Chinese businesses, broadcaster punish Houston Rockets over manager

[Greg.D.]

Stop hurting our feelings!

 

Chinese businesses, broadcaster punish Houston Rockets over manager's HK protest tweet

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-basketball-nba/chinese-businesses-broadcaster-punish-houston-rockets-over-managers-hk-protest-tweet-idUSKCN1WL04T

 

“We want to express our indignation and strong condemnation,” read a statement from Li-Ning, published on the Twitter-like Weibo platform. “We have already stopped our cooperation with the Houston Rockets, and continue to urge them to give a clear answer on this matter.”

 

“SPD Bank Credit Card Center expresses strong protest and opposition to the wrong remarks made by Houston Rockets’ General Manager Daryl Morey,” the bank said in a statement on its Weibo account.

[Randy W]

The People's Daily weighed in on this issue also (on Facebook) - http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/46920-developing-democracy-in-hong-kong/?p=642957

 

Businesspeople all over the world should know that Hong Kong is a part of China, and anyone who touches the bottom line of the Chinese people should not get away with it. (By Curtis Stone)

 

[Randy W]

Joe Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets

Open letter to all NBA fans:

When I bought controlling interest in the Brooklyn Nets in September, I didn’t expect my first public communication with our fans would be to comment on something as politically charged and grossly misunderstood as the way hundreds of millions of Chinese NBA fans feel about what just happened.

By now you have heard that Chinese fans have reacted extremely negatively to a tweet put out by Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey in support of protests in Hong Kong.

The Rockets, who by far had been the favorite team in China, are now effectively shut out of the Chinese market as fans abandon their love for the team, broadcasters refuse to air their games and Chinese corporates pull sponsorships in droves.

Fans in China are calling for an explanation – if they are not getting it from the Houston Rockets, then it is natural that they ask others associated with the NBA to express a view.

The NBA is a fan-first league. When hundreds of millions of fans are furious over an issue, the league, and anyone associated with the NBA, will have to pay attention. As a Governor of one of the 30 NBA teams, and a Chinese having spent a good part of my professional life in China, I need to speak up.

What is the problem with people freely expressing their opinion? This freedom is an inherent American value and the NBA has been very progressive in allowing players and other constituents a platform to speak out on issues.

The problem is, there are certain topics that are third-rail issues in certain countries, societies and communities.

Supporting a separatist movement in a Chinese territory is one of those third-rail issues, not only for the Chinese government, but also for all citizens in China.

The one thing that is terribly misunderstood, and often ignored, by the western press and those critical of China is that 1.4 billion Chinese citizens stand united when it comes to the territorial integrity of China and the country’s sovereignty over her homeland. This issue is non-negotiable.

A bit of historical perspective is important. In the mid-19thcentury, China fought two Opium Wars with the British, aided by the French, who forced through illegal trade of opium to China. A very weak Qing Dynasty government lost the wars and the result was the ceding of Hong Kong to the British as a colony.

The invasion of Chinese territories by foreign forces continued against a weak and defenseless Qing government, which precipitated in the Boxer Rebellion by Chinese peasants at the turn of the 20th century. In response, the Eight Nations Alliance – comprised of Japan, Russia, Britain, France, United States, Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary – dispatched their forces to occupy Chinese territories in the name of humanitarian intervention. The foreign forces marched into the Chinese capital Peking (now called Beijing), defeated the peasant rebels and proceeded to loot and pillage the capital city.

In 1937, Japan invaded China by capturing Beijing, Shanghai and the then-Chinese capital Nanjing. Imperial Japanese troops committed mass murder and rape against the residents of Nanjing, resulting in several hundred thousand civilian deaths. The war of resistance by the Chinese against Japan ended after tens of millions of Chinese casualties, and only after America joined the war against Japan post-Pearl Harbor.

I am going into all of this because a student of history will understand that the Chinese psyche has heavy baggage when it comes to any threat, foreign or domestic, to carve up Chinese territories.

When the topic of any separatist movement comes up, Chinese people feel a strong sense of shame and anger because of this history of foreign occupation.

By now I hope you can begin to understand why the Daryl Morey tweet is so damaging to the relationship with our fans in China. I don’t know Daryl personally. I am sure he’s a fine NBA general manager, and I will take at face value his subsequent apology that he was not as well informed as he should have been. But the hurt that this incident has caused will take a long time to repair.

