The Rockets in particular have a lot to lose: They are the most popular NBA team in China, because Yao Ming, the Chinese, seven-foot-six-inch star, played eight seasons with the team before retiring in 2011.
The NBA doesn't break out what the Chinese market is worth for professional basketball. But it does make up at least 10% of the league's current revenue, according to David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute. And China is expected to contribute even more than that over the next decade, perhaps reaching 20% of the league's revenue by 2030.
The NBA is trying to walk a tightrope. After an initial league statement was criticized for being too beholden to the Chinese authorities, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defended Morey's right to send the tweet in a statement Tuesday in Tokyo. He said that the league would not pursue profits over principles.
"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say," Silver said in the statement. "We simply could not operate that way."
But that only escalated the dispute with Chinese authorities. CCTV Sports, a division of China's state broadcaster, said it would not broadcast preseason games set to be played in China, including one between the Brooklyn Nets and the LA Lakers later this week in Shanghai.
Tencent Sports (TCEHY), which is the NBA's exclusive digital partner in China, said it would suspend live streaming for Houston Rockets games, and stop reporting any news about the team. Nearly 500 million people in China watched NBA programming on Tencent platforms during the last season, according to the companies.
"You see NBA players constantly over the summer during their offseason running to China to do the bidding of their shoe companies and to sell their shoes in the China market," he said.
他说：“你会看到NBA球员在休赛期不断地跑到中国，为他们代言的球鞋站台，并在中国市场销售。”
"So, the NBA is really being exposed as not nearly as much of an American business than it is a global business with China perhaps having more influence over it than even America."
“所以，NBA实际上并不是一个美国企业，它是个全球性企业，而中国对它的影响力可能比美国还大。”
▲ NBA-China controversy exposed how dependent American basketball is on Beijing, FS1's Jason Whitlock says (via Foxnews)
文化的归属与认同，保持优秀的我们以区别丑陋的他们。他们可以捍卫其言论自由，俺们设定自由言论的边界。越界就格杀勿论。你们或许会不习惯，但慢慢就会习惯了。文化可以有差异，相互尊重才能缩小。从来没有免费的自由，都是要付出代价的，“freedom is not free”！这就话镌刻在华盛顿特区韩战纪念碑上。
中国市场为联盟目前的收入至少贡献了10%，预计到2030年可能占联盟收入的20%。
由于一支球队总经理的不当言论，整个NBA被拖下水。最新消息显示，NBA总裁连夜来华也无回天之力，上海体育总会已经发布了取消“2019NBA球迷之夜”活动的通知。
有网友表示，这个错误代价也太大了。
NBA赛事在中国取消了吗？要真取消了，这个错代价可真是大了去了。
其中一个外国网友认为，这次事件中国的态度完全正确。
这次的事情我挺中国。
还有网友问道：推特史上出现过如此有杀伤力的单条推文吗？
有哪条推特曾有过这么大的影响力？至少在体育界？
CNN商业频道的一篇文章可以说回应了这个问题： 莫雷大概发了一条今年美国商界最具破坏性的推特。
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey sent what may be the most problematic and potentially damaging tweet in corporate America this year.
休斯顿火箭总经理达雷尔·莫雷发了一条可能是今年美国企业界最成问题也最具潜在破坏性的推文。
▲ The NBA faces a no-win situation in China. Here's what it stands to lose (via CNN)
是的，就在美国网友力挺莫雷和肖华“捍卫言论自由”的骨气、政客施压让他们不要向利润低头时，CNN难得说了句大实话：NBA在中国面临着必败的处境，以下是它即将失去的东西。
截图 via CNN
作者Chris Isidore是有着36年从业经历的资深金融新闻撰稿人，加入CNN也达20年之久。
在简单介绍了前因后果之后，他说莫雷的这条推文让火箭队和NBA都陷入两难境地。解雇莫雷并道歉的话，会被美国国内唾沫星淹死，受到利益至上的谴责。而支持莫雷的话，又会失去中国这个巨大的市场。
The Rockets in particular have a lot to lose: They are the most popular NBA team in China, because Yao Ming, the Chinese, seven-foot-six-inch star, played eight seasons with the team before retiring in 2011.
其中火箭队会失去得尤其多。在中国他们是最受欢迎的NBA球队，因为身高2米26的中国球星姚明2011年退役之前曾在这支球队打过八个赛季。
The NBA doesn't break out what the Chinese market is worth for professional basketball. But it does make up at least 10% of the league's current revenue, according to David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute. And China is expected to contribute even more than that over the next decade, perhaps reaching 20% of the league's revenue by 2030.
NBA并未透露中国市场对于职业篮球的价值。但据南加州大学体育商业研究所执行董事大卫·卡特了解，中国市场为联盟目前的收入至少贡献了10%。预计其在未来十年的贡献会更大，到2030年可能占联盟收入的20%。
"There's no other market where the incremental upside is greater for the NBA," he said.
