U.S. Senator Expresses "Concern" Over NBA's Dealings With China

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) in a letter sent yesterday to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver "expressed 'concern' over the NBA’s dealings" in China, according to Ross Dellenger of SI.com. Blackburn is giving Silver a July 21 deadline to "respond to three questions she poses at the letter’s end regarding China Central Television’s ban on NBA games, the league’s relationship with Chinese state-owned enterprise Alibaba and the league’s training center in the controversial region of Xinjiang." She wrote that the relationship between China and the U.S. is "at a 'pivotal moment,'" and that it "could eventually lead to a new Cold War." Blackburn believes that details on the league's relationship with China are "'imperative' as the league reconvenes." Dellenger noted many on capitol hill "view the NBA as a key entity in future government relations with China, a sort of leverage point that America may hold against the communist regime" (SI.com, 6/30).