I hope to help the League to move on from this incident. I will continue to be an outspoken NBA Governor on issues that are important to China. I ask that our Chinese fans keep the faith in what the NBA and basketball can do to unite people from all over the world.

Sincerely,
Joe Tsai

https://www.facebook.com/joe.tsai.3781/posts/2653378931391524




https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2653378931391524&id=100001583307192

Edited October 7, 2019 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

It's not too difficult to find a response to Joe

 

 

 

 

[danb]

Two points of view/opinion of what is happening in Hong Kong. Social media certainly has a role in this issue. Times are different then they were 10-15 years ago. I took a college course on China about 15 years ago. Learned most of the points that Joe Tsai mentioned in his post in that class. I remember those historical points more than what I learned about Hong Kong. At that time Taiwan was more of a popular/hot topic. I read what Daryl Morey tweeted but could not find what photo he he had posted with it. Anyone know what the photo was of?

[Randy W]

Two points of view/opinion of what is happening in Hong Kong. Social media certainly has a role in this issue. Times are different then they were 10-15 years ago. I took a college course on China about 15 years ago. Learned most of the points that Joe Tsai mentioned in his post in that class. I remember those historical points more than what I learned about Hong Kong. At that time Taiwan was more of a popular/hot topic. I read what Daryl Morey tweeted but could not find what photo he he had posted with it. Anyone know what the photo was of?

 

 

It was a simple graphic that looks like a soccer ball, and says, "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong"

 

See a CNA YouTube video titled NBA, Houston Rockets suffer backlash in China over tweet on Hong Kong

 

 

[Greg.D.]

"Almost immediately, though, the NBA came under attack from politicians and commentators who viewed its response as overly deferential to the Chinese government and lacking in support for pro-democracy voices. The NBA, which has sought to cultivate an inclusive and progressive reputation under Commissioner Adam Silver, was accused of hypocrisy and of putting its financial interests over its ideals."

 

"“I thought the NBA was proud to be the ‘wokest professional sports league’?” wrote Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Twitter. “I guess that only applies to speaking out on American politics and social issues. … China regulating speech in America is dangerous.”

 

"Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) added: “The NBA wants money, and the Communist Party of China is asking them to deny the most basic of human rights. In response, the NBA issued a statement saying money is the most important thing.”

 

The outrage came from both sides of the aisle.

 

Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic presidential candidate from Texas, said, “The only thing the NBA should be apologizing for is their blatant prioritization of profits over human rights,” terming the league’s statement “an embarrassment.”

[Randy W]

. . . and South Park gets into the discussion - from Abacus on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/243426166188443/posts/602119820319074/

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/243426166188443/posts/602119820319074/

 

South Park creators issue mock apology to China

South Park’s parody of Chinese censorship hits shortly before controversy engulfs the NBA over a Daryl Morey tweet

 

 

South Park is gone from all the major streaming sites and all mentions of South Park have also been purged from microblogging platform Weibo. But it didn't stop the debate.

“We too love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look just like Winnie the Pooh at all,” said the post referring to the Chinese president Xi Jinping.

 

 

Edited October 8, 2019 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

China blows the whistle. For a time out! from the NY Times

 

 

China Blows Whistle on Nationalistic Protests Against the N.B.A.

https://nyti.ms/2Vrd2Jk

For days, China’s state-run news outlets and tightly controlled social media platforms had been alight with criticism of the N.B.A. after a Houston Rockets executive expressed support for Hong Kong’s antigovernment protesters on Twitter. Plans to broadcast two N.B.A. preseason games were canceled and some Chinese companies suspended partnerships with the league.

Now, the Chinese government appears to be reassessing its campaign against the N.B.A. and dialing down the clamor. The government is already in a bruising trade war with the United States, and a backlash against China could hurt its image in the sporting world ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics near Beijing. The dispute with the N.B.A. was also quickly politicizing an audience of sports fans who would not normally focus on issues like the protests in Hong Kong.

Editors at state news outlets have told reporters to avoid emphasizing the N.B.A. issue for fear that it might become overheated, according to interviews with three journalists on Thursday.

 

[Randy W]

Do NOT call them "relentless" or "unforgiving" - from the SCMP

 

 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver will face ‘retribution’ for defaming China, state media says

 

Basketball league commissioner ‘fabricated lies out of nothing … to paint China as unforgiving’ and ‘please American politicians’, CCTV says