NBA China relations under scrutiny as US Senator demands answers from Adam Silver

With NBA's restart at the Disney World nearing, US Senator Marsha Blackburn has sent a letter to commissioner Adam Silver demanding answers about the NBA China relations. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has brought China into negative limelight with political leaders from across the world publicly accusing the nation's communist regime of conspiracy regarding the virus outbreak. 

With the United States particularly in the midst of a potential Cold War with China, Senator Marsha Blackburn, a representative from Tennessee, has expressed her concerns over the NBA's dealing with the Asian country. According to the letter procured by SI, Marsha Blackburn has given the NBA commissioner a deadline of July 21 to respond to three primary questions in regards to the NBA China relations.

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NBA China relations: Marsha Blackburn letter

The three questions mentioned in the letter are: 

• "What are the anticipated financial consequences of China Central Television's (CCTV) continued ban on airing NBA games?
• "Outline the scope of the NBA's relationship with Chinese state-owned enterprise Alibaba."
• The NBA reportedly continues to operate a training centre Xinjiang, one of the world's worst humanitarian zones. What steps is the NBA taking to shutter this location?"

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Blackburn lauded Adam Silver's pro-active decision to suspend the NBA season in March as soon the league reported its first COVID-19 case (Rudy Gobert of Utah Jazz). However, with the NBA return set for July 30 at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida, the US Senator believes that the details surrounding the NBA China relations should be scrutinised. Blackburn pointed out to the fact that there is a concern that the NBA "has turned a blind eye to human rights abuses committed abroad (particularly China) due to the increasing pressure from last year. The actions of the NBA and some players have created an appearance that your league prioritizes profit over principle," the letter read. 

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NBA China relations: NBA banned in China

Blackburn is referring to the 2019 incident when China threatened to boycott the NBA after Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted out support for the protests in Hong Kong. This resulted in a massive fallback in the relationship between the league and the Chinese government. The Rockets saw all their games banned from being broadcast by CCTV, despite Houston being one of the popular sides. According to reports and analysis, the NBA China relations is crucial for the league as it is considered one of its biggest markets outside the United States. It is believed as per multiple reports that if the NBA severs its ties with China, it stands to lose $4 billion since it is the largest market it is operating in at the moment.

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(Image Credits: AP)