As we reported yesterday, China is facing a numerous amounts of protesting within it’s confinements due to it’s extradition legal process. Protestors have been beaten in the streets for what they believe is a faulty legal proceeding.
NBA GM Morey had tweeted a 7 word statement that offended executives, and officials in China to an extent that China going forward would Black Ball The Houston Rockets games, merchandise and apparel.
Adam Silver who spoke with the media Tuesday morning plans to salvage the NBA’s relationship with China.
Yes, Adam does agree with freedom of expression, but he states,
“The NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees and team owners say or will not say on these issues,” Silver said … “We simply could not operate that way.”
Silver furthermore stated,
“I recognize our initial statement left people angered, confused or unclear on who we are or what the NBA stands for,” Silver said in a new statement.
“Essentially, what I’ve said in that statement is the long-held values of the NBA are to support freedom of expression, and certainly freedom of expression by members of the NBA community,” Silver explained. “And in this case, Daryl Morey, as the general manager of the Houston Rockets, enjoys that right as one of our employees.” “What I also tried to suggest is I understand that there are consequences from that exercise of, in essence, his freedom of speech. We will have to live with those consequences.”
“My plan all along has been to travel to Shanghai tomorrow, and I plan to attend the Lakers-Nets game Thursday night. It’s my hope that when I’m in Shanghai, I can meet with the appropriate officials and discuss where we stand, and again, put those remarks from Darl Morey and my remarks in an appropriate context of a many-decades-long relationship and see if we can find mutual respect for each other’s political systems and beliefs.”
“But I’m a realist as well, and I recognize that this issue may not die down so quickly.”
The issue that we have here is very obvious, the NBA is choosing to make profits over human rights. This issue is has not only rubbed US citizens the wrong way, but also our lawmakers.
Senator Rick Scott (Florida) stated recently,
“The NBA is kowtowing to Beijing to protect their bottom line and disavowing those with the temerity to #standwithHongKong. Shameful!”
It’s clear that the @NBA is more interested in money than human rights. Tonight’s statement from Commissioner Silver is an absolute joke.
The NBA is kowtowing to Beijing to protect their bottom line and disavowing those with the temerity to #standwithHongKong. Shameful! https://t.co/RBPJa04xzK
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 7, 2019
Representative Josh Hawley voiced his opinion stating,
“Chinese govt has a million people locked in concentration camps & is trying to brutally repress Hong Kong demonstrators – and NBA wants to ‘bridge cultural divides’? Cultural divides?
“As a lifelong @HoustonRockets fan, I was proud to see @dmorey call out the Chinese Communist Party’s repressive treatment of protestors in Hong Kong,” Cruz tweeted.”Now, in pursuit of big $$, the @nba is shamefully retreating. We’re better than this; human rights shouldn’t be for sale & the NBA shouldn’t be assisting Chinese communist censorship.” We’re better than this; human rights shouldn’t be for sale & the NBA shouldn’t be assisting Chinese communist censorship.
What will it take for Adam Silver and the NBA to finally do the right thing which is not accept profit over human rights?
Flip the page to see tweets from our US representatives and video of Silver discussing his plans.