A United States senator demands answers from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about his league’s relationship with China.
In a letter sent to Silver Tuesday, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Expressed “concern” over the NBA’s dealings with a country governed by a communist regime that has abused human rights, crushed protests in favor of democracy and concealed details on the subject. coronavirus outbreak. Illustrated Sports I obtained a copy of the two-page letter.
Blackburn is giving Silver a July 21 deadline to answer three questions he raises at the end of the letter about China’s Central Television ban on NBA games, the league’s relationship with the state company. Alibaba china and the league training center in the controversial Xinjiang region. The relationship between China and the United States is at a “turning point,” he writes, and could eventually lead to a new Cold War.
While praising Silver’s cautious decision in March to suspend the NBA season, Blackburn believes details about his relationship with China are “imperative” as the league reconvenes. “While the NBA has worked hard to raise awareness of social issues at home, there is concern that the league has turned a blind eye to human rights abuses committed abroad, even yielding to pressure last year. past, “says the letter. “The actions of the NBA and some players have created an appearance that their league prioritizes profit over principle.”
The NBA and China have a long and deep history, dating back to the 1980s, when former Commissioner David Stern began forging a relationship with Central China Television (CCTV) to broadcast the league games. In the early 2000s, the NBA’s presence in the country grew during the game days of native son Yao Ming. Since 2007, the NBA has held preseason games in the country every year except one.
The ratio is worth millions each year, according to most estimates. But it was hit last fall, when Rockets general manager Daryl Morey created quite a stir by tweeting a message encouraging his supporters to “support Hong Kong,” an independent region that for more than a year has participated in pro-democratic protests against Beijing. The tweet, although quickly removed, caused a now-months-long split between the league and China. CCTV has halted all NBA game broadcasts since the tweet in October, and Silver earlier this year said the problem has cost the league a “substantial” amount that he described as “probably less than $ 400 million.” .
In a statement, the league called the tweet “regrettable,” and its biggest star, LeBron James, described the message as “misinformed.” Lawmakers on Capitol Hill chided the NBA for its response, shrugging off a communist government rather than supporting the democratic rights of the Hong Kong people. In his letter, Blackburn calls the consequences of Morey’s tweet “dazzling” and urges the league to “reflect carefully” by reevaluating its relationship with the country.
Many in Washington see the NBA as a key entity in future government relations with China, a kind of influence that the United States can sustain against the communist regime. China’s recent actions, detailed in the letter, have raised concerns with those on Capitol Hill. Chinese authorities hid knowledge of the coronavirus for months, accumulated personal protective equipment, destroyed test samples, and arrested doctors who warned the public.
China recently passed a national security law that calls for harsher sentences against Hong Kong residents who support secession, further eroding the region’s freedoms and eradicating its democratic identity, the letter says. Furthermore, Blackburn writes, China continues to violate the religious freedom and autonomy of the Tibetan people, while inhumanely treating Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group located in one region, Xinjiang, which reportedly houses an NBA training center.
The letter closes with these three questions / requests:
1. What are the anticipated financial consequences of the continued ban on China Central Television (CCTV) on NBA game broadcasting?
2. Indicate the scope of the NBA’s relationship with the Chinese state-owned company Alibaba.
3. The NBA reportedly continues to operate a training center in Xinjiang, one of the worst humanitarian zones in the world. What steps is the NBA taking to close this location?
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