LeBron James: My Friends And I Had A Difficult Week Because Of Daryl Morey’s Misinformed Tweet For Freedom (UPDATES ADDED)
[guest post by Dana]
In yet another craven display of self-interest, where financial gain takes priority over principles, LeBron James has weighed in on Daryl Morey and his since-deleted tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters that ignited a firestorm last week:
“I think that’s another situation that should stay behind closed doors. I think when we all sit back and learn from the situation that happened, understand that what you could tweet or could say… We all talk about this freedom of speech. Yes, we all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you’re not thinking about others, and you’re only thinking about yourself. I don’t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke. And so many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, spiritually. So just be careful what we tweet and what we say, and what we do. Even though yes, we do have freedom of speech, but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that too.”
Oh, what bullshit! Do these clowns ever listen to the word vomit that comes out of their mouths?!! Exactly what about Morey’s tweet, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong,” makes James believe he was misinformed or uneducated about Hong Kong protesters and China? Because, by making that accusation, James presumes to know something that Morey doesn’t know about the situation, and I would sure like to know what that is. But of course James doesn’t know anything that Morey doesn’t, rather he’s just another yes man in the NBA parroting the company line of defense. Instead of being able to provide a persuasive argument to convince us why Morey is uninformed, James instead makes empty accusations. It’s all he’s got. And it’s utterly rich for him to say, without an ounce of self-awareness, that when you say things or do things, others might be directly impacted and things might actually change as a result. That’s exactly what the Hong Kong protesters are fighting for! Just spitballing here, but I don’t think it’s the Hong Kong protesters that James is concerned about… Anyway, I do wonder what it would take for James and his NBA pals to make a loud stand for freedom and democracy and say the hell with More Money. Frankly, I’m beginning to think that not much of anything would compel these money-grabbing whores to shout for freedom if it means taking a hit in their wallets. The question now is, which oppressed people won’t they sell out to make sure their empires remain intact? This, people, is what privilege looks like.
James, seeing that his tweet hadn’t been well-received, attempted later to clarify his comments:
Let me clear up the confusion. 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.
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. Could have waited a week to send it.
Oh boo-hoo, you and your multi-millionaire teammates had a difficult week facing potential salary-cap ramifications if this issue doesn’t get resolved! You faced some hard criticism, and financial consequences from the Chinese government and now the relationship is…strained? Oh, no! And because you face the loss of a few million dollars here and there, you are going to lecture us, and act like your difficult week is right up there with the difficult week that imprisoned Muslim Uighurs and Hong Kong protesters have had? Seriously?? By chastising Morey for not waiting a week to tweet out his support for Hong Kong protesters, James tells us all we need to know about himself, and about his non-functioning moral compass.
And I’m going to suggest, King James, that Daryl Morey absolutely thought about what a tweet of support from a popular American figure would do for the protesters in Hong Kong, and that’s why he sent it in the first place. Clearly he was moved by a more noble cause than the lucrative financial dealings of the NBA. Likely he, along with Americans in every walk of life who have voiced their support for the protesters, knew that words of encouragement – especially from a public figure – might bolster morale and let the freedom fighters know that Americans stand with them because we stand for liberty. However, I doubt that the protesters are giving much thought to arrogant American basketball players worried about the flow of money from China and how this might impact their bottom line. No, I’m guessing they’re just a little bit preoccupied with overcoming fear and exhaustion as they courageously push back against the iron fist of totalitarianism:
Chinese president, Xi Jinping has said any attempt to divide China will be crushed. “Anyone attempting to split China in any part of the country will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones,” he said in a meeting with leaders during a visit to Nepal on Sunday, according to China’s state broadcaster, CCTV.
At a pro-democracy rally yesterday, thousands of these young protesters continue to look to the US for strength and hope and support:
“Fight for freedom, fight for Hong Kong”… [and] called for international support in their fight for democracy. One speaker called on US senators to vote for the proposed Hong Kong human rights and democracy act of 2019, saying it would be their “most powerful weapon”. Some protesters waved US flags.
And this, Lebron James, is what these protesters, with steel in their spines and courage in their hearts, believe with every fiber of their being: that to “say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well“. This is their sacred prayer.
“We are exhausted and scared, many of us have been detained and tortured … We believe international help will come one day,” said the main speaker, who gave his name as Isaac.
Just don’t look to the NBA for that help, Isaac. They’re too busy counting their money.
Oh, funny this:
UPDATE: Apparently LeBron James lecture to American and Hong Kong supporters of freedom hasn’t gone over well with the Hong Kong protesters:
The demonstrators chanted support for Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, something of a hero among protesters in Hong Kong for having tweeted in support of their struggle — infuriating authorities in China.
