Porretta Terme, in central Italy, is passionate about basketball, and is pressing the Vatican to officially recognize its local saint as Italy’s patron of the sport.
Tag: Basketball
Do Sports Still Need China?
Global outrage, broken contracts and shifting politics could change the calculus for leagues and teams that once raced to do business in China.
Celtics Games Are Pulled in China After Enes Kanter’s Pro-Tibet Posts
The Boston center called China’s leader, Xi Jinping, a “brutal dictator” on social media, igniting an online backlash in the country. The N.B.A.’s online partner stopped streaming the team’s games.
Kyrie Irving Defends Decision on Vaccine After Being Benched
The N.B.A. star, who is set to make $40 million this year, said he opposes vaccine mandates, saying nobody should be “forced” to do it.
N.B.A. Players Meet With Pope Francis
The players and officials from their union were invited last week to discuss their campaign at the Vatican.
Basketball Persists in Mexico Amid the Pandemic
The Astros de Jalisco are competing in Mexico’s top professional basketball league during the pandemic. But several teams have decided it’s not worth playing.
Bana Ali, Who Championed Basketball in Somalia, Dies at 54
Mr. Ali, who had the novel coronavirus, dedicated his own time and finances to promoting basketball and sports among Somali youth.
Boris Stankovic, Who Paved Way for N.B.A.’s ‘Dream Team,’ Dies at 94
As the longtime head of FIBA, the international game’s governing body, he successfully lobbied to let pros play in the Olympics.
Soccer Broadcast Pulled After Arsenal Star Mesut Özil Criticized China
A state-run television network pre-empted an English Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal after Mesut Özil denounced the mass detention of Uighurs.
China Blows Whistle on Nationalistic Protests Against the N.B.A.
China has clamped down on state media coverage and online discussion of an American basketball executive’s tweet about the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.