LeBron James criticized Daryl Morey this week for a tweet the Houston Rockets general manager posted earlier this month in which he voiced support for Hong Kong anti-government protests.
The NBA superstar claimed Morey was not “educated on the situation” involving the league and its relationship with the Chinese broadcasting market and its fan base. James has also received backlash for his own comments, with one U.S. lawmaker slamming the Los Angeles Lakers star for “putting profits over human rights.”
“We all talk about this freedom of speech, yes, we all do have freedom of speech,” James told reporters ahead of a game against Golden State. “But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you’re not thinking about others and you’re only thinking about yourself.”
Morey’s tweet deeply angered China and sponsors cut ties with the NBA as the league tried to stay in good graces with China throughout. This has caused the league to come under fire, as they appeared to give in to censorship from Beijing.
“I don’t want to get into a word or sentence feud with … with Daryl Morey. But I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke.”
James took to Twitter to clarify his statements further.
Last week, the Lakers played against the Brooklyn Nets in China, but the games were not available for viewing in the country, as broadcasts of the contests and other events were suspended by Chinese company CCTV due to Morey’s comments. While players have not spoken out on the issue until now, commissioner Adam Silver supported Morey and managers have tried to stay impartial on the subject. The situation may finally die down after James’ comments but the results are still devastating for the NBA, as the league looks to press on without much left — for the time being — in the name of Chinese sponsorships or partnerships.
