA has actively pursued international expansion. Just earlier this month, the league held a preseason game in Abu Dhabi, and plans are in place to host a game in Paris during the 2024/25 season.
Silver added, “Internationalizing NBA games is a positive step, and we have made a firm decision to pursue this direction.”
Reports indicate a more optimistic outlook for the NBA-China relationship, especially with CCTV recently resuming its broadcasts and the visit of six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to China last summer signaling a thaw in ties.
