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CBA: former NBA player Guerschon Yabusele fined for not looking at China flag during anthem
- The Frenchman was slapped with a US$1,400 fine by Chinese Basketball Association officials.
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A French former NBA player has been reprimanded and fined US$1,400 by sports officials in China for not looking at the Chinese flag during the national anthem before a game.
Players with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) are supposed to stare at the national symbol during March of the Volunteers, but television images showed Guerschon Yabusele, who plays for Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King, had his head down before Friday’s game.
Yabusele was given a “serious warning” and a 10,000-yuan fine for not looking at the flag as required, the CBA said in a statement on Saturday.
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Yabusele, who played forward for the Boston Celtics for two seasons before joining the CBA team this year, has not commented on the incident.
China’s government has stepped up the promotion of patriotism under president Xi Jinping, with legislation approved in 2017 to punish anyone who disrespects the national anthem with up to three years in prison.
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Opinions on Yabusele’s punishment were divided on Chinese social media.
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