“People are angry,” said James Lo, a web designer who runs a Hong Kong basketball fan page on Facebook.
He said he’s already received a video from a protester that showed him burning a No. 23 jersey bearing the hoops great’s name.
“Students, they come out like every weekend. They’ve got tear-gassed and then they got gun-shot, like every weekend,” he added. “Police beating students and then innocent people, like every day. And then he (James) just comes up with something (like) that. We just can’t accept that.
Protesters said his comments smacked of a double standard, because he’s used his clout as a sports superstar to press for social causes in the US.
“Please remember, all NBA players, what you said before: ‘Black lives matter.’ Hong Kong lives also matter!” one of the protesters, William Mok, 36, told a crowd of hundreds.
Others said James’ comments made it seem like he’s more worried about money than people.
“James was trying, you know, to take a side, on the China side, which is like ridiculous,” said Aaron Lee, 36, a marketing director. “He was being honest, financially. Financial is money. Simple as that. LeBron James stands for money. Period.”
In a display of contempt for the player on Tuesday, many hurled basketballs at a photo of his face sitting atop a hoop.
LeBron and his pals’ hard week just got a whole lot worse… Shame on the lot of them.
UPDATE #2: Lebron James reportedly argued that Daryl Morey should have been punished for his tweet:
NBA star LeBron James reportedly pressured the NBA to punish the Rockets’ General Manager Daryl Morey after he tweeted support for Hong Kong.
James argued that if something a NBA player had tweeted had cost the league money they would have been punished, and questioned why the same wasn’t happening to Morey, according to Dave McMenamin on ESPN.
“Nearly a week ago today, in a Shanghai hotel room, or Shanghai hotel ballroom, Adam Silver got up and addressed the players, and LeBron James is one of the players who got up and spoke and said, ‘Hey, what are we doing here? Daryl Morey made these statements,’” McMenamin recalled on air Tuesday. “You know damn well if a player made the same statements and caused such poor ramifications for the league, there would be some sort of league recourse.”
“There would be repercussions the player has to pay. You know, potentially this tweet could cost the NBA hundreds of millions of dollars. That could come out of the players’ pockets, and so that’s the double standard that was being addressed in that meeting,” he continued.
The comments by James were made during a players meeting on Oct. 9 before the Lakers vs. Nets game in Shanghai, according to a report published by The Athletic.
Well, at least we have solid confirmation that the only concern LeBron and his pals had in this whole sordid mess was how hard this was going to hit their bank accounts.
UPDATE #3:
Tagging @KingJames on this one. On our worst day, we are blessed to be in America. ❤️🇺🇸 https://t.co/J6vB2b5uvi
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 15, 2019
(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)
–Dana
Good morning.
Dana (05f22b) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:18 amThis is superb.
DRJ (15874d) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:21 amI don’t have much of a vote. My lifetime contribution to the NBA has been four tickets to a Bulls game in 1991 when we had a couple of friends visiting us. I bought five Bulls hats, too, for them to take back as souvenirs, but they were from a street vendor at $6 each so I doubt the NBA got any cut from that. China, sure.
nk (dbc370) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:26 amExcellent post. Of course, the new party-line put out by the Lefty sportswriters is that while James “Misspoke” on China, he’s still good on “Domestic Justice”. Aka he hates Trump and supports Liberal Democrats.
I’m not sure why Basketball players need to make Foreign Policy statements or give us their opinion on Trump – but if they decide to go public they can be criticized and held to the same standard. The NBA has made it clear with China – and other issues in the past – they’re all for Truth, Justice, and the American Way UNLESS it costs them $$$. Then its blah,blah, that’s different.
rcocean (1a839e) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:47 amRemarkably, I’ve spent even less on the Bulls buying 2 tickets to one game in the 2000-2001 season.
Now I dare the Quinton Spencer or whoever Kenan Thompson plays on SNL to say “aint nothin gonna happen” – either the seats are emptier or all the 30 markets are gonna have home games that resemble Wizard or Hawk games.
urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:49 amHe’s not a mere uninformed yes man. He’s actively profiting from, and openly supporting, what we mistakenly keep calling a communist country engaging in a little capitalism on the side. China is a textbook fascist state with all that entails.
And if you think I’m over the top with my openly supporting non-sense, on the Blizzard issue, their statement in China was we will defend China. LeBron’s statement is a paraphrasing of China’s official policy on free speech.
