NBA: Los Angeles Lakers to play Brooklyn Nets in China despite free speech row
5 years, 3 months ago

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers to play Brooklyn Nets in China despite free speech row

Firstpost  

NBA superstar LeBron James is set to lead his Los Angeles Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai on Thursday night. The NBA confirmed an annual exhibition game in China would go ahead on Thursday, rejecting calls to scrap the event over a free speech row that was ignited by an American basketball executive’s pro-democracy tweet. Superstar LeBron James is set to lead his Los Angeles Lakers against the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai on Thursday night, the first of two pre-season matches held each year to build on the league’s already huge popularity in China. An intense Chinese backlash against the world’s top basketball league - triggered by a Houston Rockets executive’s tweet last week in support of Hong Kong’s democracy movement - had thrown the games and the NBA’s larger interests in China into doubt. “The Lakers and the Nets will face each other in the NBA China game in Shanghai beginning tonight at 1930,” the NBA said on its verified Chinese social media account.

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History of this topic

NBA ready for China return after six-year absence: Why basketball giants are returning to China?
1 month ago

NBA ready for China return after six-year absence: Why basketball giants are returning to China?

Firstpost  

Basketball is hugely popular in China and in the fallout the NBA lost hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of it being yanked off Chinese television until 2022. Image: AP The NBA will return to China for the first time in six years with two pre-season games in Macau between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns next October, …

NBA stars, teams court fans in China
4 months, 1 week ago

NBA stars, teams court fans in China

China Daily  

From left: Rex Chapman, Jusuf Nurkic, James Jones and Cedric Ceballos attend a Phoenix Suns fan festival at Xujiahui Sports Park in Shanghai on Saturday. Since the 2017 NBA China Games, between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves, there have been few instances of NBA team executives traveling to China. The presence of the Suns' team this weekend …

Brooklyn faces Los Angeles, seeks 4th straight victory
9 months, 1 week ago

Brooklyn faces Los Angeles, seeks 4th straight victory

Associated Press  

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Brooklyn Nets New York; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn heads into a matchup with Los Angeles as winners of three games in a row. The Lakers average 117.7 points per game, 4.2 more than the 113.5 the Nets allow to opponents. LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 4-6, averaging 107.6 points, 43.5 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 7.3 …

Yao: NBA very welcome in China
1 year, 2 months ago

Yao: NBA very welcome in China

China Daily  

Yao Ming and Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets greet each other during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE/GETTY IMAGES Hoops legend has nothing but warm words for his old stomping ground during recent US visit Basketball great Yao Ming believes the NBA is still rated "first-class" in China, even …

Yao: NBA very welcome in China
1 year, 2 months ago

Yao: NBA very welcome in China

China Daily  

Yao Ming and Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets greet each other during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE/GETTY IMAGES Hoops legend has nothing but warm words for his old stomping ground during recent US visit Basketball great Yao Ming believes the NBA is still rated "first-class" in China, even …

NBA: Lakers’ James, Davis ruled out of Monday clash with Nets
1 year, 11 months ago

NBA: Lakers’ James, Davis ruled out of Monday clash with Nets

The Hindu  

Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will sit out Monday’s NBA game against the Nets in Brooklyn, the Lakers announced on Sunday. James scored 41 points in a contentious overtime loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday, after which officiating crew chief Eric Lewis acknowledged that referees missed a call when James was fouled by Jayson Tatum …

LeBron out as Lakers seek revenge against Utah Jazz
2 years, 2 months ago

LeBron out as Lakers seek revenge against Utah Jazz

The Hindu  

In an interesting scheduling quirk, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers will meet Monday night in Salt Lake City after the two teams both played a pair of games in Los Angeles over the weekend. But Utah ended its three-game road swing strong for the impressive win against Paul George & Co. Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 23 points, …

Lakers-Nets Christmas game lacks star power but still ‘an honor’ to play
3 years ago

Lakers-Nets Christmas game lacks star power but still ‘an honor’ to play

LA Times  

Lakers star LeBron James will try to flex some muscle on Christmas Day during a game against the Brooklyn Nets. Even as COVID-19 has ravaged both teams and threatened one of the NBA’s marquee games, the Lakers still see it as “an honor” to play the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day. “It’s a game that both teams want to win, …

