China asked NBA to fire Rockets exec over Hong Kong tweet: Silver

Who needs China? If it's too hot, then get out of the kitchen. The NBA will survive & thrive without you.

The Chinazi thinking that they can dictate the whole world......

Sad thing is though they will succeed when western corporations care more about money than humanity.

NBA, Apple and Blizzard, cringing before their communist overlords.

The NBA really isn&t the problem- it's all caused by Nike. The shoe company is far bigger than the NBA, which basically only exists as a marketing tool for Nike products. Nike can't lose the China market for their goods, so they lean on the NBA to shut up about human rights.

The NBA is caught in a bind. Their players and executives have been VERY vocal for years about social and politial issues, yet now they become shy and silent? The craven hypocrisy is hard for a lot of people to swallow.

Somebody has to stand up! Just how many more billions do the greedy owners and players need? The league may lose lots of money but it surely won't go out of business. Time to show China's communists that they don't run the show and you can and will survive without them.

Basketball superstar LeBron James, who traveled to China with the Lakers for the exhibition games, this week said Morey "wasn't educated" on the situation and suggested the Rockets executive should have kept his mouth shut.

LeBron 'sold-out' Jame$

Should launch a 'chinese $ matter' movement. No honour no dignity.

Fire China.

LeBron, you are being a hypocrite here. Morey has as much right to support the people of Hong Kong as you do to criticize Trump. Silver at least got that right.

The irony to this tale is PRC demanding others to not interfere with internal issues are demanding independent corporations to fire an employee which is an internal matter of NBA.

Fire him? No way. He needs a few years in a voluntary re education camp cut off completely from family and friends. Only then he will understand how delicate Chinese feelings are.

Chip Star: As I said, WE must act. That includes ALL nations and ALL people, not just people criticising China.

Agreed. The citizens of Hong Kong are a great example of people acting.

"We were being asked to fire him by the Chinese government, by the parties we dealt with, government and business," Silver said during a panel discussion in New York. "We said there's no chance that's happening. There's no chance we'll even discipline him."

these (little) chinese . . . . . . just when i thought they couldn,t go any lower . . .

Send in Dennis Rodman for some basketball diplomacy. He specializes in pandering to these types of rogue regimes.

How can anyone trust a terrorist dictatorship that executed 10 thousand unarmed students in Tiananmen Square?

I am reminded somewhat of 1966, when millions of screaming fanatics loyal to Mao Zedong -- called the Red Guards -- ran rampant in the cities, causing death and destruction that set back China's economic growth by two decades. It was Mao who once said "A single spark can start a prairie fire." Now that can also taken to mean any ideas that deviate from government policy. In the minds of Xi Jinping and his colleagues, differing opinions are not to be tolerated. And those "Red Guards" of the 1960s have become any Chinese citizen who knows what's good for him.

Please don’t give in to the communist

China is not communist. Yes, the ruling party keeps the name but these days (as happens so often) it has nothing to do with the tenets of communism.

In spirit, I agree. Don't give in to totalitarianism.

China is at the edge of over-bullying for political reasons.

Freedom countries are at the edge of accepting it for the mercantilism of a few.

Please don’t give in to the communist

Tiananmen Square Massacre. 1989. The CCP executed students in the square with tanks

Just drops. That massacre was just a drop when you look at the millions dead since Mao.

But the people must ACT not just be voces. First and foremost we need to start holding our own governments to account.

Like the citizens of Hong Kong are doing.

This is a serious overreach by China.

The world needs to call them out each time they do this.

In China apparently, Hong Kong is an issue on par with slavery and racism. 

The difference, of course, is that freedom/democracy is good and slavery/racism is bad.

This is by name only. The CPC embraces none of the principles set out by Karl Marx in his Des Kapital. There's nothing communist with this party.

Ahhh, that’s what they want people to believe now?

You clearly haven’t read Das Kapital or the Communist Manifesto. I’m not a Marxist but I do believe in facts rather than what Fox News regards as Marxism broadcasted via satellite to Japan.

@akie

Everyone should have the freedom of expression, as all Chinese do, but at the same time, everyone has to be subjected to the law of due process, as all Chinese have.

If the law states that you can't say something, then you don't have freedom of expression. Freedom of expression isn't being arrested in the middle of the night to be reeducated because you said your president looks like Winnie the Pooh. No one in China has freedom.