Frosty, Fp (f27e97) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:57 amI do find it amusing that some NBA players are suggesting that Morey should be fined/penalized for speaking out for freedom and hurting the NBA’s bottom line….Not a very good look.
Still, a business trying to market in China….should in fact be very very careful about weighing in on human rights and individual liberty abuses in that country. Yes, the players are hypocritical oftentimes in supporting every leftist cause and potentially alienating conservative basketball fans….but the league needs to decide….is the autocratic and totalitarian nature of the Chinese regime something that they are comfortable snuggling up with? However, it seems at least plausible to postulate that increased market liberalization (a greater NBA presence)….might eventually lead to greater individual liberty…and that Morey’s tweets are just virtue signaling…make us feel good…but in the end change nothing but sour the relationship. I like to see our politicians virtue signal….and our pundits….and our advocates. Our business people can’t have half their team marketing to China….and the other half criticizing China….and Morey should have made his case to the other owners….
AJ_Liberty (ec7f74) — 10/15/2019 @ 10:05 amyes it’s a regime, much the kuomingtang, that it replaced, so ‘aint gonna play sun city’ that was an 80s antidivestment chant with south Africa, which had a more critical place in terms of resources in the 80s
narciso (d1f714) — 10/15/2019 @ 10:14 amThe NBA is giving its followers lessons on the limits of woke. I think I want to hear even less from them about anything political.
Appalled (1a17de) — 10/15/2019 @ 10:28 amThese NBA Star Mooks… looks like their #wokestopsattheborder
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 11:01 amSpoiled brat has sold his soul for the benjamins. I wouldn’t want him selling my product.
mg (8cbc69) — 10/15/2019 @ 11:10 amSo what’s the problem here? Morality is now transactional, just like everything else. If you don’t believe me, you could check with Individual 1.
John B Boddie (31ccf0) — 10/15/2019 @ 11:13 amThere are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers. You think our country is so innocent?
Dave (eaca7e) — 10/15/2019 @ 11:57 am‘another craven display of self-interest, where financial gain takes priority over principles…’
Indeed, a sordid part of the ‘American character’ from the beginning; start w/t slavery clause struck from the DoI. The Chinese seem to know us better than we know ourselves.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:08 pm14… you would have that be uniquely American, yes?
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:24 pmwell if he hadn’t been beating the drums from Sanford on, I’d cut him a break, he’s very much much one of mickey’s men, re south park
narciso (d1f714) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:28 pmWonder how Americans would react if you replaced ‘NBA’ with ‘Exxon/Mobil’– and instead of basketball players, these were corporate execs excuse-tweeting and so on…
Exxon/Mobil cut a 20-year deal w/China to provide LNG.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/23/exxon-mobil-agrees-to-a-20-year-lng-deal-with-chinas-zhejiang-energy.html
Profits over principles.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:30 pmSanford and Son?
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:30 pmZimmerman, coronello, the previous abc nbc new York times chimp circus,
narciso (d1f714) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:36 pmDamn it! Ruined a good comeback…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 12:38 pmTry taking a knee during the PRC anthem and see what happens.
Run out onto the court with “hands up don’t shoot” Tee shirts on over a hong kong protester.
Its easy to bash the US because you have a protected right to speech.
The people who are uneducated or undereducated are the NBA players who believe everything a Black Studies professor told them
steveg (354706) — 10/15/2019 @ 1:02 pmIt’s so easy to be a mighty social justice warrior in the good old USA where it costs you nothing, but so hard to stand for real justice when it just might cost you everything (or at least a couple of million bucks…).
Dana (05f22b) — 10/15/2019 @ 1:04 pm22… yes… and that sentiment posterizes James and several others.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 1:07 pmUPDATE: Apparently LeBron James lecture to American and Hong Kong supporters of freedom hasn’t gone over well with the Hong Kong protesters:
Dana (05f22b) — 10/15/2019 @ 1:11 pm“In a display of contempt for the player on Tuesday, many hurled basketballs at a photo of his face sitting atop a hoop.”
That’s going to steer him into one of his patented Man-Child Sulks…
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 1:35 pmUPDATE #2: Lebron James reportedly argued that Daryl Morey should have been punished for his tweet:
Well, at least we have solid confirmation that the only concern LeBron and his pals had in this whole sordid mess was how hard this was going to hit their bank accounts.
Dana (05f22b) — 10/15/2019 @ 1:42 pmJames loves his role as the slave, to his Chinese masters.
iowan2 (9c8856) — 10/15/2019 @ 2:38 pm17. How many energy companies were competing for that Natural Gas deal? Exxon Mobile
is competing in a global market. A commodities market.
