NBA drops ball on social justice

Bianchi: From LeBron to Silver, league chose Chinese money over democratic freedom.

As an American, I’m ashamed to be an NBA fan today.

I’m ashamed of the league. I’m ashamed of Commissioner Adam Silver.

I’m ashamed of marquee coaches Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich.

And mostly I’m ashamed of LeBron James.

If I had been in Hong Kong on Tuesday, I certainly would have understood all of those protesters who were burning LeBron’s jerseys.

I used to respect LeBron and Popovich and Kerr and Silver for being unafraid to stand up for what they believe in.

Now. sadly, we know that what they believe in is Chinese money over democratic freedom.

Shame on all of them for trying to turn Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey into a traitorous villain for having the audacity to tweet his support for the thousands in Hong Kong who are protesting against their liberties being usurped by the dictatorial regime in Mainland China.

“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” Morey innocently wrote several days ago in a tweet that every American should applaud and celebrate.

Every American, that is, except those NBA millionaires and billionaires whose new social-justice principles should be stamped in bright, red letters: “Made In China.” The final straw for me came earlier this week when LeBron, in what was one of the most embarrassing displays in recent American sports history, said Morey was “misinformed” and “not really educated” on the situation in China. Then LeBron — the noted social-media, socialjustice warrior who once called President Donald Trump “a bum” on Twitter — had the nerve to say of Morey’s tweet, “Social media is not always the proper way to go about things.”

The NBA hypocrisy is laughable. If I were Daryl Morey, I strongly would consider getting out of a league filled with a bunch of groveling, hypocritical, moneygrubbing cowards who have turned their backs on him and sold their souls so they can continue to make billions in Chinese sneaker sales.

It’s one thing to stay silent; it’s quite another for Silver to come out and originally say Morey’s tweet was “regrettable” and then for LeBron to double down and say Morey’s tweet was “misinformed.” I wonder if LeBron would tell those protesters who are being beaten, bludgeoned and pepper-sprayed by police in Hong Kong that Morey was wrong to support them publicly. For LeBron to take the stance he has taken is essentially telling the millions in Hong Kong who are fighting for their democratic lives that his rights to sell Nike apparel in Shanghai are far more important than their rights to a fair trial.

Yes, this is the same LeBron, who last year tweeted out a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Smh.

Shaking my head.

Pitiful.

Pathetic. Disgraceful. Disappointing.

Morey’s tweet is obviously one that every American — black or white, rich or poor, Republican or Democratic, Christian or Muslim, Gator or Seminole — should support. It should tell you something when eight members of Congress — both liberal and conservative — sent an open letter to Silver calling for the NBA to take a stand against China.

As the Orlando Sentinel wrote

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams acquired Jalen Ramsey from the Jaguars on Tuesday night, ending the star cornerback’s tumultuous tenure in Jacksonville with a trade to the reigning NFC champions.

Jacksonville got first-round picks from the Rams in 2020 and