You can't say whatever you want to say, that is simpleton's freedom.

No, it is true freedom. Believing otherwise is being a simpleton.

Exactly. They would rather the world call them communists than pointing out it’s actually an oligarchical dictatorship.

Attilathehungry hit it right on the head, referring to the pressure made by sports companies with one leg in China and another in the U.S. Integrity is what that sets you apart from the rest when everything else is equal.

What a hypocrite LeBron is.

He himself has no qualms about spouting off on controversial issues back in the U.S. that he has no clue about. Perhaps he is the one that needs to shut up.

KariHarukaToday 01:48 pm JSTThe Chinazi thinking that they can dictate the whole world......

Sad thing is though they will succeed when western corporations care more about money than humanity.

The CCP is an illegitimate government that is a 'People's Republic' in name only. Therefore they have no right to go telling anyone anything about anything. They have no say about the NRA or HK for that matter.

CHINA -

Communists Hate Individual Non- Agreement

with their own beliefs.

if you disagree with the CCP, then you will find their Global influence hurting you.. Trump was right there! And others should start to seriously look at what "influence" China is having upon YOU.

SouthPark... well done !

Just imagine - your Smartphone tracks your whereabouts to a place that happens to be Anti-China, and in an instant, you find your Credit rating drops all of a sudden, your bank cards stop working, your employer calls you up, and tells you that you are suspending pending an investigation upon being a disruptive individual, and a week later you're "let go"....

Sounds impossible.. ?

Think again, and closely look at the evidence....

The NBA has no authority to fire or suspend, anybody defending, their right to be free, from oppression

Send Shaq or someone to mollify them.  Sports ambassador.

Sad that these money men have no spine.

On a personal level, I have made some very dear Chinese friends who I've known for decades. We can discuss almost anything but I do not raise such topics as Tibet, Hong Kong, Falungong, etc. because I know that as individuals they have no control over these things. A few have obtained foreign citizenship and became more outspoken, but others are aware that as long as they have family members in China their right to free speech has limits. Almost every Chinese I've ever met has memorized the famous verse by Hungarian Shandor Petefi that goes 生命誠可貴，愛情價更高，但為自由故，兩者皆可拋. (Translation: Life is dear, love is dearer. Both can be given up for freedom.) This is one of many contradictions that Chinese have learned to live with.

But perhaps WE are not, perhaps WE are not making our government accountable, especially when their actions are considered and analysed, especially when we keep harping on the same thing, keep pointing the finger at other nations and ignoring our own nations faults.

What government is yours? I constantly criticize my government, which is the US government.

Lebron complains about Trump but totally kisses butt of an actual dictator because it affects his money.

So, let’s boycott goods made in China!

NBA should counter the attack, and ask for Xi to be fired !

LeBron supports

@Zichi

This goes beyond Capitalism - it's seriously heading towards the Orwellian Society... but with a twist, controlled by the "Power" of another Country... CHINA.

In the US, you cannot say the following without consequences because the comments are racist:

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people", and, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want", but "the little I ask you is ... not to bring them to my games".

The above remarks made by former San Diego Clippers owner Donald Sterling to his mistress brought him a fine of $2.5 million dollars by Adam Silver and the NBA. Sterling was banned from the league for life and forced to sell the Clippers for below the market price of 2 billion dollars.

You're ignoring one very important crucial fact in your comparison here. You can say those things in the US. You can say anything you want. Sterling's punishments were decisions made by the NBA, a private entity. Private entities have every right to put limits on what their employees are and aren't allowed to say. The US government is not allowed to tell you what you can't say. The government of China is trying to control what everyone says, even those not under their control.

LeBron James is right that Daryl Morey "wasn't educated" when he voiced support for the Hong Kong protesters. Hong Kong is complicated and Morey was unaware of how his comment would be received by the Chinese, right or wrong. Morey 100% has a right to speak and voice his support, but forgive Morey, for he knows not the ramifications of what he speaketh.

That's called freedom of speech. It doesn't matter how a comment 'would be received'. He supported Kaepernick's protests, despite how it was 'received' by a huge number of NFL fans. Should he have told Kaepernick that he 'wasn't educated' about the fans feelings, right or wrong?

This all hypocritical BS. It seems Lebron supports freedom of speech until that freedom affects him.

