A U.S. senator has demanded answers about the NBA’s relationship with China from the league's commissioner, Adam Silver.
Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee outlined her concerns about the NBA's dealings with the communist country in a letter sent to Silver on Tuesday. She pointed out the regime’s shoddy record when it comes to human rights and democracy, as well as how they covered up details about the coronavirus outbreak that could have potentially saved lives.
In the two-page letter, Blackburn asked Silver to respond to three questions regarding China Central Television's (CCTV) ban on NBA games, the relationship between the league and the Chinese state-owned business Alibaba, and the NBA training center situated in the controversial area of Xinjiang.
She wrote in her letter that the relationship between the US and China is now at a “pivotal moment" that could eventually spur a new cold war. She mentioned the horrific acts of genocide that the Chinese government has been carrying out against ethnic minorities in the country.
In Xinjiang, where the NBA has a training center, as many as 3 million innocent Uyghur Muslims and ethnic Kazakhs are enslaved as political prisoners in concentration camps. These people are regularly subjected to torture, sterilization, rape and organ harvesting simply because of their religious beliefs.
China-NBA relationship highly profitable
The relationship between China and the NBA is worth millions of dollars per year. Last fall, Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey caused controversy when he tweeted a message that encouraged his followers to "stand with Hong Kong" as protestors demonstrated their opposition to a proposed law that could cause citizens to be extradited to mainland China, even though Hong Kong maintains a degree of autonomy from China.
Although the tweet was deleted rather quickly, it led to a months-long feud between the league and China that saw CCTV stop broadcasting NBA games; Silver has stated that the row cost the league a substantial amount of money that was "probably less than 400 million." Various leagues, sponsors, streaming services and partners cut their ties with the Rockets and the NBA in response to the message.
In response, the league released a statement that called the tweet "regrettable" and had their biggest star, LeBron James, call the message "misinformed." Lawmakers were quick to criticize the NBA for the response, accusing them of cowering to the communist government instead of supporting the people of Hong Kong's democratic rights.
And let’s not forget the country's actions related to the coronavirus crisis. Chinese officials withheld their knowledge of the virus for months as they hoarded personal protective equipment, arrested doctors who warned the public about the disease, and destroyed test samples.
The NBA’s relationship with China is a long one the dates back to the 1980s, when the league's former commissioner, David Stern, built a relationship with CCTV to broadcast NBA games. The NBA's presence in China grew significantly during the years of Chinese player Yao Ming, and they’ve held preseason games in China every year since 2007, with one exception.
Last year, NBA fans attending a Washington Wizards game with signs bearing slogans such as “Free Hong Kong” and “Google ‘Uyghurs’” had their property confiscated by security guards at the arena, and a pair of fans were forcibly ejected from an NBA game in Philadelphia after they held up signs that said “Free Hong Kong.” The NBA does not have any rules on the books prohibiting such signs.
The NBA’s handling of recent incidents has led many people, Senator Blackburn included, to believe that their bottom line is a lot more important to them than principles, and it’s hard to believe that anyone who is aware of China’s actions could continue to support the NBA.
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