Florida’s Republican Senator Marco Rubio blasted the NBA for politicizing the Uvalde school shooting while remaining silent about the brutalities perpetrated by their largest business partner, China.
The Miami Heat’s announcer kicked off the Eastern Conference finals game Wednesday night by announcing a moment of silence in the wake of the murder of more than 20 people at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
“The Heat organization, the Boston Celtics and the NBA family also mourn those who lost their lives in the senseless shooting that took place yesterday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” the announcer said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are also with the victims of the horrific shooting today at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas,” the announcer added. “We mourn with their families and friends and the entire community after this unspeakable tragedy.”
But after the moment of silence, the announcer urged fans to contact members of the U.S. Senate “to leave a message demanding their support for common-sense gun laws.” He also encouraged fans to register to vote ahead of the coming midterm elections.
The immediate politicization of the crime in Texas sent Sen. Rubio to his Twitter account to blast the NBA.
“The @NBA doesn’t like to talk about the billions they make from a China that enslaves Uyghur Muslims and harvests their organs,” Rubio tweeted, adding, “But they have no problem politicizing a horrific tragedy in America.”
Indeed, the NBA’s owners reportedly have a minimum of ten billion invested in China through their various business interests, according to reports. And the league itself is reportedly into China to the tune of $5 billion.
Even as the Miami Heat’s announcer piously turned Wednesday’s moment of silence into a plea for left-wing political issues, the team’s owner, Micky Arison, has invested $375 million in a Chinese shipbuilding firm that builds ships for China’s Navy.
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