Apparently after the Miami Heat had won a championship and Dwayne Wade was in China basking in the adoration of Chinese fans one summer, watermelon was served on a hot day but the reaction left the hosts scratching their heads. Wade and his entourage got up immediately and left. It would have been good to have been educated on that. The Chinese were not.

I couldn't find any evidence of this online, but if it actually happened, that would have been Wade being a child and overreacting. Pretty much the same thing China is doing.

Freedom is first than money.. Keep crying, lousy dog eater represive China !!!

China' said land. China's culture. China's right. Need a tissue to wipe your tears away?

Ahhh, that’s what they want people to believe now?

No, it's expressly what they don't want people to believe, which is why they call themselves communists.

China should get over this, its been said, now forget it.

Everyone has the right to speak out when he thinks there is injustice, just as everyone has the right to ignore the criticism.

It is time global citizens stared getting more involved and more vocal with all global injustices whether they be in China, the Middle East, the Americas or Europe. But the people must ACT not just be voces. First and foremost we need to start holding our own governments to account.

It's in the interest of everyone to know which buttons not to push, what topics not to bring up, and what foods not to serve.

The Chinese are hyper sensitive and will drop the whole NBA over a comment. Quite unfortunate as there are many youngsters enjoying watching professional basketball games. Comments encroaching the sovereignty of China are treated similarly as hate speech are treated in the US as I've gathered from reading.

In the US, you cannot say the following without consequences because the comments are racist:

"It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you're associating with black people", and, "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want", but "the little I ask you is ... not to bring them to my games".

The above remarks made by former San Diego Clippers owner Donald Sterling to his mistress brought him a fine of $2.5 million dollars by Adam Silver and the NBA. Sterling was banned from the league for life and forced to sell the Clippers for below the market price of 2 billion dollars.

In China apparently, Hong Kong is an issue on par with slavery and racism. Hong Kong represents the humiliation dished out by drug dealer Great Britain. Suffering defeat in war and forced to import opium against her will, China also had Hong Kong taken away and colonized. And so supporting Hong Kong democracy for the Chinese is a re-dishing of the disgrace experienced in the past. It is as taboo as mentioning fried chicken and collard greens to blacks or half black golfers in the US.

Apparently after the Miami Heat had won a championship and Dwayne Wade was in China basking in the adoration of Chinese fans one summer, watermelon was served on a hot day but the reaction left the hosts scratching their heads. Wade and his entourage got up immediately and left. It would have been good to have been educated on that. The Chinese were not.

LeBron James is right that Daryl Morey "wasn't educated" when he voiced support for the Hong Kong protesters. Hong Kong is complicated and Morey was unaware of how his comment would be received by the Chinese, right or wrong. Morey 100% has a right to speak and voice his support, but forgive Morey, for he knows not the ramifications of what he speaketh.

Morey tweeteth the following the day after:

"I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China. I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives. I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA."

Morey is unaware of the national humiliation for his friends in China. The Chinese do not know how watermelons became a racist trope in the US. It would be in the interest of both to be educated.

I loathe kommie pinko Chinese leaders and followers. On behalf of freedom longing Chinese people, allow me to call old panda faced Xi a low life despot panda faced kommie pinko jerk. A freedom longing Chinese cannae even think those thoughts. Hey Xi, you jerk. Yes, I have many social demerits in China. And don’t care. Except I do care for Chinese people who long for freedom.

It's time to take a Stance.

Who do you Support ?

And who you support does that define you ?

You decide.

Dennis Rodman, the NBA needs you! You and your lips are needed at this moment!

NBA has to choose USA or China, it can' t be both

China has portrayed the protesters as violent separatists and bristled at any foreign interference in the matter.

Asking to fire the executive of the Rockets also looks like interference to me.

"I understand there's a point of view from some that we shouldn't be in business at all in China and I'd say from an intellectual standpoint that's fair," Silver said

There is never a moment for a non-Chinese enterprise to sit back and enjoy the view. The political weather is unpredictable and erratic and can change overnight. The rules and boundaries are plainly different.

Chinese shoe brands like Li Ning, Anta and Peak too have NBA stars wearing their brand so China can't afford for their boycott to last long. I think this is just a little fit China is putting up to flex their muscles then they will give in because of the importance of basketball in China. Remember when the 3 UCLA basketball players were arrested for shoplifting. A normal person would have been in prison for years. They were released within a week. I bet this boycott ends by tip off of the first game of the regular season.

