Once accused of sympathizing with China’s authoritarian regime, LeBron James has now co-written an op-ed for the ruling Communist Party’s national newspaper in hopes of strengthening ties between the US and the world’s most populous country.
‘Basketball is not only a sport, but also a bridge that connects us,’ James wrote, along with a reporter from the People’s Daily. ‘The passion flows in our hearts.’
The Los Angeles Lakers star recently competed a tour of the country, which included stops in Shanghai and Chengdu. The trip was the 15th of his career to China, where he praised the enthusiasm for the sport and the country’s young players.
‘I also have three children and I know that basketball can inspire generations of people to pursue their dreams,’ James wrote, according to a translation from the South China Morning Post. ‘Seeing so many young basketball lovers in China, I hope I can also contribute to the development of Chinese basketball.’
James has been a highly paid Nike athlete since breaking into the NBA in 2003 – about 15 years after the apparel giant began manufacturing its products in China to reduce labor costs.
Nike’s business practices in China have been the source of controversy for decades. In 2020, the Oregon-based company faced reports linking one of its suppliers to the use of slave labor among China’s ethnic Uyghur population – a group that has faced persecution, and in some cases imprisonment, from the regime in Beijing.
Lakers star LeBron James is seen on his recent tour of China – his 15th trip to the country
LeBron James attends a fan meeting during his 2025 China Tour on September 5
Hot off the presses, James’ op-ed in the Communist Party newspaper is seen Monday
The company has denied sourcing products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), while reiterating its commitment to avoiding the use of products from forced labor in its supply chains. Furthermore, Nike works with the Fair Labor Association and the Better Work Programme to monitor conditions at its factories abroad, according to a company statement.
However, critics have taken issue with the company’s ability to audit its suppliers and Nike itself has acknowledged challenges in monitoring foreign suppliers using migrant labor.
‘NIKE frequently convenes supplier events, or learning communities, designed to share information on NIKE expectations, developments on local policies/legislation, and other sustainability and labor best practices, including those related to management of migrant workers, a challenge that is faced by many of our suppliers and vendors in countries where it is common to recruit workers cross-border,’ read a 2022 statement.
James and the NBA came under scrutiny in the US and in Hong Kong in October 2019 after then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey voiced support for protestors against the communist regime.
‘Fight for freedom,’ the graphic in Morey’s post read, ‘Stand with Hong Kong.’
At the time, James’ Lakers were set to play a pair of preseason games in China as anti-government protestors in Hong Kong were facing crackdowns from Beijing.
Protestors in Hong Kong redrew historic images of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre to show James driving one of the tanks. Others held up signs expressing anger at James
James is made to look like Mao Zedong in this picture from a 2019 protest in Hong Kong
A protester in a Lebron mask holding a RMB note during the demonstration. Protesters gathered to express their anger about Lebron James’s tweet during the 2019 scandal
Then, upon returning to the US, James attacked Morey over the post, saying the executive was ‘misinformed’ about the situation in Hong Kong.
‘I don’t want to get into a [verbal] feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke,’ James said.
In a subsequent Twitter post, James added: ‘I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that.’
In a final post on the subject, James bemoaned the timing of Morey’s message, which came as the Lakers and Nets were playing preseason games in the country.
‘My team and this league just went through a difficult week,’ James wrote. ‘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. Could have waited a week to send it.’
The consequences for the NBA were severe.
Morey’s post ignited anger against the league in China, where the NBA, its teams, owners and many of its its players have done billions of dollars’ worth of business over the last three decades.
As a result, many NBA games were blacked out in the country and the league estimated it lost between $200 million and $400 million as a result of the scandal.
However, commissioner Adam Silver never forced Morey to apologize and league games eventually returned to Chinese networks.
Meanwhile, James quickly went from a beloved basketball God in Hong Kong and among many Chinese Americans to a symbol of Beijing’s powerful influence around the world.
Protestors in Hong Kong redrew historic images of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre to show James driving one of the tanks. Other images were doctored to make James look like the regime’s founding father, Mao Zedong.
A protester holds a poster at the Southorn Playground in Hong Kong on October 15, 2019
As for mainland China, the NBA continues to make inroads back into the country.
The league recently signed a multi-year deal to play preseason games in Macau, where retired NBA stars Tim Hardaway Sr, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion, Shaquille O’Neal, Mitch Richmond and Deron Williams will be on hand for an event.
James concluded his op-ed by thanking Chinese fans for the ‘incredible reception’ he received in the country.
‘Every time I come here, my family and I are warmly welcomed,’ he wrote. ‘I am deeply moved by the hospitality and friendliness of our Chinese friends. All I can do is give my all in every match and express my gratitude to everyone.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .