NBA Needs to Cut All Business Ties With China After Country's Overreaction to Daryl Morey's Tweet
By Chris Pyo
When will the NBA stand up for itself against China?
As this saga continues to twist the arms of popular NBA figures in the aftermath of Rockets GM Daryl Morey's pro-Hong Kong tweet, tensions are rising between China and the NBA.
Yesterday morning, I wrote, “We’re Not Exporting Our Values to China — We’re Importing Theirs.”
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) October 9, 2019
Last night, two fans were removed from a preseason NBA games for signs supporting the Hong Kong protesters.
The game was in Philadelphia.https://t.co/tS76erprL8
For a league that claims to be at the forefront of social activism, they're sucking up pretty hard to the Chinese government. I guess the world's issues end at the borders of the United States, though the NBA is supposed to be a global game and has portrayed itself as one for a while now. How ironic.
At this point, the NBA has to choose between honoring free speech, an ideal the United States is grounded upon, or cowering in fear at the thought of offending China's oppressive government with business in mind.
In the next 24 hours, either China will cancel the NBA games or the NBA will cancel the China Games. Surprised they aren't competing to move first.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 8, 2019
The NBA needs to cease all business with China immediately. If the league can't support free speech and the democracy that the Hong Kong protestors are currently fighting and instead chooses to shy away from the subject in fear of losing business deals with China, then they don't deserve to call themselves an American sports league.