The National Basketball Association’s showdown with China over free speech has created an unanticipated opening-week problem for the league: the arrival of Hong Kong protesters who plan to use the league’s arenas and broadcasts as a platform for their message.

Several NBA policies state that signs bearing political messages are not tolerated at games. Most arenas also have security regulations that clearly state that any such signs brought in my fans will be confiscated and that disruptive fan behavior is cause for ejection.

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