NCIS Reruns: This is why we must be constantly vigilant and make our government accountable - give them an inch and they will take a mile. Democracy is much more that just vote and forget. We must not let our government "creep up" on us because we will end up subjects to be ruled instead of citizens that must be listen to.

This is by name only. The CPC embraces none of the principles set out by Karl Marx in his Des Kapital. There's nothing communist with this party.

Ahhh, that’s what they want people to believe now?

The Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuan has issued a clear denial that China did this "I saw that in the news and I specifically checked that with the competent authority. The answer is, the Chinese government has never raised such demands." This is official.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/2511_665403/t1708998.shtml

No, it's expressly what they don't want people to believe, which is why they call themselves communists.

Ok. Like with the NBA you can gobble that garbage from China, we won’t.

In China apparently, Hong Kong is an issue on par with slavery and racism. 

The difference, of course, is that freedom/democracy is good and slavery/racism is bad.

The point was colonialism and slavery I believe.

The NBA stars had press conferences canceled by China and had their hotel under watch by the military. That isn't a situation anyone wants to be in. Lebron even said: "he couldn't hold his comments for another week?" Because the players would have been out of China.

China is the NBA's second largest market. At first the NBA was against Morey. But once they also got backlash from fans back home, they decided to defend him.

Many players are upset with Morey and the NBA not because of his comments, but the dangerous situation he placed the players in while they were abroad. He made the comments while multiple teams were in China. He could have placed their lives in danger. China has rules that sometimes come out of nowhere and people are held for questioning due to those rules. He placed the players in an unnecessary risky situation. Also, the players are upset by the double standard. When the players take sides or say something that costs the NBA money, those players are fined and suspended. While nothing happened to Morey.

Everyone has the right to speak out when he thinks there is injustice, just as everyone has the right to ignore the criticism. 

Your point is?

China is not communist. Yes, the ruling party keeps the name but these days (as happens so often) it has nothing to do with the tenets of communism.

No one is buying that for a second.

Communist Party of China is the founding and ruling political party of China.

Since 2018, the main body of the Chinese constitution declares that "the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC)."The 2018 amendments constitutionalized the de facto one-party state status of China, wherein the General Secretary (party leader) holds ultimate power and authority over state and government and serves as the paramount leader of China.The electoral system is pyramidal. Local People's Congresses are directly elected, and higher levels of People's Congresses up to the National People's Congress (NPC) are indirectly elected by the People's Congress of the level immediately below.The political system is decentralized, and provincial and sub-provincial leaders have a significant amount of autonomy. Another eight political parties, have representatives in the NPC and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).China supports the Leninist principle of "democratic centralism",but critics describe the elected National People's Congress as a "rubber stamp" body.

Chip Star: "The citizens of Hong Kong are a great example of people acting."

But perhaps WE are not, perhaps WE are not making our government accountable, especially when their actions are considered and analysed, especially when we keep harping on the same thing, keep pointing the finger at other nations and ignoring our own nations faults.

My government is Australia and, has you know, we vote for a Prime Minister who, in turn, reports to Washington. From the state of our nations, it would appear that both your and my criticism is falling on deaf ears, we are being ignored. Both our governments would prefer we "finger point" that hold them to account.

Chip Star: As I said, WE must act. That includes ALL nations and ALL people, not just people criticising China.

Triring: "The irony to this tale is PRC demanding others to not interfere with internal issues".

Agreed, our government will always encourage us to point the finger at others rather than hold them, our government, to account. We must be careful not to try to solve other nations problems and, in the process, let our government put us in the same position as to the nations we criticise.

"LeBron, you are being a hypocrite here. Morey has as much right to support the people of Hong Kong as you do to criticize Trump."

And China has as much right to criticize Morey as he does to support HK.

The NBA has the right to criticise China over whatever and China has the right to ban the NBA from China for the criticism including asking the firing Morey. Whether or not the MBA fire Morey is up to them. However, one needs to consider if the criticism is racially motivated or if China is being singled out for political reasons and the commentators are being hypocritical and ignoring the same behaviour, that  they are criticising, in other nations.

Everyone should have the freedom of expression, as all Chinese do, but at the same time, everyone has to be subjected to the law of due process, as all Chinese have.

You can't say whatever you want to say, that is simpleton's freedom.