Adam Silver says he expects NBA games will return to China after controversy
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes that his league will return to China one day.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK – National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner Adam Silver said on Oct 10 that he expects his league will once more play games in China after having not done so since 2019, according to multiple media reports.
Silver, speaking at a sports management conference at Columbia University, said he expects a China return despite no NBA games being held there since two 2019 pre-season contests were played amid controversy, following a tweet supporting freedom
“I think we will bring back games to China at some point,” Silver said.
“We had a well-known incident there pre-pandemic with a tweet and China’s government took us off the air for a period of time. We accepted that. We stood by our values. Anybody in our league has the right to speak out on political matters.”
The NBA lost hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of being taken off Chinese television
Since then, the league has grown globally in other nations, playing pre-season games in Abu Dhabi earlier in October with Emirates Airlines sponsoring the NBA Cup, the league’s in-season tournament.
There were also games in Saitama, Mexico City and Paris.
Silver also said the NBA is trying to make a positive contribution to nations beyond sport.
“We came to the decision collectively as a league that by expanding our game internationally, that it’s positive and it’s part of our mission to create health and wellness around the sport of basketball,” he added.
In other NBA news, Danny Green, among only four players to win an NBA title with three different clubs, announced his retirement from the league on Oct 10 after 15 seasons.
The 37-year-old American guard, a three-point sharpshooter who hit 40 per cent from beyond the arc over his career, announced his decision on social media.
“I knew this day would eventually come,” he wrote. “My life has revolved around this game, taking me all over the world and introducing me to incredible people. It’s been one helluva journey.
“I’m excited for the next chapter and look forward to conquering new challenges.”
Danny Green announced his retirement from the league on Oct 10 after 15 seasons.
PHOTO: AFP
Green played for the 2014 NBA champions San Antonio Spurs, the 2019 champions Toronto Raptors and the 2020 champions Los Angeles Lakers, when he and teammate LeBron James joined Robert Horry and John Salley as the only players to win titles with three different NBA teams.
Over 832 NBA games, 709 as a starter, he averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals a game.
He played 20 games as a rookie for the Cleveland Cavaliers before joining San Antonio, where he spent eight seasons before going to Toronto along with Kawhi Leonard.
He was signed by the Lakers in 2019 and later spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland. AFP, REUTERS
