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Beijing (AFP) – NBA basketball returned to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday for the first time in nearly 18 months, after China blacklisted it following support from an official. team to the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.
National broadcaster CCTV aired the clash between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz, to mixed reception from Chinese basketball fans.
China, by far the NBA’s largest overseas market, suspended broadcasts on CCTV after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2019.
Since then, CCTV has frozen the league, but viewers have been able to watch games on online streaming platforms and CCTV aired Game 5 of the NBA Finals in October 2020.
A CCTV spokesperson at the time called the decision a “normal broadcast arrangement” and noted the NBA’s “continued expressions of goodwill” toward China.
CCTV did not give a reason for Wednesday’s broadcast and did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comment.
However, US media reported that Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has recently been in a war of words with Morey, who now works for the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Last time he tweeted he cost the NBA a billion dollars. So I don’t think he should overdo it,” Lue reportedly said this week after a tweet from Morey about Lue’s team.
While some Chinese basketball fans welcomed the NBA’s return to their screens, others criticized CCTV for the decision.
“Who is to blame for the lack of courage of the Chinese? read a post on the social media platform Weibo, similar to Twitter. “How are foreigners going to treat us if our official media does this stuff? »
NBA executives initially defended Morey’s right to free speech, prompting many Chinese business partners and celebrities to sever ties with the league.
© 2022 AFP