The NBA is not a commodity. There is only one NBA. The NBA holds leverage over China.
The NBA draws 1.4 million viewers across all platforms per game in the USA
The NBA draws 700 million viewers in China
The NBA could use that leverage to get concessions from the Chinese. Its a risk. They
may miss some huge opportunity rewards. Not loose $, just fail to make more.
This exposes the lie of Social Justice Warriors. They come out of their parents basement, scream about the evil of the week, but have no skin in the game. When you risk your livelhood and safety of self, and family, maybe I will look up…probably no.
iowan2 (9c8856) — 10/15/2019 @ 2:54 pmwell that’s that,
https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/15/joe-walsh-fec-campaign-funding/
narciso (d1f714) — 10/15/2019 @ 3:37 pmSamuel H. Quinn
@SamQuinnCBS
But what I don’t understand is this widespread treatment of Daryl Morey, an MIT-educated statistician that has succeeded in practically everything that he has ever done, as someone who would comment on such a sensitive topic without feeling informed on it.
__ _
T-Rod
@TezeWeze
Morey went to MIT! I’m sure he was well educated!
__ _
tommy bolt
harkin (6776a3) — 10/15/2019 @ 4:33 pm@tomasbolt58
St. Vincent–St. Mary High School is like the MIT of Akron… or something
_
I remember a few years ago when the G-7 or 8 or whatever were going to meet in China.
The groups that had consistently protested about Western Imperialism (banks), injustices, and totalitarianism were asked if they intended to protest again in China. They said, essentially, no way in hell because in China they could be jailed and possibly never seen again.
And they said that with no apparently indication of seeing the irony.
jim2 (a5dc71) — 10/15/2019 @ 4:53 pmThere would be repercussions the player has to pay. You know, potentially this tweet could cost the NBA hundreds of millions of dollars. That could come out of the players’ pockets, and so that’s the double standard that was being addressed in that meeting,” he continued.
So, the conclusion is that alienating Trump supporters or the whole “Kneeling during the anthem” or “Black lives matter” stuff was NOT costing the NBA large sums of $$. Interesting. I think it obvious the NBA sees its future in China – and some other countries – with a relatively small fanbase in the USA. I’m more than willing to accelerate the process by not watching or caring.
rcocean (1a839e) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:02 pmScott Adams has labeled LeBron the “Dumbest guy in the NBA”, which is unfair. He may be greedy, and he may be relatively stupid on politics, but he’s definitely smarter than a lot of NBA players. Just listen to his interviews vs. those of other players.
rcocean (1a839e) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:04 pmLeBron James appears to be having some issues with the idea of freedom of speech.
Of course, I’m a bit prejudiced on this because of conversations I’ve had with parents who called to “report” their kids teachers:
“Ma’am, many people wear a bikini to go swimming.”
Nic (896fdf) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:10 pm“I’m very sorry to hear that Mr. Teacher is having trouble in his marriage, that’s very sad.”
“Yes, sir, I understand, however teachers do have a right to a social life after work.”
“I understand that you don’t like their yard sign, but everyone has a right to their own political opinion.”
“Medical information is private.”
“I don’t know. I hope you and student enjoyed the game too, though. I’m afraid that going to the ball game is not an excused absence. Should I let attendance know?”
So, the conclusion is that alienating Trump supporters or the whole “Kneeling during the anthem” or “Black lives matter” stuff was NOT costing the NBA large sums of $$
My impression of the NBA fan base demographic is that blacks are a substantial portion of it, possibly a majority. Another large segment serms to be white liberals. So any support of BLM would have benefited the NBA, not hurt it.
Well, at least we have solid confirmation that the only concern LeBron and his pals had in this whole sordid mess was how hard this was going to hit their bank accounts.
I think James was complaining about what he thinks is a double standard. He’s saying that if the tweet were from a player, not an owner or high management, the NBA would have punished the player…and the fact that it didn’t punish DM is proof of that alleged double standard.
Kishnevi (2009b0) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:16 pmI’m more than willing to accelerate the process by not watching or caring.
Can’t help you there since I never watched NBA games in the first place.
Speaking of boring contests full of talkative showboaters, is anyone watching the Democratic debate tonight?
Kishnevi (2009b0) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:20 pmI think it would be a good idea to sit down and consider how different the world would be if Ted Cruz had been elected President. As it is, I wonder which solemn commitment that Trump will irrationally abandon next week. I also wonder what is keeping China from snapping up the low-hanging fruit (e.g. Quemoy and Matsu).
