Tag Archives: NBA

Special Book Offer for Sporting Superpower!

As long-time readers and subscribers of China Sports Insider, I wanted to tell you about a special offer for Sporting Superpower, running on Amazon all this week. But let me back up a little…

The first few months of the year were pretty busy. In addition to recording two podcasts a week and working about four jobs over the Olympic period, I did more than 100 media interviews and appearances to promote my book “Sporting Superpower: An Insider View on China’s Quest to Be the Best”now a #1 Amazon bestseller!

It was a lot of fun – but not as fun as I had writing it over the course of the past year. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, it’s packed full of personal anecdotes – such as the time I interviewed David Beckham live on Chinese state television or filmed a Nike commercial alongside tennis star Li Na; there’s also plenty of analysis drawn from my 15 years covering the sports industry here – such as a look at the NBA‘s disastrous missteps and where China goes next in the wake of the Peng Shuai debacle. Then there’s the story of how Aaron Rodgers nearly blew up the NFL‘s business in China, an inside look at the Chinese owners of European football clubs including Aston Villa, Southampton and West Brom, the time Donald Trump used three basketball players in Hangzhou as negotiating chips, some barely credible tales from the world of Chinese ice hockey, plus much more besides.

But, in summary, it’s about China.

The growing pains of the sports industry here – both the highs and the lows – speak so much about the country as a whole. It’s been a fascinating ride and, as with many other industries, the Chinese sports industry – despite its many deficiencies – still has a fighting chance to end up on top of the world.

Here’s what a few people had to say about Sporting Superpower:

Continue reading Special Book Offer for Sporting Superpower!

Up close with Stephon Marbury, plus NHL’s Olympic scare stories

This week on the China Sports Insider Podcast we sit down with basketball star Stephon Marbury – arguably the most famous foreigner living in China, where he’s been for more than a decade. It’s a wide ranging chat about his current coaching duties in the CBA bubble, the upcoming Olympics, his career in China, plans for the future, and more, so please give it a listen.

But before the chat with Marbury, we focus on the latest Olympic ice hockey news. With COVID-19 again ripping through much of the western world, it’s increasingly likely that the NHL’s schedule will be disrupted to such an extent that the league may prevent its players from going to the Olympics, because it will need the scheduled three-week break to catch up all the postponed games. But if that doesn’t happen, the players should still travel with confidence, despite all the misinformation bouncing around North American media. We break down what’s true and what isn’t, and what NHL players can expect when they get to Beijing.

Continue reading Up close with Stephon Marbury, plus NHL’s Olympic scare stories

50 Weeks To Go: Corporate Conundrums & Olympic Agendas

Erich Swatzerl from The Wall Street Journal wrote a piece this week entitled “2022 Beijing Olympic Games Loom as Test for Corporate Sponsors“, which neatly encapsulates not just the looming headaches for Olympic sponsors, but the current landscape for doing business in China. In fact, while the whole piece is worth a read, the sub-header pretty much says it all:

“Silence on human-rights issues risks alienating U.S. consumers; speaking up could earn the host nation’s ire.”

You could swap out “human-rights issues” for a host of other controversial topics du jour and the sentiment would remain, although increasingly this applies to global consumers, not just those in the US.

Nowhere has this been illustrated better than in the case of the NBA, with the “Morey Tweet” incident still dogging the league in China. That situation was particularly notable because it brought an international brand’s dealings in China into the mainstream consciousness for really the first time – and put the league in an impossible situation. Previously, if western brands had fallen afoul of Chinese keyboard warriors for using an incorrect map or making a geographical typo, they could issue a groveling apology – in Chinese only – and wait out the storm until another brand slipped up and took their place in the hot seat. Most people elsewhere in the world would have been none the wiser.

But’s that no longer the case.

Continue reading 50 Weeks To Go: Corporate Conundrums & Olympic Agendas

Memories of the 2008 Beijing Olympics – and what happened next

Ten years ago tonight, I had the privilege of witnessing one of the most dominant Olympic performances of our time, as Usain Bolt ran 9.69 in the men’s 100m final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But I nearly missed the race entirely – and much has changed in China’s sports scene over the ensuing decade.

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China leaves Pyeongchang on a high

Here is this week’s China Sports column for SupChina, which was first published here.  

Continue reading China leaves Pyeongchang on a high

FIFA nets yet another Chinese sponsor, while CFA provides much-needed transfer clarity

Here’s a summary of what you can find in my weekly China Digest for SportBusiness:

Continue reading FIFA nets yet another Chinese sponsor, while CFA provides much-needed transfer clarity

Wigan Athletic takeover, AFC open to offers, China’s Olympic-sized delegation and more

Here’s a summary of what you can find in my weekly China Digest for SportBusiness:

Continue reading Wigan Athletic takeover, AFC open to offers, China’s Olympic-sized delegation and more

China’s Li Haotong bests Rory to surge up world rankings, as Marbury confirms retirement

Here is a summary of this week’s China Sports column for SupChina, which you can read in full here

Continue reading China’s Li Haotong bests Rory to surge up world rankings, as Marbury confirms retirement

CSL TV rights deal resolved, 3×3 takes hold and the NBA’s New Year plans in China

In addition to my SupChina column, I’ve also been filing a weekly China Digest for SportBusiness over the past year. Here’s a summary of what you can find in this week’s version

Continue reading CSL TV rights deal resolved, 3×3 takes hold and the NBA’s New Year plans in China

Bending – and breaking – the rules in Chinese football

Here is today’s China Sports column for SupChina, which you can read in full here. Below is a summary of what went on this week. 

Continue reading Bending – and breaking – the rules in Chinese football