Letters to Sports: It’s an age-old question with the Lakers
3 years ago

Letters to Sports: It’s an age-old question with the Lakers

LA Times  

Lakers stars LeBron James, left, and Anthony Davis watch from the bench during a 108-90 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 21 at Staples Center, now called Crypto.com Arena. Steve Ross Beverly Hills :: Considering the Lakers’ affinity for mainly incorporating team members from the past into the lineup, how soon will it be before we see Jordan Hill …

Basketball in China and the Politicization of the NBA
3 years, 5 months ago

Basketball in China and the Politicization of the NBA

The Diplomat  

In 1979, the Washington Bullets – now known as the Washington Wizards – made a historic trip to compete in exhibition games in Beijing and Shanghai against the Chinese national team and the Bayi Rockets. The chairs wrote, “We believe that commercial relationships with companies that source cotton in Xinjiang create reputational risks for NBA players and the NBA itself,” …

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat prepare for battle as basketball odyssey reaches climax
4 years, 3 months ago

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat prepare for battle as basketball odyssey reaches climax

Firstpost  

The fact that the NBA season has managed to reach the home stretch is itself a triumph of sorts, a testament to assiduous planning by league officials to create a secure ‘bubble’ at Disney World in Florida. Orlando: LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers begin the final challenge in their bid to return to the summit of basketball on …

New NBA China boss faces tough task after tweet row - media
4 years, 7 months ago

New NBA China boss faces tough task after tweet row - media

The Hindu  

The Chinese national appointed to lead the NBA in China faces an uphill battle to restore its image and profits after last year's pro-democracy row, basketball fans and state media said on Wednesday. The NBA on Tuesday named Michael Ma as China chief executive, tasked with repairing relations after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of Hong …

NBA China looking for new CEO after league announces impending departure of Derek Chang
4 years, 8 months ago

NBA China looking for new CEO after league announces impending departure of Derek Chang

Firstpost  

While Chang was in charge the league opened the largest NBA Store outside of North America in Beijing New York: NBA China is looking for a new CEO after the league announced Thursday that Derek Chang is leaving 15 May. One came last fall when the league and Chinese government clashed in response to a tweet by Houston general manager …

NBA teams, USA Basketball still may play in China in 2020, says league commissioner Adam Silver
4 years, 10 months ago

NBA teams, USA Basketball still may play in China in 2020, says league commissioner Adam Silver

Firstpost  

The NBA and USA Basketball are still considering playing in China later this year, though the complexities of both the political rift caused by a tweet last fall and the ongoing health concerns in the world’s most populous country are making those plans seem decidedly uncertain. Chicago: The NBA and USA Basketball are still considering playing in China later this …

NBA 2019-20: Brooklyn Nets' clash with Toronto Raptors draws Hong Kong protest backers as NBA-China row simmers
5 years, 2 months ago

NBA 2019-20: Brooklyn Nets' clash with Toronto Raptors draws Hong Kong protest backers as NBA-China row simmers

Firstpost  

Several hundred people clad in T-shirts that read “Stand with Hong Kong” chanted slogans in support of the protesters from the Barclays Center stands during the Nets’ pre-season showdown against the Toronto Raptors, the reigning champions. New York: Supporters of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement made their presence felt on Friday as the Brooklyn Nets played their first game in New …

NBA says Chinese wanted Morey’s firing; China denies claim
5 years, 2 months ago

NBA says Chinese wanted Morey’s firing; China denies claim

Associated Press  

The rift between the NBA and China appeared to widen again Friday, as the fallout over Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet in support of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong continued. A day after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Chinese officials wanted Morey fired, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry told reporters that no such demand was made by …

LeBron Will LeBron, but NBA Will Always Put Business First
55 years ago

LeBron Will LeBron, but NBA Will Always Put Business First

Wired  

When NBA supernova LeBron James signed a deal to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2018, he again shifted the league’s course. Since entering the league in 2003, James has shown himself to be “more than an athlete.” A three-time champion and seven-time MVP, James is the most alluring and dominant talent in the NBA, and, over …

LeBron James wants good business with China to top all agendas
5 years, 2 months ago

