Lakers star LeBron James is blaming Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey for hurting the NBA's lucrative relationship with China (column by helenenothelen)
LeBron James says Rockets general manager Daryl Morey didn’t consider the consequences of a tweet he sent out in support of the Hong Kong protests.“My team and this league just went through a difficult week. I think people need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others. And I believe nobody stopped and considered what would happen.”
So, it was the timing rather than Morey’s pro-human rights sentiment that was objectionable? If James takes to Twitter again, maybe he can clarify that too.in China were canceled and advertisers pulled their company names off the playing floor. China’s state-run TV station and another NBA partner, tech company Tencent, didn’t show or stream the games.
Don’t underestimate the extent of players’ concern about Morey’s tweet costing them money. Business was at the top of the agenda for the China trip for the league and for players whose shoes, jerseys and images are coveted there. James made that clear. Asked if having nongame events canceled had enabled the Lakers to more strongly bond, he answered affirmatively.
Lakers star LeBron James sits on the bench before an exhibition game against the Brooklyn Nets in China on Oct. 12.“A lot of individual appearances got canceled so it kept us even closer,” he said.
Players didn’t speak to the media while in China, and James said Monday they didn’t feel well-enough informed to address the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong who inspired Morey’s since-deleted tweet. In addition, Commissioner Adam Silver’s scheduled news conference in China was canceled. “I think when we all sit back and learn from the situation that happened, understand that what you could tweet or could say — and we all talk about this freedom of speech,” James said.
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