????數周以來，所有NBA粉絲們耳中都充斥著這樣的消息：科比?布萊恩特、德懷恩?韋德、卡梅羅?安東尼和克里斯?保羅都準備來中國打球。吸引他們的是昂貴的合同、輕松的工作環境和尚未開發但充滿機遇的中國服飾市場。

????但是在周四，這些傳聞可能就會不攻自破。當天，中國籃協（the Chinese Basketball Association）的上級部門可能將宣布禁止中國球隊與NBA球員簽訂跳出合同條款——該條款允許這些球員在NBA停擺結束時馬上離開中國。

????如果該消息屬實，不必再指望有球員迅速和中國的球隊簽訂合同。沒錯，這些球員都想打球，也愿意到中國來參加比賽，但如果談判在最后關頭逆轉，NBA賽季得以恢復，但是這些球員卻因簽訂合同而未能回到美國的話，這是他們不愿意看到的。

????過去幾個星期，看起來似乎NBA的頭牌們都有機會把自己的明星魅力帶到東方，就像史蒂芬?馬布里那樣。很多人也將因為他們的到來而賺得盆滿缽滿。但是現在，如果這個美好的愿望不能實現，哪些人將錯失那些潛在的利益？他們的損失有多大？

????一方面是那些著名的NBA球員，他們本來有望獲得百萬美元月薪的合同，以及一旦NBA停擺結束就離開中國的跳出條款，更重要的是有機會在一個人口接近13億、籃球迷達3.3億的國家樹立自己的品牌。曾有消息稱，NBA超級巨星韋德將與CBA球隊浙江廣廈雄獅簽訂一份月薪200萬美元的合同，保羅和安東尼也同樣被這種到中國“打短工”的機會吸引。

????市場調查公司Networked Insights首席執行官丹?內尼稱：“這些球員本來有機會與很多中國的品牌實現跨界合作，而不僅只是體育品牌。”該公司專門利用社交數據以發掘潮流趨勢，從而幫助提高市場營銷和廣告機會。內尼指出：“他們本來可以來中國打短工，品牌在這個國家擁有巨大的商機，而且整個零售行業市場就擺在他們面前。”

????For weeks it was all NBA fans heard: Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul are all headed for China, lured by lucrative contracts, cushy accommodations, and an untapped, outrageously accessible Chinese apparel market.

????But on Thursday, the rumors are expected to meet a swift death. That's the day governing bodies of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) will likely decide to bar Chinese teams from granting opt-out contract clauses to NBA players -- ejector seats that would allow players to leave China on a moment's notice if the NBA lockout were to be lifted.

????If that happens, don't expect players to be in any hurry to sign papers. Yes, these guys want to play basketball, and they're willing to go to China to do it, but not if it means they might end up missing out when the season back in the States gets a last-minute rescue.

????For a few weeks there, it seemed as if NBA icons would have a huge opportunity to export their star-power eastward, a la Stephon Marbury, and that many pockets would fatten from the influx. But now, if it doesn't happen, who will miss out on the potential benefits, and how much will they lose?

????For one, the players were promised million-dollar-per-month contracts with navigable out-clauses if the NBA lockout were to end, and more importantly, the opportunity to build their brand in a country of nearly 1.3 billion people, 330 million of whom play basketball. NBA superstar Dwayne Wade was linked to a $2 million-per-month deal with the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions of the CBA, and Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony were similarly enticed by the opportunity to "double dip" in China.

????"They'd be able to cut across many brands in China, not just sports brands," says Dan Neely, CEO of Networked Insights, a firm that uses social data to uncover trends that increase marketing and advertising opportunities. "They'd be able to double dip in China where brands have huge opportunities and where they have the whole retail sector in front of them."