China Says No To Locked Out NBA Stars
By Bruce Tennen
Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are three of the NBA stars that have been mentioned as possibly playing in China during the NBA lockout. Friday, the Chinese national news agency, Xinhua, reported that no players under contract to an NBA team would be allowed to play in the country.
Free agents would be welcome in China, provided that they sign an agreement to stay with their team for at least one full season.
The decision by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) was supported by "most" of the 17 teams in the league, according to the Xinhua article.
This is a big win for the NBA and a blow to the players' association. It also illustrates the strong relationship between the American and Chinese basketball leagues.