Kevin M (19357e) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:24 pmSpeaking of boring contests full of talkative showboaters, is anyone watching the Democratic debate tonight?
Collectively these 12 angry critters wouldn’t get enough electoral votes to beat Trump. I could never watch it. Im sure ill hear sound bites.
mg (8cbc69) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:29 pm34… well, Nic, if you work at a school in California, you may be soon getting a lot more questions from parents, such as “why is it important to teach my pre-adolescent child that a mid-1850s stagecoach driver named Charlie Parkinson was really a woman cross-dressed as a man, or “why is it a priority that my kid is taught that Sally Ride was not only the first female astronaut, she has as also a lesbian?”
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:34 pmWas also… effing iPhone!
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:37 pm@39 Probably not. I’ve seen the history curriculum.
Also Ms. Ride seems to have been bi.
And elementary school is not known for remembering to do history at all.
Nic (896fdf) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:41 pmWell the 1619 project, howard zinn or probably jill lepore electric boogaloo.
narciso (d1f714) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:44 pmI sincerely hope that I will have an opportunity to vote for Nikki Haley for President. And the sooner the better.
Gary Hoffman (62f212) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:52 pmhttps://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/10/lebron-james-useful-idiot-part-2.php#disqus_thread
mg (8cbc69) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:52 pm33. To call LeBron James smarter than most of the NBA superstar stable is damning with faint praise.
Gryph (08c844) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:54 pm31. Irony is bad for business. Hypocrisy? Not so much.
Gryph (08c844) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:54 pmDemocratic debate open thread is up.
Dana (05f22b) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:56 pmI think this is also true, but the root of the complaint is that money is involved, and do you really think if Morey pointed out something less consequential to LeBron’s bank account, he would get his undies in such a twist? Also, LeBron is a player, Morey is management. That isn’t unusual in business hierarchies, whether private or public. So unless owners, management and players are considered on a par with each other, and held to the same standard of accountability, then there is no double-standard.
Dana (05f22b) — 10/15/2019 @ 6:00 pm41… California parents are aware of the curriculum, as well. There’s no mention of Ride being bi, written text that she was the first female astronaught and she was a lesbian. Parents are made aware that courts have decided school boards have the power to specify any curriculum they see fit. No opt out option given to parents who believe that sort of information should be left up to parents, other than private schools.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/15/2019 @ 6:19 pm@49 She was married to a guy in the 80s.
Parents cannot opt their kid out of an entire subject area, but in my district at least, parents can opt their kids out of particular sections of it. I have students who sit in the library and do alternative assignments for the entire sex ed section of health class, for example.
Nic (896fdf) — 10/15/2019 @ 7:28 pm@48 Aren’t we supposed to stop calling them owners?
Frosty, Fp (f27e97) — 10/15/2019 @ 9:03 pmHe didn’t mean he was misinformed or uneducated about Hong Kong protesters and China. He meant he was not educated about the probable reaction of the government of China to criticism of its human rights record, or its sovereignty over Hong Kong (the government is calling the protesters a separatist movement, so it could mean he wasn’t educated about hiw this challenged Chinee nationalism) and the raminications to the NBA and its employees:
Harmed physically could mean angry Chinese citizens (the government of China pretends all this outrage is spontaneous) could result in attacks on and harm to American basketball players.
Sammy Finkelman (3efdba) — 10/16/2019 @ 8:18 am37. Kevin M (19357e) — 10/15/2019 @ 5:24 pm
It would make it much more difficult to take over Taiwan one of these days.
Sammy Finkelman (3efdba) — 10/16/2019 @ 8:20 amActually china has cut back the artificial islands.
narciso (d1f714) — 10/16/2019 @ 8:21 am@51 Yes. Besides China owns in the NBA, in several ways.
rcocean (1a839e) — 10/16/2019 @ 8:28 amMy impression of the NBA fan base demographic is that blacks are a substantial portion of it, possibly a majority. Another large segment serms to be white liberals. So any support of BLM would have benefited the NBA, not hurt it.
That could be correct. IRC, the NBA finals averaged 20 million/game and 1/2 of that was Black folks – who make up 12-13% of the USA.
rcocean (1a839e) — 10/16/2019 @ 8:31 amLeBron James is the true Peking Duck.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/16/2019 @ 10:14 amThe WSJ schools with an article titled
Did a Chinese Muslim Slave Make Your Shirt?
School was never LeBrons thing (though I do think he is a smart man) so my guess is he will not take the lesson
steveg (354706) — 10/17/2019 @ 3:01 pm