他说：“对于NBA来说，没有任何市场的增幅能超过中国市场。”
▲ The NBA faces a no-win situation in China. Here's what it stands to lose (via CNN)
卡特同时表示，如果NBA让美国球迷感觉到他们最终向中国“屈服”了，又会伤害美国球迷的情感，丢失美国的赞助商。
图 via Global Times
至于NBA在事件发酵后的一系列表现，作者直言他们这是在“走钢丝” 。
The NBA is trying to walk a tightrope. After an initial league statement was criticized for being too beholden to the Chinese authorities, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defended Morey's right to send the tweet in a statement Tuesday in Tokyo. He said that the league would not pursue profits over principles.
NBA正打算走钢丝。联盟最初的一份声明被批过于依附中国。周二，总裁亚当·肖华在东京发表声明，为莫雷发送这条推文的权利进行了辩护。他说，联盟不会为了利润而舍弃原则。
"The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say," Silver said in the statement. "We simply could not operate that way."
肖华在声明中说：“NBA不会限制球员、员工和球队老板说什么或不说什么的。”“我们是不能那么运作的。”
But that only escalated the dispute with Chinese authorities. CCTV Sports, a division of China's state broadcaster, said it would not broadcast preseason games set to be played in China, including one between the Brooklyn Nets and the LA Lakers later this week in Shanghai.
但这些话只会火上浇油。中国官方电视台CCTV体育频道宣布，将不会播出在中国进行的季前赛，包括本周晚些时候在上海举行的布鲁克林篮网队和洛杉矶湖人队的比赛。
Tencent Sports (TCEHY), which is the NBA's exclusive digital partner in China, said it would suspend live streaming for Houston Rockets games, and stop reporting any news about the team. Nearly 500 million people in China watched NBA programming on Tencent platforms during the last season, according to the companies.
腾讯体育是NBA在中国的独家数字合作伙伴，它表示将暂停休斯顿火箭队比赛的直播，并停止报道任何与该球队有关的新闻。据透露，在上个赛季，中国有近5亿人在腾讯平台上观看了NBA节目。
▲ The NBA faces a no-win situation in China. Here's what it stands to lose (via CNN)
图 via 网络
美国福克斯新闻的体育记者Jason Whitlock也在节目上表示，这一事件让美国球迷们认识到中国对NBA赛事的影响有多大。
"You see NBA players constantly over the summer during their offseason running to China to do the bidding of their shoe companies and to sell their shoes in the China market," he said.
他说：“你会看到NBA球员在休赛期不断地跑到中国，为他们代言的球鞋站台，并在中国市场销售。”
"So, the NBA is really being exposed as not nearly as much of an American business than it is a global business with China perhaps having more influence over it than even America."
“所以，NBA实际上并不是一个美国企业，它是个全球性企业，而中国对它的影响力可能比美国还大。”
▲ NBA-China controversy exposed how dependent American basketball is on Beijing, FS1's Jason Whitlock says (via Foxnews)
文：A君
资料：CNN, FOX, Twitter
图：CNN, Global Times, Twitter
华尔街日报：NBA独一无二 或可扛住中国压力
华尔街日报分析美国职篮(NBA)和中国谁更需要对方时指出，NBA具独一无二的性质，也许可比其他美国企业採取更强烈立场，抵抗北京当局的施压；美联社分析则指出，姚明可能成为NBA与中国修补关係的契机。
多数外国企业照中国规则行事不成问题，这些企业企图在民主自由的承诺与追求中国市场数十亿元的获利之间找到平衡。过去外企惹怒北京当局时，多半会屈服于中国压力并迅速道歉，唯恐失去14亿人口的经济。
不过华尔街日报指出，NBA可能採取更强烈的立场，不仅因为该联盟是全美最强大的运动联盟，而且在地方运动文化中也扮演举足轻重的角色，难以想像中国少了NBA后的情景。实际上，中国国家主席习近平(专题)成为主席前，也曾到洛杉矶(专题)看湖人队比赛。
由此可见，NBA与中国需要彼此，中国是任何企业的大市场，但是NBA只有一个；全球有许多饭店、航空公司和服饰品牌，然而NBA篮球却无法取代。
面对当前僵局，美联社分析指出，姚明身为前休士顿火箭队球星，也曾进入篮球名人堂，现为中国篮球协会(CBA)主席，也是中国最知名人物之一，他有机会成为NBA与中国裂缝的桥梁。
NBA总裁席佛(Adam Silver)希望尽快与姚明谈话；他8日说：「我希望能和姚明一起找到和解办法，但他现在炙手可热，我能理解…我认为姚明感到焦虑不安，我不确定他是否接受当前我们运作的方式。」
席佛表示，自从姚明加入NBA后，两人一直是好友，他希望「彼此尊重对方的政治体制与信念。」
上海运动研究公司Mailman Group最近一份报告指出，中国有3亿名篮球员，几乎跟美国篮球员一样多，而且中国约5亿人，在上一季透过腾讯体育串流平台观看NBA赛事；腾讯体育最近延长与NBA 5年逾15亿美元的合约，显示中国市场的巨大价值与无穷潜力。
中国时事专家利明璋(Bill Bishop)日前在电子报「外国人看中国」(Sinocism)中指出，NBA在中国具影响力，中国无法也无意推开整个NBA；「你真以为中国球迷光看CBA赛事就能满足？在中国禁NBA恐付出社会稳定的成本。」