SPORT THURSDAY 20 JULY 2017 21 NBA: Rockets’ popularity in China could push price past $2bn New York an NBA title in 1995, recently skyrocketing. China in 1988, sharing a for $85m. NBA Commissioner Bloomberg gave star guard James Harden The past five years have portion of advertising Adam Silver praised him as the largest contract in NBA his- seen a number of record- revenue in return for someone who helped expand he sale of the Houston tory, a four-year extension that setting transactions in the games being broadcast the league’s international Rockets could set a brings the deal to a reported NBA, topped by the Ballmer on the country’s CCTV. It appeal. T National Basketball Asso- $228m. The team also recently purchase. The NBA just fin- later became the first US “He has been an active and ciation (NBA) record, surpassing traded for nine-time All Star ished the first season under league to open an office influential owner whose vision the $2bn that Steve Ballmer paid point guard Chris Paul. a new $24bn TV deal, a in China, and the first to helped to grow the game glo- for the Los Angeles Clippers, “With the Rockets’ history, threefold increase over the the franchise’s popularity in play there. The league bally, especially in China,” Silver according to sports having had Yao Ming and the previous agreement. Asia. His presence is one reason played two preseason games in said in a statement. consultants. team’s high profile in Asia -- “The market is primed for why Toyota Motor Corp. put its China last year, both featuring Alexander has put team Rockets owner Les Alexan- James Harden, Chris Paul and it,” said consultant Marc Ganis, name on the team’s arena. the Rockets. president Tad Brown in charge der said on Monday that he was the high profile they have on the who has been involved in sports Another former Rockets star, The NBA has also spent time of coordinating the sale, in con- selling the franchise, which current roster, all the other and entertainment deals in Tracy McGrady, had a success- wooing and vetting potential junction with the league office. Forbes magazine says is valued attributes of the franchise -- China for the past two decades. ful career in China after leaving ownership groups. Last year, Alexander said in a telephone at $1.65bn. The sale price will they’re gonna be very He said that soaring valuations, the NBA. There’s also a large Chi- Lizhang Jiang, general manager interview that he wouldn’t be likely be higher, said former attractive,” said Postolos, now plus the team’s added appeal to nese-American community in of Shanghai Double-Edged hiring a bank to assist in the sale, Rockets President George Pos- a sports consultant. He said the an overseas investor, could Houston. Ganis said he wouldn’t Sports, became the first Chinese as owners often do. tolos, thanks in part to the price will likely approach what result in the team fetching more be suprised if Yao were part of a owner of an NBA team when he The Atlanta Hawks were the team’s popularity in China, Ballmer paid in 2014. than $2bn. group that bid on the team. bought a minority stake in the last NBA team to be sold, fetch- where former Rockets star Yao The planned sale comes as Yao, a 7-foot-6-inch All-Star The NBA has spent decades Minnesota Timberwolves. ing a $730m price from Tony Ming is immensely popular. franchise values across major center, spent his entire eight- cultivating fans in Asia. The A former bond trader, Alex- Ressler in 2015. That sale also The Rockets, who last won professional sports are year career in Houston, fueling league made its first deal in ander bought the team in 1993 included $120m in arena debt. NFL: Cowboys Froome extends lead after stage 17 owner Jones Serre-Chevalier, France Ireland’s Dan Martin in the speaks to Elliott Reuters lung-busting ascent to the Col du Galibier but he stayed calm Roglic makes over behaviour hris Froome kept con- and covered every offensive trol of his rivals in a move. Los Angeles gruelling Alpine ride Bardet and Martin’s acceler- history AFP to move a step closer ations, however, were damaging to a fourth Tour de for Fabio Aru as the Italian lost allas Cowboys owner CFrance title yesterday, retaining 31 seconds and slipped from sec- Jerry Jones said on the leader’s yellow jersey after ond to fourth place overall. DTuesday he has spo- the 17th stage, won by Slovenia’s Froome leads Colombian ken to Ezekiel Elliott Primoz Roglic. Rigoberto Uran and Bardet by 27 (pictured below) following a The defending champion seconds each, while Aru is now slew of negative headlines was attacked by last year’s run- 53 seconds off the