The fallout from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey’s tweet wading into current events in China and Hong Kong has yet to affect the two NBA teams that are actually traveling to mainland China this week for a two-game set of preseason games.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets are expected to arrive in China soon before they play one game in Shanghai and another in Shenzhen. As far as basketball is concerned, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are all expected to play. But what’s become undeniable in the last 48 hours is that the NBA’s presence has suddenly become much bigger than the game.
However, the current situation has not yet affected the Lakers’ and Nets’ schedules for the week, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers and Nets games in China could unavoidably cast the teams with the ongoing Rockets saga going on the background. The Chinese Basketball Association has already cancelled games in China with the G League affiliates of the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA interests in China are reportedly worth $4 billion to the league. If the boycotts by Chinese corporations stand, or even expand, that could have an effect on the NBA’s salary cap.
Commissioner Adam Silver told Japan-based Kyodo News that the league has already suffered “fairly dramatic” financial consequences stemming from Morey’s tweetthat was meant to support protesters in Hong Kong, triggering a swift backlash against the Rockets from several of their Chinese corporate partners.
