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Sacramento Kings: Does The Rockets’ Situation Impact The Kings?

By Anthony Cardenas

MUMBAI, INDIA - OCTOBER 4: Owner Vivek Ranadive of the Sacramento Kings addresses the media at press conference before the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 4, 2019 at NSCI Dome in Mumbai, India. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MUMBAI, INDIA - OCTOBER 4: Owner Vivek Ranadive of the Sacramento Kings addresses the media at press conference before the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 4, 2019 at NSCI Dome in Mumbai, India. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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While the Rockets and the rest of the NBA fret about the possibility of their bottom line being affected, the Sacramento Kings might just have an alternative answer.

Some of the biggest news from the NBA over the weekend surrounded Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey and his now-deleted tweet about the situation between China and the Hong Kong protestors. The NBA is now surrounded by controversy, but a controversy that the Sacramento Kings just might be able to avoid.

The league itself is doing its best to keep its relationship with China afloat. The foreign nation is a huge market for the NBA, and the league’s bottom line would certainly take a significant hit should they begin to cut ties. The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has suspended all cooperation with the Rockets, who happen to be the most popular team in China, thanks to Yao Ming and others.

While it is unclear how the Rockets relationship with China will affect the rest of the league, the Kings have recently tapped in to a new market that could keep their foreign financials afloat should the CBA take action.

A Brand New Foreign Market

Just last week, the Kings played in the first-ever India Games, a mini-series against the Indiana Pacers that doubled as the first North American professional sport to be played in India. The series was deemed a success, achieving its goal of spreading the game of basketball to the cricket-dominated nation.

The event was the brainchild of Kings owner Vivek Ranadive who grew up in India. While the globalization of basketball and the NBA alike has been prevalent over the last couple of decades, India seemed to go nearly untouched.

This has been a huge oversight, as the Indian population is the second-highest of any country in the world at 1.36 billion people, just a hair behind China and eons ahead of the third-place United States. 17.7% of the people on the planet live in India, a massive market that went untouched until last week.

Final Thoughts

We are, of course, years and possibly decades away from the game of basketball truly taking off in India, but the seed has been planted, and the game can only grow from this point. If the Rockets are (were) the official team of China, the Sacramento Kings have the first foot in the door to become the official team of India.

Next. Who Gets Minutes In Kings Crowded Frontcourt?. dark

So while we wait to see how both the CBA and NBA react to the situation in China and Hong Kong, the Kings might not have to worry about their bottom line being affected as heavily, as they could potentially be focused on a completely different market.

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