USA TODAY International Edition

NBA chief Silver playing defense in China flap

- Jeff Zillgitt Columnist

Criticism from both sides after Rockets’ Daryl Morey’s pro- Hong Kong tweet, columnist Jeff Zillgitt says.

No one is happy with the NBA.

And in the middle stands Adam Silver, the NBA commission­er who is on the receiving end of criticism from both sides – mainland China, which is unhappy with Daryl Morey’s pro- Hong Kong tweet, and pro- democracy supporters worldwide.

Mainland China wants a stronger rebuke of Rockets general manager Morey, including his dismissal, and pro- democracy supporters are disappoint­ed the NBA didn’t offer stronger support for Morey and essentiall­y kowtowed to communist and authoritar­ian China in the name of profit.

The NBA is ensnared in a geopolitic­al crisis, one that was bound to happen sooner or later. When a company is global and wants to expand its footprint and increase revenue, it sometimes deals with nations with less- than- stellar human rights records.

It’s up to Silver to navigate the crisis, which has drawn the attention of four presidenti­al candidates ( Andrew Yang, Julian Castro, Beto O’Rourke and Elizabeth Warren) and at least five U. S. senators ( Chuck Schumer, Ben Sasse, Marco Rubio, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz), all of whom criticized the NBA for its response.

Multiple Chinese companies including the Chinese Basketball Associatio­n, sports apparel brand Li- Ning and Tencent Sports have suspended partnershi­ps with the Rockets and the NBA.

On Monday in Tokyo, Silver told the Kyodo News, “The

economic impact is already clear. There have already been fairly dramatic consequenc­es from that tweet.”

The league statement, released Sunday night, said in part Morey’s tweet was regrettabl­e for those whom it offended. On Monday, Silver offered stronger support for Morey.

“I think as a values- based organizati­on that I want to make it clear ... that Daryl Morey is supported in terms of his ability to exercise his freedom of expression,” Silver said.

Hawley sent a letter to Silver and all 30 NBA teams: “Remember that some things are more important than money. Remember your responsibi­lity. You may not think of your League as an American undertakin­g, but whatever you think, what you say and do represents America to the world. And for an American organizati­on to help the most brutal of regimes silence dissent in pursuit of profit is appalling.”

Hawley also called for the NBA to cancel two preseason games in China this week “pending a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Hong Kong.”

The Lakers and Nets are en route to China for those games and their players and coaches surely will be asked about the crisis. The Nets are now owned by Joseph Tsai, who is a Taiwanese- Canadian businessma­n. Tsai posted a strong rebuke of the tweet on his Facebook page Monday.

Silver has guided the NBA through turbulent times before, namely the Donald Sterling situation and relocating the All- Star Game from Charlotte over North Carolina’s bathroom bill. He also managed to keep the NBA away from Colin Kaepernick- like protests during the national anthem.

But this is a global issue that intersects with U. S. values regarding democracy, free speech and foreign policy, and the NBA is walking a tightrope between financial gain and sociopolit­ical ideals.

“It’s a delicate balancing act,” said Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvan­ia professor Wiltold Henisz, who specialize­s in business and sociopolit­ical conflict.

There are many who believe Silver had one right answer and that was to support Morey without trying to appease China, which aims to squash dissent at all costs. This situation with the NBA is right out of China’s playbook, and it has worked for China with other companies, too.

“There are lot of companies afraid to rile up China because of the risk of lost sales,” Henisz said.

And let’s be realistic. The NBA is not leaving billions on the table for shareholde­rs, who include not only owners but players, too. That might be an antiquated view of capitalism, but it still exists even as capitalism changes.

“People are expecting companies to be more political than they used to, especially the millennial generation,” Henisz said. “There’s a growing body of evidence that customers and employees have the expectatio­n that their company would get out ahead of political issues. The NBA is really stuck. People want them to say something. But no matter what they say, they’re alienating someone.

“China is using its soft power to affect corporate behavior. We need to have more discourse about that.”

The NBA and Silver find themselves in the middle of that discourse, and they’ve learned it’s not a pleasant place to be.

 ??  ?? SILVER BY USA TODAY SPORTS
SILVER BY USA TODAY SPORTS
 ??  ??
 ?? KYLE TERADA/ USA TODAY SPORTS ?? NBA commission­er Adam Silver said Monday from Tokyo that he and the league support Daryl Morey’s right to free speech.
KYLE TERADA/ USA TODAY SPORTS NBA commission­er Adam Silver said Monday from Tokyo that he and the league support Daryl Morey’s right to free speech.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States