More Yao Debate: NBA in Cahoots With China?

By Bethlehem Shoals
Day Two of life without Yao, and the intrigue is only more dense. Or, if you ask Dan Shanoff, more clear.
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Today, my esteemed colleague here at The Sporting Blog suggests that, if there is a conspiracy at play here, it might well involve collusion between the NBA and China.
The rest of the world loves the Association more than most Americans, and as the league grows, an international occasion like the Olympics is where the real opportunity lies. And as I’ve argued in the past, this makes the love and revenue available from China far juicier than the homegrown stuff. This would be the case even if the NBA were marginal in China -- that’s how big the place is. But while every other country places soccer miles above all else, in Yao’s homeland basketball is truly mighty. While I think ping-pong is still the national sport, basketball fever has its long, angled claws deep within that populace.
My question for Dan (one that I could probably just email him): Doesn’t the NBA ultimately benefit from NBA product, not NBA players showing off overseas? Otherwise, Stern would be stepping in to force foreigners back to their native teams in the off-season (he doesn’t) or threatening owners who tell these players to stay stateside and rest (he doesn’t). Granted, China is a tricky, singular case, but that doesn’t change its bottom line. Stern can pander to unspoilt viewers all he wants, but at the end of the day, what they’re watching is the same Association that’s made so many Americans salty.
If the season sucks, or misses a major element of intrigue, even those foolhardy new fans will like it less. And the last thing the NBA wants is for those nagging critiques of non-competitiveness, non-motivation, and Commish manipulation to spread to other continents. Or, to vastly over-simplify, wouldn’t all those Chinese fans be more interested in the NBA if Yao were around?
Then again, it is only one season. Quoth Shanoff:
“It remains to be seen what kind of tribute the NBA (or Rockets owner Les Alexander) may receive in kind for their tribute to China. Given the size of the gift, one would imagine the payback will be immense.”
Maybe I’m being short-sighted about this, but I see this season as more than just a single season. It’s one of the most intense in recent memory, and the playoffs will be absolutely bonkers. Maybe the NBA/China relationship will benefit long-term in ways I can only begin to imagine. But 2007-08 matters more than most. It’s one for the ages, and having Yao and the Rockets on the sidelines could have negative implications for both of them, long-term.↵