NBA apologizes after China threatens pulling sponsorship $$

[LadyStanley]

Why the NBA cowered to its Chinese overlords
Forget democracy and human rights, the Daryl Morey mess reminds us that the NBA just craves money and another major market.

Ignoring the politics at the basis of situation (as it's OT for business and subject for a different forum), the NBA has kowtowed and apologized to country and powers that be to ensure continued $$ from China (vs allowing GM his freedom of speech guaranteed in US).

This won't end well, regardless of political resolution.

Click to read more...

 

[LeHab]

China says it will stop broadcasting NBA games after Commissioner Adam Silver defended Daryl Morey's freedom to support Hong Kong protests

Sounds like Commissionaire is sticking to NBA values. NBA cancelled an ASG in Charlotte over Bathroom Bill in the past.

With bigger money on the table lets see how NBA handles this.

 

[LadyStanley]

NBR from Monday. Starts about 16:30 in.

China adding ~$4B to NBA economy (or ~$133m per team).

Analyst suggested different approach from @LeHab 's post, suggesting Silver be apologetic, and perhaps the Rockets fire the GM (especially after the owner kinda threw his guy under the bus).

 

[Albatros]

The NBA like the NHL exists to make money, a natural part of that in a situation where much of the market is in China is a working relationship with the CCP. It is up to the Communist Party to take care of the politics, the sports organizations have no role in that and naturally the CCP will not tolerate any transgressions of such nature. Morey cost the league millions and has to go, after that it can be business as usual again.

 

[Kshahdoo]

In the battle of good vs money, money always wins - it's a Russian proverb, btw...

 

[Pure West]

The NBA is happy to show support for human rights in the USA because it actually helps their business to do so. For the NFL to do the same, its a little less clear, as they have a different fanbase. Now when it comes to defending human rights where it will cost the league a lot of money, the truth is exposed....they don't actually care all that much about it.

Pretty common theme around the world of international business, even some governments. The Chinese dictatorship is able to leverage their tremendous economic influence and total control to suppress anyone criticizing them. Its much easier to criticize other brutal regimes around the world with no economic power, like North Korea. Hard for me to really blame the NBA, as it is a wildly popular sport in China and its clearly where they feel their future growth lies. Damaging a multi-billion dollar relationship would be tremendously damaging for the business of the league and I can understand why the league might prefer to just swallow their pride and apologize. I have no doubt that there will be nothing but grovelling from here on.

 

[LadyStanley]

How much does the NBA stand to lose in China over a tweet?

Paywall. The Athletic's take.

In a nutshell, Chinese companies must be seen to tow the government line, but perhaps when the sensitivity isn't as high things can return to normal.


490m fans watch basketball in China. Most care more about watching the game than the politics and business behind it.

 

[Albatros]

490m fans watch basketball in China. Most care more about watching the game than the politics and business behind it.

And most care about China more than they do about basketball. It's a collectivist culture and the NBA now has to make amends in order to have a future there. If they do, then things can return to normal very quickly. But the Chinese side will never accept being the one losing face.

 

[Pilky01]

How much does the NBA stand to lose in China over a tweet?

Paywall. The Athletic's take.

In a nutshell, Chinese companies must be seen to tow the government line, but perhaps when the sensitivity isn't as high things can return to normal.


490m fans watch basketball in China. Most care more about watching the game than the politics and business behind it.

Note that The Athletic locked comments on their "take" because people were characterizing it as Chinese Communist Party apologism.

 

[LeHab]

NBR from Monday. Starts about 16:30 in.

China adding ~$4B to NBA economy (or ~$133m per team).

Analyst suggested different approach from @LeHab 's post, suggesting Silver be apologetic, and perhaps the Rockets fire the GM (especially after the owner kinda threw his guy under the bus).

Given political volatility NHL decided to play it safe and not venture this season to China for exhibition games. I'm somehow surprised NBA were not proactive in educating staff on how to handle (or stay away) of current tensions and tariff wars given significant league's footprint there. Meddling in politics usually does not end well.

Hot potato similar to Kaepernick stand for NFL. Yao Ming to the rescue!

 

[cutchemist42]

This is really blowing up quickly.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Video game esports giant in trouble too
Blizzard Facing Backlash After Suspending 'Hearthstone' Player For Hong Kong Comments

But they apparently are much more shameless Chinese stooges than the NBA which likes to parade its social virtuosity.

 

[Voight]

Clay Travis has been going off about this, and say what you want about him but he is spot on. Kerr saying "he needs to read more about China" is a bullcrap response. Anyone with non-censored internet knows the truth, but again, money really does buy everything including silence.



Clay Travis on Twitter



I found Nets owner Joe Tsai's statement appalling. Not surprised about what he said given he is a wealthy Chinese businessman (which translates too a CPC mouthpiece) but no need to act like we are all stupid and don't know what we are talking about.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Always a fun show to watch big blowhards get torched by their own hypocrisy. Nowhere to hide in this situation when it's so undeniably in your face a 3 year old would get it.

