hmmm.....
I'm not arguing for the removal of marketing from the NBA. I'm in full support of it in fact (for the same reasons you listed ty/alby--well maybe minus NBA Cares
). I just believe that you must protect the product. If the product is compromised for the sake of the marketing, then it is only time before the product is worthless. So far, I see no tampering . Hopefully, the business side is able to work all of this out to every one's satisfaction. I will be disappointed if China's marketing machine is able to encroach on Milwaukee's franchise interests.
Edit:
Summation: The product is equally important to the marketing machine promoting it.