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NBA All-Stars thank Chinese fans ahead of NBA’s return to TV

  • ‘A big Thank You to all my fans in China! Cheers to being an All-Star again. Never take it for granted!’ says Joel Embiid
  • All-Star game on March 7 is reported to be shown on CCTV, before NBA broadcasts resume as normal

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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, shoots as Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic watches on. The pair will play in the NBA All-Star game. Photo: AP
Some of basketball’s biggest stars have thanked their Chinese fans for voting them into the NBA All-Star game ahead of tip off in Atlanta on March 7.
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“A big Thank You to all my fans in China! Cheers to being an All-Star again. Never take it for granted!” the Philadelphia 76ers four-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid wrote on Weibo.

This year’s first time starter Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets was another to thank Chinese fans.

“I‘m Jokic, Teacher Jo. And go Nuggets! I love you all!” Jokic attempted to say in Mandarin with the help of a translator on a video posted to Weibo. The 26-year-old Serbian star is known as “Teacher Jo” by his Chinese fans.

Philadelphia 76ers‘ Joel Embiid in action in the NBA in 2018. Photo: AP
Philadelphia 76ers‘ Joel Embiid in action in the NBA in 2018. Photo: AP
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Those fans are set to be able to see this year’s All-Star game on television, with reports that CCTV will resume NBA broadcasts from the annual celebration.

Terrestrial television stopped screening games in October 2019 after then Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong protesters.

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