 

[Voight]

Given political volatility NHL decided to play it safe and not venture this season to China for exhibition games. I'm somehow surprised NBA were not proactive in educating staff on how to handle (or stay away) of current tensions and tariff wars given significant league's footprint there. Meddling in politics usually does not end well.

Hot potato similar to Kaepernick stand for NFL. Yao Ming to the rescue!

Yao is the chair of the CBA so as some were saying, he may not be able to be the mediator this time around.

 

[Voight]

NBR from Monday. Starts about 16:30 in.

China adding ~$4B to NBA economy (or ~$133m per team).

Analyst suggested different approach from @LeHab 's post, suggesting Silver be apologetic, and perhaps the Rockets fire the GM (especially after the owner kinda threw his guy under the bus).

Firing the GM because he said something the majority, if not all of the West agrees with would be pure stupidity. They would be bowing down to an authoritan regime and saying its cool if they wanna do evil things and they will follow their orders as long as they keep giving them money.

The NBA is happy to show support for human rights in the USA because it actually helps their business to do so. For the NFL to do the same, its a little less clear, as they have a different fanbase. Now when it comes to defending human rights where it will cost the league a lot of money, the truth is exposed....they don't actually care all that much about it.

Pretty common theme around the world of international business, even some governments. The Chinese dictatorship is able to leverage their tremendous economic influence and total control to suppress anyone criticizing them. Its much easier to criticize other brutal regimes around the world with no economic power, like North Korea. Hard for me to really blame the NBA, as it is a wildly popular sport in China and its clearly where they feel their future growth lies. Damaging a multi-billion dollar relationship would be tremendously damaging for the business of the league and I can understand why the league might prefer to just swallow their pride and apologize. I have no doubt that there will be nothing but grovelling from here on.

The issue is the NBA encourages its players to speak out about politics, social injustice, current events etc but when a GM does it they kick him to the curb and bow down to China. You can't have it both ways, either be a league that gives a crap about human rights or drop the shtick and stick to sports. They are making it clear they are a sell out and will turn a blind eye if the money is right. Silver also has no spine, Stern would have fought right back IMO money or no money.

I mean, they had no problems banning Sterling in 3.5 seconds but now that money is at stake they could care less about a racist, oppressive regime. They are two-faced.

 

[cutchemist42]

NHL going down this same path though.....should they?

 

[Voight]

NHL going down this same path though.....should they?

Until they have a similar situation, which I don't think they will given NHL players/staff tend to keep their opinions to themselves, its somewhat of a gray area. The NHL and NBA aren't the first organizations to make money in China and they wont be the last, the whole thing with the NBA is it took Chinas side in a "disagreement" with one of their own, and that was compounded by the NBA being a league where they encourage their people to speak out and say what they want, especially when it comes to politics/social issues etc. So there is hypocrisy as well as abandoning one of your own when money comes into play.

It would be like if a UK businessman got arrested and the UK said "oh well, nothing we can do to help...." (because they - like most of the world - do a lot of trade + business with China)

 

[Burke the Legend]

Firing the GM because he said something the majority, if not all of the West agrees with would be pure stupidity. They would be bowing down to an authoritan regime and saying its cool if they wanna do evil things and they will follow their orders as long as they keep giving them money.

The issue is the NBA encourages its players to speak out about politics, social injustice, current events etc but when a GM does it they kick him to the curb and bow down to China. You can't have it both ways, either be a league that gives a crap about human rights or drop the shtick and stick to sports. They are making it clear they are a sell out and will turn a blind eye if the money is right. Silver also has no spine, Stern would have fought right back IMO money or no money.

I mean, they had no problems banning Sterling in 3.5 seconds but now that money is at stake they could care less about a racist, oppressive regime. They are two-faced.

To be fair to Adam Silver he is avoiding the hypocrisy trap. He could hardly do otherwise.
Silver defends NBA employees' right to free speech as China cancels broadcasts

Some of the big mouth players though are getting roasted. Guys who are outspoken about trendy domestic political and social issues but oddly silent now, and even in some cases have offered personal apologies to the Chinese government.

China is overplaying their hand here IMO. Up until now their sledgehammer treatment has worked where any offside remark by even low level employees results in basically getting banned from the country unless the corp immediately fires the offender and offers a grovelling apology, they even did it to basically all Canadian business over that extradition case. At this point though it's become too casual, over too many trivial offences that I think we're getting to a tipping point where more backbone will start being displayed at both the corporate and national level. China is not at the point where they can boycott the entire western world.

