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LeBron James has chimed in on the Daryl Morey China situation and has somehow made everything worse.
Over the past few weeks, the NBA has faced a firestorm from China after Daryl Morey posted a tweet supporting protestors in Hong Kong.
Morey deleted the tweet and released a statement showing regret that people in China were angered by his solidarity with Hong Kong while Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta distanced himself from his GM and Rockets star James Harden apologized for Morey’s comments.
China went on to vow to pull all Houston Rockets games from Chinese TV and began painting over the team’s logo at gyms.
LeBron, who just played two games in China, made his first public comments surrounding the controversy and was critical of Daryl Morey.
In his press conference with the media today, LeBron said Morey wasn’t educated on the China/Hong Kong situation and that Morey was being selfish when he tweeted out the “Freedom for Hong Kong”
“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 but are only thinking about yourself”…..
https://twitter.com/BenGolliver/status/1183917743680020480
https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1183920065499942912
Update: LeBron tried to clarify his comment and said Morey should have waited a week to make his comment.
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.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 15, 2019
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.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 15, 2019
LeBron got immediately crushed on Twitter over his comments on Morey.
https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/1183922489430282246
LeBron literally has a show on HBO where they break down social injustices in America and how the system is letting people and children here down, but fuck all those people facing injustice in Hong Kong I guess because $$$
— The Dream Shake (@DreamShakeSBN) October 15, 2019
All loyalties to the swoosh on his chest. https://t.co/w4I4Sv1NB1
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) October 15, 2019
https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1183925544301154304
so the natural follow up is: What does LeBron think the situation in China is, if Morey was misinformed? https://t.co/yt7jS5UigX
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) October 15, 2019
"When you're not thinking about others, and are only thinking about yourself."
Ironic. Morey's tweet wasn't about himself. It was about people in Hong Kong, who LeBron didn't even mention.
Someone is definitely thinking solely about himself in this situation, that's for sure. https://t.co/pf7irXdQ5u
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) October 15, 2019
So @KingJames says the ONE GUY who spoke up for freedom and liberty and against tyranny "wasn't educated on the issue?"
You mean, he needs to be re-educated?
This is an embarrassment. https://t.co/GWMNvu0pHi
— L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) October 15, 2019
It might be one of the few things most Americans can agree on these days, but LeBron siding with China on Hong Kong (and against Daryl Morey) is a bad look. https://t.co/rodjlBvWlW
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) October 15, 2019
It's basically gonna be impossible to ever take LeBron or Kerr seriously on social advocacy again.
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) October 15, 2019
Welp, the 3 NBA figures who most prominently speak out on important matters – Pop, Kerr and LeBron – have now gone 0-for-3 on China https://t.co/h7CaxrjCsZ
— Larry Brown (@LBSports) October 15, 2019
LeBron James criticizes Daryl Morey for tweeting about China: "We all do have freedom of speech, but at times there are ramifications." This is exactly the line taken by those who think it's OK for the NFL to keep Colin Kaepernick out of the league. https://t.co/dfBfqdRvaJ
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) October 15, 2019
The truly sad thing is there will be people who hear LeBron’s comments and be persuaded that Morey was wrong to speak out about a country that puts millions of religious minorities in camps.
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 15, 2019