<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Growth Opportunity</p><span style="font-style: italic">Sep 19</span> - Now, in a move certain to highlight the growing importance of China to both the National Basketball Association and the sport, the N.B.A. plans to announce Wednesday the formation of a Chinese subsidiary. To head it, the league has chosen Timothy Chen, chief executive of Microsoft's China operations and one of the best-known business executives in China. </p> For the N.B.A., China is a growth opportunity. It is already the N.B.A.'s largest market outside the United States. Nearly a third of the traffic to NBA.com comes to the Mandarin Chinese side of the site. And branded N.B.A. merchandise is now sold through more than 50,000 outlets here. Still, like Microsoft, the N.B.A. has found that the toughest hoops in China are in the corridors of power. </p> </p> David Stern, the N.B.A. commissioner, said that these challenges helped make Mr. Chen the best contender for the job. "It wasn't just about intellectual property; it was his experience in navigating difficult governmental and business issues," Mr. Stern said in a telephone interview. </p> </p> </div></p> -- New York Times </p>
