The NBA Is Too Close To China
October 16, 2019 at 1:19 a.m.
The NBA Is Too Close To China
By Roger Grossman-
But they do, sometimes.
Let me also say that I am not a political writer. Gary Gerard is, and he does an excellent job with that on Saturday mornings.
But something has been happening that hits me close to home.
For years, the NBA has been doing business with Chinese corporations who have, in turn, helped the league expand their brand in China. It’s worked. The Chinese market accounts for 10% of the NBA’s overall revenue, and experts say projections put it at 20% in the next ten years.
You might need a history lesson here: Hong Kong became a British-ruled commonwealth in 1842, but in 1898 a treaty was signed that would return the tiny country to Chinese rule — in 100 years.
In the meantime, the Communist Party of China was founded in 1921, and after a second civil war, the party drove out the nationalist government from mainland China and took control of the government in 1949.
In 1982, the two countries began the arduous process of completing that 1898 treaty. The world watched in angst as Hong Kong — who had thrived under modern British influences — was given to Communist control.
The people of Hong Kong have been protesting ever since. At first, only in their hearts. Now more boldly.
This is where this becomes personal.
Half of the people who live under my roof are of Chinese decent. They were born there, and adopted by my wife and I to a new life here in the United States. Holly and I have been there twice. We have spent most of the last 15 years learning some Chinese language, culture and the ways of the people so we can relate that to our children as they get older. We walked their streets and we met and talked with the people.
In my study of the country in advance of our first trip in 2010, I read a lot of material written by young adults from China and Hong Kong. Often they expressed wishes to take home not only the knowledge they gained while studying at American universities, but also the freedoms they enjoyed while getting their educations.
Skip ahead to the current day: The people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets to announce to the world their wish for long-lasting freedom. In a show of support, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey posted a simple Tweet: “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.”
The reaction was swift on the Chinese front. Outrage, protest, anger, betrayal.
The entity known as NBA China had 11 wholly-owned Chinese companies who were their in-country corporate partners.
“Had” being the operative word.
The outrage that started with Morey's tweet — a single opinion expressed by one American — led to suspended or cancelled partnerships.
All 11 of them. Gone. Just like that.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver apologized for the controversy, but not enough to smooth things over with the Chinese. The content of the Tweet wasn’t welcome in their country, nor were those who aligned themselves with it.
At the risk of losing billions of dollars, the NBA caved. Media availability at preseason games being played in China was cancelled. Players were told by NBA public relations officials not to address the controversy in any way.
I have been to China twice. I had to mask my location while I was there so I could post pictures of my new children on Facebook; the social media site is illegal there.
I was in a place so desperate for truth and hope, but I could not risk sharing my Christian faith for fear of leaving my wife and child alone in a foreign country while I sat in a Chinese prison for who-knows-how-long.
Another example of the Chinese government control of media: while watching international television in Guangzhou, I witnessed the screen go black when the CNN documentary mentioned China’s human rights record.
I have seen free speech squashed first-hand in a way most of you and nearly all Americans never have or will. It was disheartening to see the NBA, which promotes causes virtually every month, cower in a corner with billions of dollars worth of merchandise at stake.
I don’t blame any players, coaches or staff members for not commenting or voicing their opinions while they were in China. I get that.
The NBA has been playing with fire, and the Chinese grabbed them by the neck and shoved their faces in it.
Remember, this same NBA threatened to pull their all-star weekend out of Charlotte because of North Carolina’s proposed “bathroom bill.” The will of an entire state was put aside because a pro sports league, among others, stepped in.
But when one front-office employee supports freedom for others in a place where there is none, it crawls in a hole out of fear of hurting the feelings of an oppressive country? The NBA, a league that has promoted itself as a champion for social justice for years, suddenly turning a blind eye, deaf ear and the rest of its senses when it costs something?
I guess they will … where and when it $uits them. Maybe if a few protestors died with a Lakers jerseys on, it would be different.
