Nets owner Joe Tsai believes the NBA is interested in resuming its relationship with China, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. In an interview Friday with CNBC, Tsai said previous tensions have thawed and preseason games may return to the country.
“I think the NBA is in a very good place with respect to its relationship with China,” Tsai said. “China is actually the NBA’s biggest fan base. So what happened before, I think it’s water under the bridge.”
China’s leaders were upset in 2019 when Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, who was with the Rockets at the time, tweeted his support for anti-government protesters. Beijing responded by pulling the NBA off state-sponsored CCTV for almost two years, and commissioner Adam Silver estimated in 2021 that the dispute cost his league $400MM.
Tsai believes the NBA needs to include China as part of its appeal to a global market.
“I think just having the fans have real, in-person sort of interaction with the stars,” Tsai said. “I think that’s going to be important.”
There’s more news from around the basketball world:
- Projected lottery pick Kyle Filipowski of Duke suffered a sprained ankle Saturday when Wake Forest fans stormed the court after a victory over the Blue Devils, per Aaron Beard of The Associated Press. The incident, combined with Iowa star Caitlin Clark being knocked down under similar circumstances last month, have sparked a debate about banning students from running onto the court. “Just trying to get my way off the court, and you know, you’ve got these crazy college students just doing whatever they want,” Filipowski said. “It’s got to be a little more protective when things like that happen.”
- Jeremy Woo of ESPN (subscription required) examines the case for Colorado’s Cody Williams as the top pick in this year’s draft. Woo notes that the 6’8″ Williams has “viable guard skills” and often takes on a play-maker role in the Buffaloes’ offense. He’s connecting at 47.1% on three-pointers in limited attempts, and Woo sees him developing into an above average shooter. NBA scouts tell Woo that Williams would be a mid- to late-lottery pick in a stronger draft, but the absence of standout talent has him in consideration to be the first player off the board.
- French center Alexandre Sarr tops the latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Rounding out Wasserman’s top five are Nikola Topic, Zaccharie Risacher, Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland.
- The new president of the Spanish Federation wants former Raptors assistant Sergio Scariolo to continue coaching the national team for the next four years, according to Eurohoops.
Kyle Fillipowski is great measuring stick as to where we are with the upcoming NBA Draft. He is projected as a Lottery Pick. He is a 7’0 center. Not a PF. He does not project well as a defensive center. He does not offer rim protection. He vastly improved his 3-point shot to become a 34% 3-point shooter this year at Duke. You know, the shorter college 3-point line. This is what is being projected as a lottery pick. A 7’0, center-only, non-defense, non-rim protection, non-shooter …. Crazy Times We Are Living In!
I don’t think that is any indication of us living in crazy times. Draft classes suck from time to time and in the grand scheme of things it’s irrelevant.
Also, literally just sounds like Enes Kanter, who was also a lottery pick, replacing 3pt shot with post scoring. Kanter couldn’t defend anyone either. Or fellow Blue Devil Jahlil Okafor. Same story. If anything, Filipowski projects to be better defensively than either of them.
And unlike Kanter or Okafor, Filipwoski is projected to be able to score in the post and pick and roll as well, plus he can pass. So more like Kelly Olynyk, who is a solid NBA player.
I remember when you inferred. Samanic was as good as Olynyk.
It still makes me sad.
Full disclosure. I went to Gonzaga.
You are saying that Kyle Fillipowski is a better low-post scorer than Jahlil Okafor or Enes Kanter???? LMAO!!!!!
Have you seen Fillipowski play??? He struggles to score in the post against a bunch of college nobody’s.
Kelly Olynyk??? He could always shoot. Fillipowski can’t even shoot.
There may not be major stars in this draft. There are some solid picks that can develop into starters. I’d say even in late first rd. Really about your scouts and doing their job for team needs.
Tsai is just a CCP shill. The NBA doesnt want to waste effort trying to bring China back because they will just do the same s*** again if someone publicly questions them again. Its a total waste of time trying to work with them.
Don’t tell LeBron and Silver that
There is still some business with China but mostly on a more personal level where player do offseason promotional tours there.
We havent seen a big push though to get the CCP to put the NBA back on tv there since they know that what it would take to get China to agree to it would not be well recieved in the US, and would require them to police all public figures in the league and sufficiently “punish” them if they do something China doesnt like, which the players union for one would never go for. You cant punish the players for saying they stand with Hong Kong and thats what China would demand…
They have to go to China because thats where the money is at, people at the usa rather watch nfl (according to themselves) and the nba needs money. This is a business. Money talks, welcome to capitalism.
China wants to many strings attached. Hollywood studios can quitely remove stuff from films, but the NBA cant force Morey to be fired for what he said.
Theres a reason it has been off air in China for 4 years, and shows no signs of changing now.
Its not a “but the money” choice, because the NBA is in a catch 22 where they cant do what China would require without it requiring them to censor all players and coaches about any current event in China which isnt viable.
If the NBA wants to make money in China, they need to send Ivanka Trump. She knows how to work with the CCP. She has made 10s of millions in China recently.
Why am I not surprised?
Screw Chjns