(ANSA) – BEIJING, MARCH 30 – Chinese state television broadcast live the first NBA game after more than a year of boycott, triggered by a controversial tweet of solidarity in Hong Kong. In October 2019 – while crowded and on certain violent occasions, pro-democracy protest marches scuttled the semi-autonomous territory – Daryl Morey, at the time general manager of the Houston Rockets, had published a message of support to the demonstrators in Hong Kong opposed to Beijing.
A stance that had provoked Chinese ire and a diplomatic crisis. Several large Chinese companies had severed economic ties with the NBA as public television CCTV disrupted the broadcasting of the North American basketball league games.
Today, for the first time since October 2020, CCTV aired the match that saw the Los Angeles Clippers win against the Utah Jazz. Despite the boycott, internet giant Tencent continued to broadcast games, but by subscription, thus reaching a more reserved audience.
CCTV did not explain why it picked up NBA broadcasts. But recently Clippers coach Tyronn Lue in the US media scolded Daryl Morey, who now works for the Philadelphia 76ers: “The last time he tweeted, it cost the NBA a billion dollars.” (HANDLE).
Source: Ansa
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