Merchandise from the NBA's Houston Rockets has been pulled from several Nike stores in China in the wake of a controversy over a tweet by Rockets general manager Daryl Morey in support of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: China is Nike's top source of revenue growth, per Reuters. The Houston Rockets have an especially large following in China thanks to the success of Yao Ming, a former Rockets player who now heads the China Basketball Association.
The Cardinals made history against the Braves yesterday, becoming the first team to score 10 runs in the first inning of a playoff game en route to a 13-1 victory that earned them a spot in the NLCS.
First-inning breakdown: Walk, sacrifice bunt, single, single, fielder's choice, walk, double, intentional walk, walk, double, double, fly out, strikeout (reached on wild pitch), groundout. Relive it, Cards fans.
Thursday's game between the Lakers and Nets proceeded as scheduled, but the Chinese government will not allow players or coaches to talk to the media before or after the game. In addition, Adam Silver's pre-game press conference was canceled.
The big picture: This is a high-stakes political battle between the world's most populous country and one of America's most visible entities, with its 2 newest owners, Tilman Fertitta and Joe Tsai, playing major roles.
For the first time since their move to D.C. in 2005, the Washington Nationals have won a playoff series. Final score: Nationals 7, Dodgers 3.
The odds: The Dodgers cruised through 7 innings at home against the Nationals last night. Then Dave Roberts handed the ball to generational left-hander — and noted postseason choke artist — Clayton Kershaw.
It's official: Pop icon Rihanna confirmed she turned down the NFL's request to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show, to demonstrate support for Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.
What she's saying: Rihanna tells Vogue: "I couldn't dare do that. For what? Who gains from that? Not my people. I just couldn't be a sellout."
Every so often, a sports story breaks into the mainstream, and sportswriters begin to salivate at the chance to write about a topic that's "bigger than sports." The NBA-China story is something else entirely.
The big picture: This is a high-stakes political battle between the world's most populous country and one of America's most visible entities, with its 2 newest owners, Tilman Fertitta and Joe Tsai, playing major roles.
