NBA in Far East
LeBron James praises China’s basketball in state newspaper
NBA star LeBron James writes in China’s state “Volkszeitung” and speaks of basketball as a “bridge”. Such a publication is exceptional. What could be behind it.
In a rare step, China’s state “Volkszeitung” printed an article by the US basketball star LeBron James. Basketball is not just a sport, but “a bridge that connects us all,” wrote the American in the sheet, which is considered the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party of China. In view of the many young basketball players in China, he hoped to be able to contribute to the development of sport in the People’s Republic, the 40 -year -old professional of Los Angeles Lakers wrote.
The text published in the sports part under James’ name is a rarity. The background could be efforts by the North American basketball league NBA to win more spectators again in the important market of China. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the People’s Republic. In 2019, however, the NBA came under pressure when the then manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, expressed his support for the Progal Protests in the Hong Kong, Chinese Special Administration region.
Maue years for NBA in China
The central government in Beijing was upset. China’s state television then no longer transferred NBA games until 2022. The league, one of the most important US culture exports in China, lost sponsorship contracts. According to reports, the damage may have been hundreds of million US dollars.
James’ article at the end of his 15th China tour could be another signal despite the tensions between the governments in Washington and Beijing that the situation for the NBA in China improves. It was only in December that the league had agreed to play preparatory games in the Macau special administration region from this year, west of Hong Kong.
dpa
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
