NBA game in China still possible
The NBA and USA Basketball are still considering playing in China later this year, though the complexities of both the political rift caused by a tweet last fall and the ongoing health concerns in the world’s most populous country are making those plans seem decidedly uncertain.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the discussions in both cases – pre-Olympic games for USA Basketball and the preseason games for the NBA – are ongoing, and said the decisions are not necessarily linked. It’s possible the U.S. may play there this summer and the NBA does not send teams this fall, Silver said.
“Those are issues that haven’t been decided yet,” Silver said Saturday night at his annual All-Star weekend news conference.
Things are not back to normal for the league when it comes to relations with China. The strain started Oct. 4, when Houston general manager Daryl Morey tweeted an image that read “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” referencing several months of pro-democracy demonstrations in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.
The tweet wasn’t up for long. The fallout was massive and continues.
Rising Stars Challenge: Miles Bridges soared like his boss in Chicago. Zion Williamson delivered his share of punishing dunks, even damaging the rim.
It all added up to a high-flying start to the All-Star weekend.
Bridges scored 20 points and took MVP honors and the U.S. beat the World 151-131 in the Rising Stars Challenge Friday night in Chicago.
Williamson continued to dazzle after his debut for New Orleans got pushed back three months because of right knee surgery. The No. 1 pick was unaware he bent the rim. It happened in the first half, on an alley-oop off a between-the-legs feed from Ja Morant.