Politicians and media personalities took to Twitter and unloaded on NBA star LeBron James after he sided with China by assessing that Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey “wasn’t educated” for tweeting support of the pro-freedom movement in Hong Kong.
The left-wing activist made waves Monday evening after proclaiming that Morey “wasn’t educated on the situation” in Hong Kong and suggested that the general manager’s tweet could have had “ramifications for the negative”:
James tried to soften his remarks on Twitter after his remarks went viral, claiming that his team and the league “went through a difficult week.”
“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,” he wrote, adding, “Could have waited a week to send it.
“Let me clear up the confusion. I do not believe there was any consideration for the consequences and ramifications of the tweet,” he continued, arguing that he was “not discussing the substance”:
James’ explanation did not sit well with many notable personalities in both media and politics.
“The @NBA had a tough week?” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) asked. “The million+ Uyghurs Communist China has in re-education camps had a tough week. The people of HK fighting for human rights & autonomy had a tough week.”
“You’re right, @KingJames,” the Florida lawmaker continued. “People need to understand what a tweet or statement can do to others”:
“Having just been in Hong Kong – on the streets & with the protestors – this kind of garbage is hard to take,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) responded.
“LeBron, are YOU educated on ‘the situation’? Why don’t you go to Hong Kong? Why don’t you meet the people there risking their lives for their most basic liberties,” he added:
“Let me clear up the confusion. Lebron James cares more about selling sneakers in China than American values,” the Hill’s Chief Washington Correspondent Saagar Enjeti wrote.
“His performative wokeness over the years has been utterly exposed,” he added:
“I defended LeBron James on-air when President Trump attacked him. I thought it was a bad move by POTUS. Given this incredibly cowardly statement, perhaps I was wrong?” CNN political commentator Steve Cortes wrote. “Seems LeBron cares about two things: money…and himself…”:
“LeBron James @KingJames says Daryl Morey was ‘misinformed’ and ‘wasn’t educated’ for tweeting ‘Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong.’ Frankly, it is a little surprising Morey didn’t understand the NBA cares more about $ than freedom or human rights,” MLB Network insider Jon Heyman tweeted:
“There is no confusion to clear up, @KingJames,” CNN political correspondent MJ Lee wrote. “You were quite clear: a tweet that stated ‘Fight for freedom, stand for Hong Kong’ was, in your own words, ‘misinformed'”:
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The pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong also reacted to James’ condemnation of support for their movement with disappointment.
As Breitbart News reported:
Supporters of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement expressed disappointment with James online. According to the Hollywood Reporter, which cataloged reactions on the Hong Kong forum LIHKG, users speculated on what interest James would have in defending the Communist Party of China, which is responsible for the systematic rape, torture, murder, indoctrination, and enslavement of between 1 to 3 million people in concentration camps, most of its victims members of the Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority.
‘Has he been brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party’s fake news or has he been bought?’ a user asked. Another lamented that an American ‘would not cherish the precious freedom of speech they [Americans] have.’
While China’s English-language state media has yet to explicitly weigh in on James’ remarks, it has extended general praise to the NBA’s pro-China “stars,” as Breitbart News detailed.