pace. relating to the star running ner-up Romain Bardet and Cycling enthusiasts had back. anticipated an Alberto Conta- Elliott, who is facing pos- STAGE 17 RESULTS (TOP 15) dor victory as the two-time sible sanctions from the NFL champion, too far down in the regarding a domestic violence 1 Primoz Roglic (Slovenia / LottoNL-Jumbo) general classification to case, was embroiled in fur- 5:07:41” threaten Froome, threw cau- Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic rides in a ther controversy at the 2 Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Cannondale- tion to the wind with a breakaway during the 183km seventeenth weekend after being linked Drapac) +1:13” long-range attack. stage of the 104th edition of the Tour de to a bar altercation that left a 3 Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) But the Spaniard cracked on France yesterday between Le La Mure bouncer with a broken nose. 4 Romain Bardet (France / AG2R La Mondiale) the Galibier, a 17.7-km ascent at and Serre-Chevalier, French Alps. Roglic The 21-year-old was not 5 Warren Barguil (France / Team Sunweb) an average 6.9 percent gradient held the group of main contenders off arrested in the latest incident 6 Mikel Landa (Spain / Team Sky) +1:16” culminating at 2,642m above on Sunday and was not to become the first Slovenian to win a 7 Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step Floors) sea level, when Roglic attacked named in a police report. Tour stage. +1:43” from the day’s breakaway However several US 8 Alberto Contador (Spain / Trek-Segafredo) group. Martin and Bardet media outlets citing witnesses +1:44” launched countless attacks of have said Elliott was involved 9 Louis Meintjes (South Africa / UAE Team Emirates) their own on the climb, but Colombian from the Cannon- Barguil, who consolidated his Paris thanks to his big lead over in the bar fight. 10 Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana Pro Team) Froome stayed in control. The dale-Drapac team leads the grip on the polka dot jersey for second-placed Andre Greipel. Jones told ESPN on Tues- 11 Mathias Frank (Switzerland / AG2R La Mondiale) Irishman, whose uncle Stephen Frenchman by a few hundredths the mountains classification. Today’s stage, a 179.5-km day he had spoken to Elliott 12 Darwin Atapuma (Colombia / UAE Team Emir- Roche won the Tour in 1987, paid of a second. German Marcel Kittel, holder ride from Briancon to the but declined to get into spe- ates) +1:59” the price later on, but French- Roglic held the group of of the green jersey for the points 2,360m Col d’Izoard, is likely to cific details of their 13 Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Team Dimension man Bardet hung on to finish main contenders off to become classification, abandoned the be the last-chance saloon for conversation. Data) +3:10” fourth behind Uran and Froome. the first Slovenian to win a Tour race after a crash. Bardet and Uran to unseat However, he described 14 Simon Yates (Britain / Orica-Scott) +3:14” 15 Daniel Navarro (Spain / Cofidis, Solutions Uran and Froome snatched stage, crossing the line 1:13 New leader Australian Froome ahead of Saturday’s final the running back as a “rock Credits) +5:07” small time bonuses but Bardet ahead of Froome, Bardet, Uran Michael Matthews looks likely time trial, which is expected to star” struggling to adjust to missed out, meaning the and Frenchman Warren to wear the jersey all the way to favour the Briton. the celebrity which accom- panied his stellar rookie year last season. “As you well know, BASEBALL RESULTS because of his style and per- sonality, it’s like a rock star MLB: Dodgers, Red Sox claim wins San Francisco 2 Cleveland 1 wherever he goes in terms of Washington 4 LA Angels 3 attention,” Jones said. Tampa Bay 4 Oakland 3 “Anybody that’s experi- New York Tampa Bay erased a 3-2 deficit enced that knows that takes Los Angeles Colorado 9 San Diego 7 Agencies to defeat Oakland. Detroit 9 Kansas City 3 getting used to. You have to Dodgers Steven Souza Jr. hit his 20th learn many aspects of that. layton Kershaw earned his pitcher home run for the Rays, a leadoff LA Dodgers 1 Chicago White Sox 0 Certainly, Zeke is evolving major-league-leading 15th Clayton blast in the third inning. Khris NY Yankees 6 Minnesota 3 and being subject to needing Cwin as he tossed seven Kershaw Davis hit his 27th home run of Houston 6 Seattle 2 to learn how to deal with the shutout innings in the Los Ange- throws the season for the Athletics, a Chicago Cubs 5 Atlanta 1 media and social media the les Dodgers’ 1-0 victory over the against the two-run shot in the first.