It almost seems like an eternity ago, but the NBA is still feeling the effects of the infamous Daryl Morey tweet.
After sending out a post in support of the Hong Kong protests, the Chinese government severed almost all ties with the NBA. It was a huge scandal at the time, but one that has mostly died down in the media spotlight.
According to league commissioner Adam Silver, the whole thing could cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver estimated that the longterm financial hit from the damaged relationship with China due to the Hong Kong controversy could reach $400 million.
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 16, 2020
The NBA has seen a huge dip in revenue this season — partly as a result of lower ratings and largely as a result of the incident with China. While the worst seems to be over, the NBA will likely continue to suffer the long-term results of their fractured relationship with China.
The good news is, the New York Times reported on Friday that there could be some thawing in the relationship between the NBA and China.
Games are back to being available for stream on Tencent and Adam Silver told the Times that the NBA is doing its part by coordinating with various health organizations with regards to controlling the coronavirus outbreak.
The league is still trying to stop the bleeding but the damage is already done. Hopefully, things will continue to deescalate in the weeks and months to come.
