The potential for enormous profits in China is enough to persuade many U.S. businesses to park their values and principles at the departure gate. But last week, the National Basketball Association defied pressure from the Chinese government, businesses and fans to smack down a team executive who'd offended China with a politically charged tweet. Considering the stakes involved, that's a brave and welcome move.
It's clear that the NBA will be sacrificing something. According to CNN, every one of the league's official partners in China has cut ties with the NBA at least temporarily.
With about half a billion fans and plenty of good will in China, the league may be better situated than most U.S. enterprises to ride out this storm. Nevertheless, there are clear risks for the league. The NBA deserves credit for taking a potentially costly stance.
Editorial on 10/12/2019