This archive report was first published on 15 October 2019.
October 15, 2019, marked a tumultuous day for the National Basketball Association (NBA) as LeBron James publicly criticized Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, for his recent tweet in support of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters.
During a news conference before the Los Angeles Lakers played the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game at Staples Center, James expressed his concerns about Morey's actions, stating that he 'believed he wasn't educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke.' James emphasized that many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Morey's tweet, which included a picture with the slogan 'Fight for freedom, stand for Hong Kong,' sparked a furor for the NBA last week while James and the Lakers were in China. The fallout was swift, with Chinese companies pulling their sponsorships and enacting a media boycott of the NBA, including canceling the local broadcasts of both games between the Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets.
James' comments came after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defended Morey's right to publicize his views, saying, 'We will protect our employees' freedom of speech.' However, James suggested that Morey's actions could have endangered the players while they were in China.
James also acknowledged that he has large business interests in China through sponsors like Nike, but declined to offer his views on the political situation in China, stating that he did not know enough about it to offer an informed opinion.
Almost as quickly as his news conference was finished, James was the subject of widespread backlash on social media, with Senator Rick Scott, Republican of Florida, weighing in on Twitter, saying, 'It's sad to see him join the chorus kowtowing to Communist China & putting profits over human rights for #HongKong.'