 

[Albatros]

It would be like if a UK businessman got arrested and the UK said "oh well, nothing we can do to help...." (because they - like most of the world - do a lot of trade + business with China)

Another way to see it would be if a Chinese basketball league got popular in the United States and a GM would openly endorse a white separatist organization in that country. Despite cultural differences also in that situation his resignation and a league-wide apology would likely be the only way out that would defuse the situation. Going political in China is not going to help the NBA in their business, and the athletes seem to realize this. After all they too have millions to lose, each of them.

 

[David Dennison]

Pretty crazy that this has all come out of a proposed law that was about extradition. Obviously it's more about China exerting power over an independent HK, but HKers being extradited to China would seem to be pretty low on the human rights abuses by the Chinese government.

 

[Voight]

Another way to see it would be if a Chinese basketball league got popular in the United States and a GM would openly endorse a white separatist organization in that country. Despite cultural differences also in that situation his resignation and a league-wide apology would likely be the only way out that would defuse the situation. Going political in China is not going to help the NBA in their business, and the athletes seem to realize this. After all they too have millions to lose, each of them.

Not exactly.... Hong Kong isn't a separatist state... they have been somewhat of a separate entity from China for over 100 years. Its only the CPC and the kool aid drinkers that think they are a separatist movement. He shouldn't have to resign because he upset Xi Jinping and his pals, he was expressing his opinion, which in most of the world is a right (yes its not a right in China but guess what, he's American and wasn't even in China at the time). He should not be punished for enjoying basic freedoms, much like how Kerr + LeBron are free to criticize POTUS, whereas in China they'd of been jailed or killed for their comments.

Your last couple sentences are the problem. The NBA is giving China a pass because they make money there and due to it being an authoritarian state, anything that pisses of the government will result in them losing what ground they have there. But in the free USA they could care less if their players challenge authority or comment on issues at hand, basically because the US government can't stop them from making money or conducting their business.

To be fair to Adam Silver he is avoiding the hypocrisy trap. He could hardly do otherwise.
Silver defends NBA employees' right to free speech as China cancels broadcasts

Some of the big mouth players though are getting roasted. Guys who are outspoken about trendy domestic political and social issues but oddly silent now, and even in some cases have offered personal apologies to the Chinese government.

China is overplaying their hand here IMO. Up until now their sledgehammer treatment has worked where any offside remark by even low level employees results in basically getting banned from the country unless the corp immediately fires the offender and offers a grovelling apology, they even did it to basically all Canadian business over that extradition case. At this point though it's become too casual, over too many trivial offences that I think we're getting to a tipping point where more backbone will start being displayed at both the corporate and national level. China is not at the point where they can boycott the entire western world.

It's been getting harder and harder for them to hide all the bad stuff. People are getting fed up that they act like everything is going great, meanwhile anyone who is not rich or part of the CPC is suffering. Not to get too political or historical but with Xi's power grab, China is regressing back to the Mao era, or so it seems.

Silver only relented when he saw the backlash. I mean one person put it perfectly - - "The NBA's mess is literally the only thing that has politics twitter getting along & agreeing with each other"

Pretty crazy that this has all come out of a proposed law that was about extradition. Obviously it's more about China exerting power over an independent HK, but HKers being extradited to China would seem to be pretty low on the human rights abuses by the Chinese government.

Which is notable on its own. When being extradited to face bogus charges + a bogus trial is low on that kind of list.... oof.

 

[Kshahdoo]

NBA not apologizing for Rockets' Morey using freedom of expression - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Pilky01]

Clay Travis has been going off about this, and say what you want about him but he is spot on. Kerr saying "he needs to read more about China" is a bullcrap response. Anyone with non-censored internet knows the truth, but again, money really does buy everything including silence.



Clay Travis on Twitter



I found Nets owner Joe Tsai's statement appalling. Not surprised about what he said given he is a wealthy Chinese businessman (which translates too a CPC mouthpiece) but no need to act like we are all stupid and don't know what we are talking about.

Of note, Joe Tsai travels on a Canadian passport.

 

[Pure West]

Another way to see it would be if a Chinese basketball league got popular in the United States and a GM would openly endorse a white separatist organization in that country. Despite cultural differences also in that situation his resignation and a league-wide apology would likely be the only way out that would defuse the situation. Going political in China is not going to help the NBA in their business, and the athletes seem to realize this. After all they too have millions to lose, each of them.

Comparing protesters fighting to preserve democratic rights against an encroaching repressive dictatorship with white supremacists in a democracy is interesting. But regardless of this obviously nonsense equivalency, I'll agree that this certainly won't help the NBA's business. The Chinese government has the ability to censure or shut down any speech or business activities for whatever reason they want, so if you want a piece of a totalitarian state like China, you have to play ball.

As far as the NBA players keeping quiet, my guess is the Hong Kong protests are not really on the radar of the vast majority of NBA players, unlike many of the domestic social issues that truly affect them, and that is why you're less likely to see any NBA players say anything.