NBA Chooses Dollars Over 'Democracy' (Again)
Al Jazeera reports the NBA is back in China, having apparently resolved its 'pro-democracy fallout' from 2019. This 'fallout' stemmed from a Houston Rockets executive's tweet supporting Hong Kong protestors. The league, ever so bold when discussing American social issues, promptly buckled under Chinese pressure, with LeBron James himself famously suggesting the Rockets exec was 'misinformed' and
'could have been thought out' (he meant 'thoughtful'). The NBA's previous condemnation of China's human rights abuses, including the Uyghur genocide, now seems to have been less about actual democracy and more about finding a convenient line in the sand—until, of course, the tide of yuan washes it away. This isn't about democracy; it's about market access. The NBA's willingness to silence
criticism of Beijing's brutal human rights record, including the forced labor and concentration camps documented by the UN, shows where its true loyalties lie (Al Jazeera, 2025). One might wonder if their next 'social justice' campaign will involve critical analysis of revenue streams rather than performative statements. How much is a basketball league's 'moral stand' worth when billions are on
the line? Apparently, precisely zero.