While the NBA-China relationship has …

While the NBA-China relationship has become increasingly politicised in recent weeks, US President Donald Trump’s decision to ban WeChat stands to make it more complicated. The Tencent-owned app is a threat to the “national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States”, Trump said. That makes the NBA’s broadcast deal problematic and US$1.5 billion lost if the deal does not survive, putting that US$400 million figure in the shade. It also makes it difficult for the league, its teams or any other US businesses to operate in China.