China and the NBA have had a bit of a contentious relationship as of late since it was revealed that the country would cease all relationships with the Houston Rockets over tweets made by their general manager. It's been a weird week for the NBA in this regard as they have faced some pretty harsh criticism for not speaking out against the oppressive Chinese regime. Having said all of that, the NBA and its players are still trying to navigate the situation and at times, neither side has known which course of action to take.
In a new report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, it seems as though LeBron James has been the one to speak up on behalf of the players and is making the argument that it should be up to the league as to how it responds to this situation. As James states, it isn't fair for the players to have to answer questions they aren't equipped to.
Per Charania:
“Lakers star LeBron James spoke up in front of everyone in the room and stated he believed that Silver and the NBA needed to explain and articulate the situation first, before the players would have to, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting told The Athletic. James expressed concern that without the league being able to speak to media to address all of the questions and dynamics about China and the NBA, it was unfair for solely players to bear that responsibility.
James stated that he felt that both teams and all of the players were in this together, and that whatever they decided upon they should stick together, according to sources.”
This situation continues to be a bad look for the NBA and it is clear that for the time being, the profit motive is what's driving their decisions.