“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong, pray for change in China … and also for a backbone for those in the NBA who need one.”The NBA Is Too Close To China
But they do, sometimes.
Let me also say that I am not a political writer. Gary Gerard is, and he does an excellent job with that on Saturday mornings.
But something has been happening that hits me close to home.
For years, the NBA has been doing business with Chinese corporations who have, in turn, helped the league expand their brand in China. It’s worked. The Chinese market accounts for 10% of the NBA’s overall revenue, and experts say projections put it at 20% in the next ten years.
You might need a history lesson here: Hong Kong became a British-ruled commonwealth in 1842, but in 1898 a treaty was signed that would return the tiny country to Chinese rule — in 100 years.
In the meantime, the Communist Party of China was founded in 1921, and after a second civil war, the party drove out the nationalist government from mainland China and took control of the government in 1949.
In 1982, the two countries began the arduous process of completing that 1898 treaty. The world watched in angst as Hong Kong — who had thrived under modern British influences — was given to Communist control.
The people of Hong Kong have been protesting ever since. At first, only in their hearts. Now more boldly.
This is where this becomes personal.
Half of the people who live under my roof are of Chinese decent. They were born there, and adopted by my wife and I to a new life here in the United States. Holly and I have been there twice. We have spent most of the last 15 years learning some Chinese language, culture and the ways of the people so we can relate that to our children as they get older. We walked their streets and we met and talked with the people.
In my study of the country in advance of our first trip in 2010, I read a lot of material written by young adults from China and Hong Kong. Often they expressed wishes to take home not only the knowledge they gained while studying at American universities, but also the freedoms they enjoyed while getting their educations.
Skip ahead to the current day: The people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets to announce to the world their wish for long-lasting freedom. In a show of support, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey posted a simple Tweet: “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.”
The reaction was swift on the Chinese front. Outrage, protest, anger, betrayal.
The entity known as NBA China had 11 wholly-owned Chinese companies who were their in-country corporate partners.
“Had” being the operative word.
The outrage that started with Morey's tweet — a single opinion expressed by one American — led to suspended or cancelled partnerships.
All 11 of them. Gone. Just like that.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver apologized for the controversy, but not enough to smooth things over with the Chinese. The content of the Tweet wasn’t welcome in their country, nor were those who aligned themselves with it.
At the risk of losing billions of dollars, the NBA caved. Media availability at preseason games being played in China was cancelled. Players were told by NBA public relations officials not to address the controversy in any way.
I have been to China twice. I had to mask my location while I was there so I could post pictures of my new children on Facebook; the social media site is illegal there.
I was in a place so desperate for truth and hope, but I could not risk sharing my Christian faith for fear of leaving my wife and child alone in a foreign country while I sat in a Chinese prison for who-knows-how-long.
Another example of the Chinese government control of media: while watching international television in Guangzhou, I witnessed the screen go black when the CNN documentary mentioned China’s human rights record.
I have seen free speech squashed first-hand in a way most of you and nearly all Americans never have or will. It was disheartening to see the NBA, which promotes causes virtually every month, cower in a corner with billions of dollars worth of merchandise at stake.
I don’t blame any players, coaches or staff members for not commenting or voicing their opinions while they were in China. I get that.
The NBA has been playing with fire, and the Chinese grabbed them by the neck and shoved their faces in it.
Remember, this same NBA threatened to pull their all-star weekend out of Charlotte because of North Carolina’s proposed “bathroom bill.” The will of an entire state was put aside because a pro sports league, among others, stepped in.
But when one front-office employee supports freedom for others in a place where there is none, it crawls in a hole out of fear of hurting the feelings of an oppressive country? The NBA, a league that has promoted itself as a champion for social justice for years, suddenly turning a blind eye, deaf ear and the rest of its senses when it costs something?
I guess they will … where and when it $uits them. Maybe if a few protestors died with a Lakers jerseys on, it would be different.
“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong, pray for change in China … and also for a backbone for those in the NBA who need one.”The NBA Is Too Close To China
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