LeBron James wants good business with China to top all agendas

LA Times  

A few minutes after LeBron James said social media isn’t always the best place to express political opinions, he resorted to social media to clarify what he professed he had really meant in his first comments since the Lakers’ return from a tension-filled trip to China. But James’ tweets Monday evening did little to illuminate anything except that he still …

NBA: Brooklyn Nets beat Los Angeles Lakers 91-77 to conclude tense pre-season China tour
5 years, 2 months ago

NBA: Brooklyn Nets beat Los Angeles Lakers 91-77 to conclude tense pre-season China tour

Firstpost  

Despite the controversy surrounding the NBA, the teams have been embraced by Chinese fans at the first game on Thursday in Shanghai, also won by Brooklyn, and game two Saturday in the southern city of Shenzhen near Hong Kong Shanghai: The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 91-77 on Saturday to conclude a pre-season China tour that leaves behind …

Scenes from Shanghai: Lakers-Nets in China played amid juxtaposition of normalcy and the surreal
5 years, 3 months ago

Scenes from Shanghai: Lakers-Nets in China played amid juxtaposition of normalcy and the surreal

New York Times  

SHANGHAI, China — In the tense buildup to Thursday’s game between the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, the concerns ranged from whether fans here would boo to whether they would show up, and even whether there would in fact be a game for them to show up to. While the scene inside the arena never morphed into the intense nationalist display …

Confusion reigns as Lakers and Nets await next steps in China
5 years, 3 months ago

Confusion reigns as Lakers and Nets await next steps in China

New York Times  

SHANGHAI, China — While players and team officials shuffled wearily through the lobby of a luxury hotel in the Pudong district of Shanghai on Wednesday afternoon, workers across the street rappelled from the roof of a shopping mall to peel away the images of stars like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving that promoted this week’s scheduled NBA games in China. …

NBA: Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai sides with China in Houston Rockets debacle, says hurt caused will take time to heal
5 years, 3 months ago

NBA: Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai sides with China in Houston Rockets debacle, says hurt caused will take time to heal

Firstpost  

Nets owner Joseph Tsai, who made a fortune with Alibaba after co-founding the e-commerce titan and remains its executive vice president, said in a Facebook post that Morey’s tweet was intolerable to the Chinese government and citizens New York: Freedom of expression does not extend to issues China deems untouchable, the Taiwanese-Canadian owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets said Monday …

Houston Rockets: China’s love for the NBA runs deep. But its fans are facing a difficult decision
5 years, 3 months ago

Houston Rockets: China’s love for the NBA runs deep. But its fans are facing a difficult decision

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — Basketball may have been invented by a Canadian and popularized by Americans, but it has more fans in China than anywhere else. Morey has since apologized, and the NBA issued a statement distancing itself from his tweet, saying his views “have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable.” Despite this …

NBA’s China problem threatens billions in basketball investment
5 years, 3 months ago

NBA’s China problem threatens billions in basketball investment

Al Jazeera  

Through decades of painstaking deal-making, the NBA created a multibillion-dollar opportunity in China, the world’s second-largest economy. Chinese sportswear maker Li Ning Co. and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Credit Card Center suspended cooperation with the Rockets, while national broadcaster CCTV and Tencent Holdings Ltd. said they will halt broadcasting the team’s games. https://t.co/bbiwCBTwc1 — Beto O'Rourke October 7, 2019 The …

LeBron won't play much in Lakers' preseason, says Vogel
5 years, 3 months ago

LeBron won't play much in Lakers' preseason, says Vogel

The Hindu  

Don't expect to see LeBron James on the court much as the NBA preseason starts up. Lakers coach Frank Vogel said while James will play a little bit, the team would rather conserve him for the regular season. "We want to be intelligent," Vogel said on playing James during the team's six-game exhibition. "We saw a mismatch in LeBron and …

NBA and China: A match for the ages
5 years, 3 months ago

NBA and China: A match for the ages

China Daily  

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant throws down a dunk during a demonstration on the Great Wall near Beijing in August 2001, marking the first time basketball was played on the historic structure. The team the US sent to the World Cup in China didn't feature the NBA's biggest stars, but drew sellout crowds for every game. "I think it's …

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