皇冠体育app

As 皇冠体育app's basketball icon Yao Ming is set to announce his retirement from the NBA on July 20, a once burgeoning Chinese basketball market seems to be at risk. "Will Yao Ming's departure endanger the NBA in 皇冠体育app?" asks an article in CNN.com.

Citing a Monday poll on Sina Weibo, 皇冠体育app's answer to twitter, the article says 57% of the respondents said they would stop watching the NBA after Yao's retirement. For the NBA, which is now facing a lockout because of salary disputes between its players and owners, "the exodus of 皇冠体育app’s loyal NBA fan base could be devastating."

皇冠体育app is currently the largest market for the NBA outside the US, drawing on average 30 million viewers every week. 皇冠体育app also contributes about half of the NBA's international revenue, says NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver.

An estimated 300 million people in 皇冠体育app play basketball, which serves as a high market for ventures such as NBA 皇冠体育app, valued at roughly $2.3 billion, according to a Goldman Sachs report.

Basketball's popularity is also attested by 皇冠体育app's social media users, says the article. On Sina Weibo, the NBA has 4.35 million followers?- almost twice as many as it does on Twitter.

Despite growing interest in the sport, there is no doubt that Yao was the centerpiece of the NBA’s allure in 皇冠体育app. His personal brand is valued at more than $1 billion, the AFP reported, and is consistently supported by endorsement deals and regular media appearances.

At least for now, there is no heir apparent to 皇冠体育app's basketball throne, the article claims. With just one remaining Chinese national in the NBA - Yi Jianlian - it's difficult to predict whether the league will maintain its popularity in the world’s most populous nation.