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The LA Lakers will take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 later tonight, with an opportunity to win the finals and seal their record-tying 17th NBA championship. On the other hand, the Miami Heat will attempt to extend the series and give themselves another chance. With the season on the brink of completion, let's take a look at the latest edition of the NBA news update.
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NBA News Update: China to resume telecast of NBA games after 1-year hiatus
Exactly a year ago, the Chinese state-run television network, CCTV, had publicly announced that they would be stopping the telecast of NBA games with immediate effect. The decision was made after Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's commented in support of the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
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The ban has, however, been lifted today, and the NBA Finals Game 5 will be broadcasted in China.
Daryl Morey's comment created huge controversy in the NBA and the entire world, with LA Lakers superstar and 3-time championship winner LeBron James also partaking in the debacle.
When asked about his stance on the matter last year, King James was quoted as saying:
"I don't want to get into a [verbal] feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn't educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke."
However, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came out in support of Daryl Morey, who received considerable backlash from the Chinese government. This was Silver's response:
“I think as a values-based organization that I want to make it clear ... that Daryl Morey is supported in terms of his ability to exercise his freedom of expression.
The NBA, as a league, has always remained politically active, and that tendency went against them last year as they lost out on a huge market due to the 1-year telecast ban.
The league has enough reasons to be in a state of worry following the unprecedented dip in viewership, so a ban upliftment will be welcomed by Adam Silver and co.
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