Published 10:17 IST, October 17th 2019
LeBron James: NBA vs China heats up, as James distances himself
LeBron James distances himself from NBA-China rift as his first comment receives further backlash, insisting he wants to focus on the game before the season.
The escalating rift between the NBA and China took another hit after Lakers' forward LeBron James added his thoughts on the issue. James received massive heat for his comment stating Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey was misinformed when he tweeted in support for freedom of Hong Kong. He has since distanced himself from the issue stating he'd rather like to focus on the game and the upcoming season.
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Crux of the issue
Houston Rockets' Morey supported the protestors in Hong Kong on Twitter, which sparked a major controversy between the NBA and China. NBA did try to remedy the situation by stating Morey speaks only for him and not the league but it seemed to not have much effect as Chinese media and the authorities haven't taken the news lightly. All 11 of the NBA's official Chinese partners have suspended ties with the league since. Chinese state-run broadcast network CCTV also opted out broadcasting both the games between Brooklyn Nets vs Los Angeles Lakers this week.
James, who was in China with the Lakers, told the reporters he believed Morey was “misinformed” and “not educated” on the topic. James' statement came off as even more off-putting, even as he tried to clarify he was just referring to Morey not being aware of the ramifications of his tweet. It led to a further backlash in both the US and Hong Kong. Supporters in Hong Kong also burned his jersey to portray their displeasure. Protestors also accused the star of being guilty of double standards, stating 'black people's lives matter, so do the lives of Hong Kong's people.'
James later commented on the matter again insisting he'd like to speak on it for the last time as he would prefer to focus on the game and the upcoming season. He also added that he is hoping that the rift between the NBA and China will subside for good, thereby distancing himself from the issue.
Updated 12:31 IST, October 17th 2019