What a difference a few years makes in the art of the jersey burn.
It was 2010: Our Prime Minister was a robot, Tech Billionaires were media darlings, and the Leafs were still disappointing. LeBron James, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but someone who I believe will never surpass Michael Jordan, “took his talents to South Beach”. The aftermath was a night of despair in Cleveland, where fans proceeded to burn their JAMES #23 jerseys on the streets.
It is now 2019 and LeBron’s jersey is still being burned, but now in a different continent for very serious reasons concerning freedom of speech, democracy, and business interests with oppressive governments.
To get you up to speed, Daryl Morey, current GM of the Houston Rockets and the godfather of basketball analytics, tweeted his support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The tweet was heard around the world, and China began a very vocal and strong backlash. Currently, Chinese state television has suspended streaming NBA games, and Adam Silver says financial consequences “have been and may continue to be fairly dramatic”.
LeBron commented a few days after Daryl Morey’s tweets and referred to Morey as “misinformed” and “uneducated” on the matter while refusing to outright condemn or support China. The subtext was clear though: Morey, do not mess up my yuan (LeBron has financial ties to China, including a $1 billion partnership with Nike). The Hong Kong protestors, and a good portion of the American public, have made their displeasure towards James known.
LeBron, who was once told to shut-up-and-dribble, is now telling Morey he should shut up and look at the salary cap. Number 23 has developed a reputation as an activist through his amazing work with his “I Promise” school in Cleveland, outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump and police brutality. The cognitive dissonance is real.
LeBron referenced two reasons against speaking out: player safety and his own money. On player safety, I empathize with him. LeBron is right to voice concern about Daryl Morey sending that tweet while NBA players were in China. It is the money part where he loses me.
The athletes that LeBron is compared to, Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, and Colin Kaepernick, did what they did in spite of the effect it would have on their bank accounts. Muhammad Ali was not wealthy like LeBron when he spoke out against the Vietnam War and lost his heavyweight title. That is what made Ali so courageous; he risked his lifelong goal for what he thought was right.
In the days since the tweet, LeBron has again said he will speak on the substance of the matter and focus on issues in his own “backyard”. Even if we are to ignore the millions of people in Hong Kong, the reality is that any issue regarding China impacts North America. One of the reasons why China is so powerful, and currently on pace to pass the U.S. as the world’s strongest superpower, is the fact that so many North American businesses bend over backwards to do business with China. It is American and Canadian dollars that help feed the machine of the People’s Republic.
If LeBron were to take a stand against China, he would not only be standing up for those in Hong Kong and speaking out against authoritarianism, he would also be doing a selfless deed. He would lose money, but make gains in the most important currency: respect.