N.B.A. Expects to Lose ‘Hundreds of Millions’ From China Rift, Silver Says

The league also came under criticism domestically after Morey’s tweet, as dozens of politicians, in a rare show of bipartisanship, publicly chastised the league for not standing, in their eyes, more firmly behind Morey. In a statement, the N.B.A. had said that it was “regrettable” Morey’s views “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China,” but that “the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them.”

But in the months since, there’s been a sign of a slight warming in relations between China and the league. The N.B.A. has given financial assistance for the outbreak of the coronavirus, which has infected tens of thousands in mainland China. Silver said the league was discussing playing more preseason games in China next fall, and that U.S.A. Basketball could play an exhibition game there before the Tokyo Olympics, but that nothing was firm.

“We are not pressing them,” Silver said, referring to the Chinese government. “It’s a decision that’s outside of certainly our control, and I will say, I’m often not sure exactly where that decision lies. I think that our view as the league is we should continue doing the things that we’ve done in the past.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/15/sports/nba-adam-silver-china-kobe.html?emc=rss&partner=rss