OK, China. It’s been a minute, but to recap, Morey, the Houston Rockets’ GM, sent a tweet in October in support of Hong Kong protestors just as the Lakers and Nets were getting set to play exhibition games in China. The Chinese government was very upset, and there was significant backlash. The NBA is still not on government-run TV there, and the financial loss to the league from ties being severed by Chinese business partners is substantial. For the first time Saturday, Silver kind of quantified the loss. He said the league’s reduced salary cap for next season, from $116 million down to $115 million, was due in part to losses in China. 11. “I think that the magnitude of the loss will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” Silver said. “Certainly, probably less than $400 million, maybe even less than that. It’s substantial. I don’t want to run from that. We were taken off the air in China for a period of time, and it caused our many business partners in China to feel it was, therefore, inappropriate to have ongoing relationships with us. But I don’t have any sense that there’s any permanent damage to our business there, and as I’ve said before, we accept the consequences of our system and our values. It’s not a position any business wants to be in, but those are the results.” If it’s “probably” less than $400 million, it’s safe to say the controversy cost the NBA $300 million anyway.
Tag: Business
Silver said the NBA was still …
Silver said the NBA was still considering playing preseason games in China next season but also that Team USA might play warmup games there before heading to Tokyo in July for the Olympics. It’s true, the Americans were supposed to play two games in China, with at least one in Shanghai against France. But a source told The Athletic those plans were being reconsidered (though they are not yet canceled) due to concerns over the coronavirus.
Darius Garland has already made a …
Darius Garland has already made a substantial splash during his rookie season in Cleveland. The Cavaliers’ point guard of the future is also making a statement in the sports memorabilia industry after signing a deal with Upper Deck for exclusive autographed memorabilia and collectibles.
Jonathan Feigen: Silver called loss of …
Jonathan Feigen: Silver called loss of China revenue “substantial.” Said likely less than $400 million. “We accept the consequences of our system and our values.”
According to the NBA, 23 teams have …
According to the NBA, 23 teams have practice facilities or courts with naming rights partners, with 15 of them being tied to local health care or hospital systems, like Minnesota’s The Courts at Mayo Clinic Square, Advocate Center in Chicago, or the AdventHealth Practice Facility in Orlando.
Lakers star Anthony Davis isn’t one to …
Lakers star Anthony Davis isn’t one to shy away from the media. Speaking to reporters is part of what Davis does on a regular basis, but perhaps Davis is taking the “break” in NBA All-Star break a little too seriously. Appearing on the red carpet in Chicago before the start of the Celebrity and Rising Stars games Friday, Davis made it clear (through his publicist) he was interested in talking only about his new flavor of Ruffles potato chips. After being handed a bag of Ruffles lime-and-jalapeno-flavored chips on the red carpet, Davis was left hanging when no reporters asked him about his signature chips.
While disclosure forms must be filed …
While disclosure forms must be filed for any lobbying activity, the amount of money must be disclosed only if it exceeds $5,000. The NBA was named on three separate reports—all from the same firm, all with work on “cable and satellite royalty payments” to the U.S. Copyright Office—but none of those reports was for more than $5,000. These could have represented $1 each or $4,999 each. Either way, however: The NBA spent far less on federal lobbying than any of its counterparts.
The NBA’s relative lack of federal …
The NBA’s relative lack of federal lobbying is actually fairly new. While it never spent as much as MLB or the NFL, it spent as much as $370,000 as recently as 2007, and was consistently spending at least $100,000 until 2014. What changed? Adam Silver’s first full year as commissioner was 2015. The NBA did not respond to a request for comment.
This, too, is notable. Tencent, the …
This, too, is notable. Tencent, the Chinese streaming network, after initially stopping its coverage, has been showing up to three games a night. China’s state-run television network, China Central Television, canceled its broadcasts of the preseason games between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nets and several other related league events in the aftermath of Morey’s tweet. Silver, at a live event soon after, said the Chinese government had demanded that Morey be fired — but he immediately said no. The N.B.A. has not been back on CCTV since.
This, too, is notable. Tencent, the …
This, too, is notable. Tencent, the Chinese streaming network, after initially stopping its coverage, has been showing up to three games a night. China’s state-run television network, China Central Television, canceled its broadcasts of the preseason games between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Nets and several other related league events in the aftermath of Morey’s tweet. Silver, at a live event soon after, said the Chinese government had demanded that Morey be fired — but he immediately said no. The N.B.A. has not been back on CCTV since.